People & Company News, Week of September 19, 2025
- Seana Smith has joined Global X Management Company, a provider of ETFs, as its senior investment strategist. Smith will play a significant role in shaping the firm’s approach to address investment trends in the industry, supporting financial advisors, and driving support for client investment strategies. Before joining Global X, Smith was an anchor for Yahoo! Finance, where she anchored “The Ticker” and “Midday Movers.”
- Jeffrey Green has been tapped as chief people officer for RIA Allworth Financial. In his role, Green will contribute to “enhancing” Allworth’s talent development, strategy, and financial advisor experience. In his first year at Allworth, Green will play a key role in advancing talent acquisition and development programs. Before joining Allworth Financial, Green previously served as the chief human resources officer at Osaic Wealth.
- Industry veteran William McNeil has been appointed as chief revenue officer and general counsel for WealthBlock, an artificial intelligence platform. In his role, McNeil will lead the company’s revenue growth strategy while providing support to private funds, GPs, RIAs, and family offices, as they aim to modernize their investor experience with AI-powered workflows. Prior to joining WealthBlock, McNeil was the CRO for The Barista Cup, a food and beverage company, and he is the CEO and founder of Florida-based B2B Prospect AI, a B2B sales system tailored to the financial and legal sectors.
- Kevin Monaco has joined Dynasty Financial Partners as the firm’s business development officer. Monaco, who brings more than 30 years of experience to his role, will be responsible for recruiting independent advisory firms, developing business partnerships, and serving as a local resource for existing Dynasty Network Partners in the western U.S. Monaco will be based in Los Angeles and will report to Dynasty’s chief growth officer, Tim Oden. Most recently, he served as Oppenheimer’s Southern California regional director. He also held various roles at Morgan Stanley, Raymond James & Associates, D.A. Davidson, and Wells Fargo Private Bank.
- Christopher Stevens has joined RIA CapWealth as an EVP and financial advisor. Prior to joining CapWealth, Stevens spent 15 years at Bank of America’s private bank, where he played a key role at the firm’s portfolio management division and most recently served as a senior portfolio manager.
- Eamon Heavey has been named as the global head of marketing and investor relations for CIFC Asset Management, an alternative credit platform. In his role, Heavey will play a key role in shaping the firm’s growth strategy. Before joining CIFC, Heavey previously served as managing director and managing director of credit business development at Man GLG and Man Group, respectively.
- Pharmaceutical executive James Feliciano has been appointed to serve as a venture partner for Japan-based Saisei Ventures, an investment firm with a focus on biotechnology and therapeutic solutions. Feliciano, who brings more than two decades of experience, will play a key role in working with portfolio company management teams to develop strategies and build relationships with the firm’s drug candidates and with global pharmaceutical partners. Prior to joining Saisei Ventures, Feliciano served as president and general manager of Japan operations at AbbVie. He is also the founder of 3C Advisors GK, a Tokyo-based strategic advisory firm that collaborated with organizations to navigate the pharmaceutical market in Japan.
- Wealth management executives Michael Mendelson, Harrison Gelber, Mark Bradford, and Jackie Blue have been appointed as SVP and COO, SVP and director of private banking and trust advisory services, SVP and director of wealth planning, and SVP and COO of Bryn Mawr Trust Advisors, respectively, at WSFS Financial. Mendelson will be responsible for driving operational strategies, enhancing efficiency, and supporting the division’s strategic growth initiatives. Prior to WSFS Financial, Mendelson held various leadership positions at JP Morgan Chase & Co. Gelber will oversee the expansion of the firm’s trust advisory business while continuing to lead the private banking teams across Bryn Mawr Trust’s footprint. Gelber will play a critical role in broadening the organization’s advisory capabilities. Bradford will oversee Bryn Mawr Trust’s wealth planning group and will play an instrumental role in shaping and executing “comprehensive and personalized” wealth planning solutions. Blue will lead the portfolio solutions team, client support, and retirement plan services teams. Blue’s will focus on streamlining operations, enhancing the client experience, and driving growth across the firm.
- John Neary has been appointed as president of AlphaQuest, a research-driven alternative asset management firm. In his role, Neary will lead all functional areas at AlphaQuest, reporting directly to AlphaQuest’s founder and CIO Nigol Koulajian. Neary, who brings three decades of experience to AlphaQuest is also the founding principal of 3000Kings, an independent boutique with a focus on capital markets infrastructure, capital markets regulation, and the sports & entertainment industry. Neary has previously held roles at Goldman Sachs, Citadel, the SEC, and the Central Bank of Ireland.
- Private Advisor Group’s affiliate wealth management firm, Artemis Wealth Advisors, has merged with financial advisor Adam Weiner‘s Freedom Financial Team. Artemis Wealth Advisors is co-led by Andrew Wilson and Cameron Staley. The combined team will continue to operate under the Artemis Wealth Advisors brand and serve clients from Artemis’ existing office in Troy, Michigan. As part of the merger, Weiner will assume the role of managing partner, and Faith Ferguson will join Artemis as director of operations, alongside co-founders and managing partners John Ursu and Christopher Dzinklinski. Effective Sept. 1, the combination of both firms will boost Artemis’ total client assets by over 20% to $386M.
- Allvue Systems, an investment management technology solutions provider, has unveiled its latest private credit tool, dubbed Private Credit Intelligence. The tool provides investors with access to industry-wide data. Allvue has also expanded on its Nexius Data Platform, with the launch of Nexius Intelligence, which creates a combined entity, Nexius Enterprise Data Solutions, a platform that integrates workflows, proprietary data, and AI for firms.
- Denver-based RIA Uniting Wealth Partners has added a Rochester, NY-based practice led by husband-and-wife duo Rick and Alecia Dougherty, which oversees about $235M in client assets. The financial advisors were previously affiliated with Little Rock, AR-based Naviter Wealth since 2023. Uniting Wealth Partners is a wholly owned subsidiary of Wealth Advisor Growth Network and was founded by managing partners Jay Hummel and John Phoenix.
- Vanguard has launched its first active high-yield ETF, an active fixed income ETF managed by Vanguard Fixed Income Group. The ETF aims to provide diversified exposure across the full high-yield credit quality spectrum, with limited flexibility to invest in complementary sectors such as leveraged loans and U.S. investment-grade corporate bonds. VGHY has an estimated 0.22% expense ratio, which is significantly below the category average of 0.59%.
- Wellspring Family Office has teamed up with The Pritzker Organization in a strategic partnership that’s aimed at strengthening Wellspring’s capabilities to serve families and offer “specialized” services. As part of the partnership, Wellspring will expand its capabilities in investment, tax, and trust services, strengthen its banking and advisory relationships, and expand its technology and operations offerings.
- Cetera Financial Group has partnered with Peoples Bank and Trust to develop and strengthen the bank’s investment program, Peoples Financial Management & Planning. The program, which oversees approximately $120M in assets under administration, will gain access to Cetera’s technology, “personalized” support, and “deep” expertise in serving community banks. Peoples Bank and Trust joins Cetera from LPL Financial, where the firm was seeking to “elevate client experience and help drive growth.”
- Morgan Stanley Private Credit has led an incremental senior debt financing for Fetch, a rewards startup, increasing the size of its existing credit facility to $110M. Morgan Stanley Private Credit initially provided debt financing to Fetch last March. The transaction will further accelerate product innovation, investment, and the platform’s AI and technological abilities.
- Empire Asset Finance, a subsidiary of Arena Investors, has launched. Arena Investors has committed $100 million to Empire to help grow the firm. Empire provides non-investment-grade middle market companies with equipment financing from traditional capital providers. Empire specializes in capital leases, operating leases, and loans. Empire is led by CEO Rick Rockhold and COO and chief credit officer Mike Miroshnikov. Empire will work directly with end users through its sales team and will source deals from peer group lenders and lessors through its capital markets team.
- PGIM, an investment management division of Prudential Financial, and Partners Group, a private markets firm, have teamed up for a strategic partnership aimed at delivering a suite of multi-asset portfolio solutions for individual and institutional investors. The solutions will be built to be integrated into defined contribution plans, insurance portfolios, and other investment structures.
- Carta, the private capital-based software platform, has partnered with Morgan Stanley Wealth Management, which is designed to remodel the wealth space for private company founders, executives, and employees preparing for liquidity events and IPOs. In part of this collaboration, Morgan Stanley Wealth Management’s tools will be integrated into Carta’s platform, offering users access to “personalized” financial guidance, education, and “tailored” wealth planning resources.
- Marathon Asset Management, an asset manager, has expanded access to its asset-based lending strategy on iCapital’s Marketplace. The expansion will allow the firm’s wealth management community to gain access to Marathon’s ABL program. The program focuses on investments secured by assets such as airplanes, railcars, commercial and residential real estate, and healthcare.
- California Resources Corporation will purchase Berry Corporation in an all-stock transaction valued at about $717M. As part of the acquisition, Berry Corporation shareholders will receive 0.0718 shares of CRC’s stock for each Berry share, representing a 15% premium. When the transaction closes, CRC shareholders will own about 94% of the combined company. CRC states that it expects to generate $80–90 million in annual synergies within a year after the closing of the deal and maintain a leverage ratio below 1.0x. The transaction will allow CRC access to Berry’s Uinta Basin acreage in Utah.
- Orion, a wealthtech solutions provider, has added SpiderRock Advisors’ option overlay SMAs to its wealth advisory platform. With SpiderRock’s platform, clients can customize accounts with “no call away” and “strategic liquidation” features that seek to defer capital gains realization throughout the lifecycle of the account. SpiderRock Advisors, a division of BlackRock, provides customized option overlay strategies to investors, combining world-class technology with comprehensive derivatives expertise.
- International Asset Management and King Street Capital Management, an alternative investment firm, have launched the King Street Long/Short Credit UCITS Fund on International Asset Management’s UCITS platform. The Fund, which raised $100M in capital commitments, offers investors exposure to liquid credit across the credit spectrum, including performing, structured, stressed, and liquid distressed credit instruments. The UCITS Fund brings King Street’s Flagship Strategy into a global liquid credit UCITS fund structure and contributes to the firm’s global credit platform.
- Galvanize, a climate-focused asset manager, has raised $1.3B for its Credit and Capital Solutions strategy, which is aimed at providing “flexible” solutions and equity for companies and projects across the energy transition value chain, which includes renewable energy, grid storage, fleet electrification, efficiency, and advanced materials manufacturing.
- Arch, a private markets infrastructure platform, has raised $52M in its Series B funding round. The latest funding round was led by Oak HC/FT, with participation from Menlo Ventures, Craft Ventures, and Quiet Capital. The funding will be used to expand the platform’s development and its AI-backed operating system. The company also plans to use the capital for various product expansions, improving its real-time reporting capabilities, and strengthening the firm’s growth.
- Vertical Bridge, a private owner and operator of communications infrastructure, has issued $595.1M worth of tower revenue notes, which were secured by over 1,070 towers across 47 states. Funding was led by Barclays as the structuring agent and was used to repay the Series 2020-2 and 2023-1 Notes, cover associated transaction fees and expenses, and support the growth of the Company’s infrastructure portfolio. The offering marks the tenth asset-backed securities financing by Vertical Bridge since 2016.
