Former head of Merrill Lynch Wealth Management John W. Thiel is launching an independent RIA, Indivisible Partners, in the first quarter of 2025, he announced on LinkedIn.com.
“It is with tremendous pride and excitement that I, along with my co-founders, announce the formation of Indivisible Partners, a privately held independent advisory firm,” said Thiel, in a LinkedIn post. “We've listened to advisors throughout our careers, and we've continued to hear a similar theme: a yearning for a different model. An advisor where a more entrepreneurial advisor can draw on the expertise of others who have a long history of guiding and supporting advisors in growing their business.”
Thiel is a registered RIA based in Clearwater, Fla. with the Securities and Exchange Commission, but does not list assets under management as of October 1. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of privately held Forabya LLC, a holding company that lists Thiel as a director. Under services offered, Indivisible lists portfolio management for individuals and businesses, financial planning, pension plan and profit sharing services and selection of other advisors. The firm will use Fidelity for custody.
Thiel will serve as founder and executive chairman of the new firm. Its co-founders include John Hogarty, former CEO of Merrill Lynch; Peter Cieszko, a former director of strategic enterprise relations at American Century; Paul T. Lambert, a former division executive at Merrill; Bill Lorenz, a former executive director and division manager at Merrill; Tom Corra, former head of financial planning and corporate analysis at Fidelity; Tom Fickinger, a former market executive at Merrill; Michael Adornetto, a former CEO of Merrill; Alok Kapoor, a former managing director at Merrill; and Stephen Hostetler, former CEO of global wealth and retirement solutions at Merrill.
Thiel previously spent 27 years at Merrill Lynch, including five years as head of the Merrill Lynch Wealth Management business from 2011 to 2016. He then spent a year as vice president of the Bank's global wealth management and investment management business of America.
Thiel is currently on the board of directors of Franklin Templeton, Cohen & Steers Income Opportunity REIT Inc. and Decker Communications, among other organizations. He did not immediately return requests for comment.
In recent years, several former Merrill Lynch executives have launched their own support platforms for RIA firms, including Sanctuary Wealth and NewEdge Advisors.