DIRECTOR, ADVISOR TRANSITIONS & INTEGRATIONS

Cresset Capital•Chicago, IL

2d•$160,000 - $180,000•Onsite

About The Position

As Cresset continues to grow through acquisitions, lift-outs, strategic hires, and organic expansion, exceptional onboarding and integration has become a core differentiator of our business. The Director, Advisor Transitions & Integration is responsible for overseeing advisor and client transitions from initial due diligence through full integration. This leader will define the strategy, operating model, governance, and execution standards that enable Cresset to deliver a seamless experience for incoming advisors, their team, and clients. While this role is strategic, it is equally operational. During periods of advisor onboarding and integration, the Director is expected to be fully embedded with incoming teams, working side by side with advisors, internal Cresset subject matter experts, custodians and 3rd party partners to coordinate resources, remove obstacles, and ensure the successful transition of clients and assets. This is not a role that leads integrations from afar; it requires a leader who is equally comfortable developing plans and rolling up their sleeves to execute alongside the business teams. During onboarding, the Director is expected to be physically present with incoming teams for multiple, consecutive weeks. They will work directly alongside Advisory Practice Management Operations, Client Service, Technology, HR, Compliance, Legal, and other business functions to ensure resources are effectively coordinated and issues are identified and resolved quickly so advisors and their team members can remain focused on serving clients. Success requires calm leadership under pressure, sound judgment, and the ability to rapidly prioritize competing demands while maintaining an exceptional advisor and client experience.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree or certifications a plus.
8-10+ years of experience in financial services, wealth management, or integration-focused roles.
Demonstrated experience leading large-scale advisor transitions, acquisitions, or enterprise integrations within wealth management or financial services.
Comfortable leading highly visible integrations where executive presence, responsiveness, and sound judgment are essential.
Proven ability to remain calm and decisive while managing multiple priorities in rapidly changing environments.
Experience building trust with founders, advisors, and senior executives during periods of significant organizational change.
Willingness to travel extensively in support of acquisitions, lift-outs, advisor transitions, due diligence, and post-close integration activities.
Proven ability to lead complex, multi-workstream initiatives and fluency with project management tools (e.g., Asana.)
Strong understanding of brokerage/custody operations, account transfers, client onboarding, and wealth management technology.
An understanding of custodial platforms (Schwab, Fidelity, Pershing), advisor technology ecosystems (e.g., Addepar, E-Money, MSCI Wealth, Salesforce), and investment portfolio structures.
Exceptional communication, organizational, relationship-building, and stakeholder management skills.
Ability to operate with a high degree of ownership in a fast-paced, evolving environment
Clear alignment with Cresset’s values of client-first excellence, partnership, collaboration, and continuous improvement.

Nice To Haves

advanced degree or certifications a plus.

Responsibilities

Serve as an active partner to Corporate Development and Advisory Leadership during due diligence to assess operational readiness, integration complexity, technology environments, organizational structures, client service models, and transition risks.
Evaluate advisor operating models and identify opportunities to accelerate integration while preserving the elements that make teams successful.
Lead readiness planning by developing preliminary integration strategies, day one operating models, transition timelines, pre-close checklists, break readiness, resource requirements and alignment internally and with partners, and risk mitigation and contingency plans ahead of break.
Quickly build trusted relationships with incoming leadership teams and team members to establish confidence and ensure a seamless transition.
Support late-stage conversations by clearly articulating the integration approach and advisor experience
Identify critical decisions that must be made prior to onboarding and ensure appropriate alignment internally and with incoming team.
Lead day-to-day execution of integration plans post-break, including regular integration meetings / discussions and working sessions to track progress and resolve blockers
Drive coordination across operations, client service, compliance, technology, reporting, finance, and HR
Translate strategic integration plans into detailed workstreams, timelines, and deliverables
Serve as the primary operator ensuring milestones, risks, and dependencies are actively managed
Identify and resolve issues early, pulling in subject matter experts to triage and stabilize and senior leaders as needed to support
Establish clear ownership and accountability across all integration workstreams
Own the advisor transition experience from signed agreement through post-integration stabilization.
Serves as the face of Cresset's transition experience for incoming advisors and teams across the following activities: Advisor onboarding strategy, client transition planning, asset migration coordination, custodian conversion planning, communications, readiness and scenario planning, training coordination, service model implementation, and issue escalation and resolution.
Oversee integration of technology tools (ex. Salesforce, Addepar, custodian platforms, and financial planning)
Coordinate data migration, validation, and reconciliation
Identify and resolve system gaps, inconsistencies, and reporting issues
Support review and mapping of portfolios, securities, and alternative assets
Coordinate platform approvals and transitions with investment and operations teams
Address custodial setup, pricing discrepancies, and account structure issues
Develop and refine integration playbooks and best practices
Conduct post-mortems, document lessons learned and continuously improve workflows
Support scaling the integration function as deal volume grows