Savant CEO and founder Brent Brodeski shares his playbook of success through M&A as a means to fill service gaps and to expand his service model across 15 states, with national ambitions. 

In this episode of the RIA Edge Podcast, David Armstrong, editorial director for Informa Connect’s Wealth Management Group, talks with Brent Brodeski, CEO and founder of Savant, about laying a cornerstone to long-term success by drawing top talent and keeping relevant with clients’ changing expectations. Brodeski warns against the dangers of stagnation, advocating for a balance between client service and expansion.

Specifically, David and Brent discuss:

• What many firms get wrong about “growth.”
  
• What 2023 meant for Savant as it acquired nine RIAs and two accounting firms, and what those deals say about the firm’s national ambitions.
  
• How he doesn’t view deals as “big fish swallowing smaller fish” but rather looks to partner with specialized firms that see the benefits of the scale while excited—and incentivized—to add to the firm’s growth story.
  
• How he balances a commitment to employee equity with the recent investment from private middle-market investors Kelso & Co.
  
• Why the firm made the recent investment in Australian fintech firm Lumiant, what it says about where he thinks the industry is headed and why he expects they will make more such investments in the future. 
  

Resources:

• RIA Edge Podcast
  

Connect With David Armstrong:

• WealthManagement.com
  
• LinkedIn: WealthManagment.com
  
• LinkedIn: David Armstrong 
  
• Twitter/X: @djamesarmstrong
  
• LinkedIn: Informa
  

Connect With Brent Brodeski:

• LinkedIn: Brent Brodeski
  
• Savant Wealth
  

About Our Guest: 

Brent is the CEO and founder of Savant. He has been involved in the financial services industry since 1988 and previously taught investment and finance courses at Rock Valley College, Rockford University, and Northern Illinois University. Brent earned a bachelor of science degree in finance and economics and a master’s degree in business administration with an emphasis in accounting from NIU. He is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER professional, and a Chartered Financial Analyst® (CFA®).

Brent is a co-founder and past president of Zero Alpha Group (ZAG), an industry association. He is also a co-founder of the Alliance for RIAs (aRIA), a prestigious industry group. Brent was a long-term participant in Vistage (previously known as TEC) and The Strategic Coach.  He is currently a member of the Young Presidents’ Organization (YPO) and serves on the boards of the Northern Illinois University Foundation and the Rock Valley College Foundation.