Cresset Expands Bi-Coastal Presence With Addition of $1.1B Wealth Advisor Team

Cresset has hired Chris Tiano and Nick Smith as managing directors and wealth advisors, placing Tiano in its Los Angeles office and Smith in New York. The two previously served as directors at Lazard Wealth, where they jointly oversaw $1.1 billion in assets under advisement.

Tiano focuses on business owners and entrepreneurs, guiding clients through liquidity events and the complex planning that follows — including portfolio construction across public and private markets, tax planning, and wealth transfer coordination with legal and accounting professionals. Before Lazard, he held advisory roles at Focus Financial Partners and Glenmede Trust Company.

Smith brings 15 years of experience advising ultra-high-net-worth individuals, families, and institutional clients on investment management, estate planning, wealth transfer, and tax strategy. His career includes senior roles at Lazard Wealth, Merrill Lynch Wealth Management, Bessemer Trust, and Fiduciary Trust Company International.

“Nick and Chris exemplify the high caliber of advisor we seek to attract to Cresset — deeply experienced professionals who put clients at the center of everything they do. Their expertise serving entrepreneurs, business owners, and multigenerational families aligns perfectly with our mission to deliver truly comprehensive, integrated wealth management,” said Susie Cranston, CEO, Cresset.

The hires extend Cresset’s push to recruit senior advisors with institutional pedigrees and established client relationships in the entrepreneur and UHNW market — a segment the firm has increasingly targeted as it scales its family office platform.

Pictured l to r: Chris Tiano and Nick Smith