Meghan McCartan, who stepped into the lead role of marketing at Hightower in 2021, has left the company, according to a LinkedIn post. McCartan, who became chief marketing officer at Hightower in July 2022, shared the “bittersweet update” that she had left the firm, saying she was unsure but excited about her next opportunity.
“I really enjoyed my time there,” McCartan said in the LinkedIn post. “My team, helping to drive the organic growth of our advisors, building our brand and messaging platform, and I could go on.
“I am eager to explore the possibilities and take advantage of the opportunity to reconnect with so many industry friends,” she wrote.
McCartan did not return a request for comment before publication.
“Meghan was a senior leader of the Hightower team for nearly five years. As she moves on to new opportunities, we are grateful for her service with Hightower and extend our best wishes in her next chapter,” said a Hightower spokesperson.
She took over the top marketing position when Abby Salameh, Hightower's former CMO, resigned after two years with the firm. Salameh is now serving as head of growth at RFG Advisorya hybrid RIA platform.
McCartan, who was one of the WealthManagement.com's Ten to watch in 2020led the firm's Outsourced CMO initiative launched in late 2019. This initiative was part of Hightower's strategic shift made several years ago to sharpen its focus on providing the firm's advisors with the marketing strategies and collateral to bring new customers.
Prior to joining Hightower, she was CMO at FiComm Partners.
Hightower recently named Gurinder Ahluwalia, lead director of the firm's board of directors, as president, a newly created position. Ahluwalia is currently an executive partner in the financial technology and services vertical at Thomas H. Lee Partners, owner of Hightower Private Equity. He has been registered with Hightower Securities, the firm's broker/dealer, since November.
The firm also named Michael DiBiasio, a managing director at Morgan Stanley, as chief operating officer and Daniel Berg, an executive director of corporate finance at Hightower, as CFO, a role previously held by Dan Watanapongse.