$28.9B EP Wealth Appoints Ex-Sageview Exec as COO

EP Wealth Advisors, LLC has appointed veteran financial services and wealth management executive Jorge Bernal as COO. With more than three decades of experience, Bernal’s expertise is set to further the serial RIA acquirer’s expansion and client service capabilities.

Bernal, who will be based in EP Wealth’s Seattle office, was most recently COO and head of wealth management at SageView Advisory Group and has also held executive positions at Goldman Sachs’ $25 billion Personal Financial Management (PFM) division, United Capital, Fidelity and JPMorgan.

He will lead EP Wealth’s wealth advisory, marketing, investments, and wealth management services teams to grow both “organically and through new partnerships,” the firm said.

“As we continue to grow and expand our ability to care for families across the country, Jorge’s leadership will help our advisors and business leaders consistently deliver excellent client experiences,” said Ryan Parker, CEO of EP Wealth.

The Torrance, CA-based firm, which recently added chief people officer Megan Glover to its executive team, partnered with seven firms in both new and existing geographies thus far in 2024.

Backed by RIA minority investor Wealth Partners Capital Group since 2017 and private equity firm Berkshire Partners since 2020, EP Wealth is a fee-only registered investment advisor and financial planning firm with more than 41 offices in 13 states. The firm manages over $28.9 billion in assets as of September 30.