What Advisors Should Focus on to Maximize the Value of Their Practice: An Investment Banker’s Guidance

The Diamond Podcast for Financial Advisors

With Dan Seivert, CEO & Managing Partner at ECHELON Partners

Overview

Dan Seivert of ECHELON Partners offers perspective to help advisors better understand their business’s value drivers and how to maximize each, even if you aren’t interested in going independent or selling your business.

Listen in…

> Download a transcript of this episode…

NOTE: The views and opinions expressed by the guests on this podcast are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of Diamond Consultants. Neither Diamond Consultants nor the guests on this podcast are compensated in any way for their participation.

About this episode…

As more advisors shift toward thinking of their business as “a business,” the priority has become the long term—with an emphasis on maximizing the value of what they’ve built.

Yet maximizing value isn’t solely to affect a sale or transition: It’s about identifying the best partners, practices, and procedures to help build a stronger and more sustainable business that will serve clients and foster growth well into the future.

So, what is it that drives business valuations?

Dan Seivert, one of the wealth management industry’s leading experts on the topic, joins the show to share key factors that impact the value of an advisor’s business.

As the founder and CEO of ECHELON Partners – a boutique investment bank focused on M&A and succession planning for the wealth and investment management industries – Dan’s firm also provides sell-side, buy-side, and merger advisory services to wealth and investment managers seeking strategic growth, partnership, and succession solutions.

ECHELON’S M&A Deal Reports are an industry standard, providing data and perspective on activity on a quarterly and annual basis. Plus, the Deals & Dealmakers Summits and Webcasts feature some of the industry’s most influential voices on M&A, strategy, leadership, and solutions for deal-making.

In this episode, Dan sits on the other side of the table with Louis Diamond to discuss essential information on the heels of ECHELON’S 2023 Deal Report. They discuss:

• Driving enterprise value at all levels—regardless of where advisors build their businesses.
• Where business valuations stand today—and where they might be headed.
• The latest M&A trends—and what advisors should be aware of.
• The rise of private equity—and how this impacts advisors at wirehouses.
• And the key factors that set the best business apart from all others.

Dan has a unique perspective on what makes an advisor’s business attractive to a potential seller, and he provides actionable advice on what advisors can do now to prepare for the future.

It’s a unique interview with an industry thought leader that will help advisors better understand their business’s value drivers, how to maximize each, and what’s important to know about valuations going forward—even if you aren’t interested in going independent.

Want to learn more about where, why, and how advisors like you are moving? Click to contact us or call 908-879-1002.

Related Resources

Diamond Consultants 2023 Advisor Transition Report
JUST RELEASED February 2024: The latest “State of the Union” on the wealth management industry for financial advisors.

The Next Big Thing: Private Equity Disrupting the Landscape for the Best Teams
Private equity firms are showing an enhanced interest in wirehouse breakaways, investing directly in these teams on day one. Learn what’s driving this new trend, which teams are most appealing, how it will impact movement, and more.

Are You Selling Yourself Short by Selling Equity?
So you’re considering independence and the potential of taking on a capital partner. Is that the right move—or is there a better way to financially de-risk the leap? Here are 5 things to consider.

Daniel B. Seivert
CEO and Managing Partner

ECHELON’s RIA M&A Deal Report

Dan Seivert is the CEO and founder of ECHELON Partners – one of the leading investment banks and consulting firms to the wealth and investment management industries. Before starting ECHELON, Mr. Seivert was one of the initial principals of Lovell Minnick Partners, where he helped invest over $100MM in venture capital across 15 companies. Before his involvement in private equity, Mr. Seivert was a buy-side analyst at The Capital Group (American Funds) where he valued firms in the asset management and securities brokerage industries. Mr. Seivert’s initial job at Capital was in strategic planning and marketing research, where he worked directly for several chairmen of the company and the fund boards. Mr. Seivert began his career in the M&A department of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom.

Over the past 30 years, Mr. Seivert has worked with over 500 executive teams and boards to help them envision, initiate, and execute a diversity of complex business strategies and transactions. As their trusted advisor, Mr. Seivert has helped these clients make the tough decisions concerning acquisitions, sales/divestitures, investments, mergers, valuation, M&A strategy, new ventures, management buyouts, capital raising, equity sharing, and succession planning. In his various roles, Mr. Seivert has conducted detailed valuations on over 1,000 companies, evaluated more than 2,000 acquisition targets, and authored 25 reports dealing with the wealth and investment management industries. During this time Mr. Seivert has served on the Board of Directors of AssetMark Investment Services, BridgePortfolio, and Occidental College.

Mr. Seivert is a frequent keynote speaker for corporate clients and at industry events. Several top industry publications have quoted Mr. Seivert extensively as a leading authority in the private wealth market. Mr. Seivert is the President and founder of ECHELON’s FINRA-registered broker-dealer (Echelon Capital, LLC). He has an Advanced Bachelor’s degree in Economics from Occidental College and a Master of Business Administration from UCLA’s Anderson School of Management. Mr. Seivert is a native of Los Angeles and currently resides in Manhattan Beach, California.

Also available on your favorite podcast app and other media sites

Browse other episodes in this podcast series…