In this episode of the RIA Edge Podcast, David Armstrong, editorial director for Informa Connect's Wealth Management Group, talks with Jeff Dekko, CEO of the Wealth Enhancement Group, about the firm's history and active role in the M&A space. The company currently manages approximately $80 billion in assets, primarily in the RIA industry. With over two decades of company experience, Dekko emphasizes sustainable growth as a critical aspect of their strategy along with optimizing processes to increase productivity and employee satisfaction.

Specifically, David and Jeff discuss:

• As a firm it is committed to organic growth, but has evolved over time to embrace M&A as well.
• The need to establish clear standards for employment and capacity utilization so that the firm can ensure efficient operations and maintain service quality without the need for ad hoc decision-making.
• What the changing M&A landscape means in the RIA space and how it reflects the competitive nature of the market.
• The impact of private equity investment in the industry and the importance of evaluating the compatibility of PE partners to achieve success in quality-driven growth.
• Why the firm targets both small and large companies for acquisitions. They require process clarity and maturity to drive efficient use of technology, particularly Salesforce, to improve operations and support their customer-centric approach.
• Wealth Enhancement Group's long-term operational philosophy and strategic focus on building a resilient and sustainable company with an expanding geographic reach.

Sources:

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About our guest:

Jeff has more than 20 years of business experience in marketing, technology, operations and finance. He is responsible for the overall leadership, growth and development of the Wealth Growth Group. Jeff began his career with General Mills, Inc., where he served in a variety of marketing management positions. In 1994 he joined Recovery Engineering, Inc., where he was instrumental in the development and branding of the PUR water filtration system. Jeff was a key member of the team that successfully sold the company to Procter & Gamble for a 100% premium over market value. Through his work at technology and management consulting firms, Jeff has helped many organizations achieve higher levels of success. Jeff provided consulting services to the Wealth Enhancement Group before being asked to join the organization as CEO in 2003.