Investment Advisor magazine, the leading publication for independent investment advisors and financial planners, today announced the fifth annual IA 25–the most influential people in and around the financial planning industry. Led this year by the chairman and CEO of the NASD, Mary Schapiro, IA's editors judged that these 25 people stand out not only for their influence today but for the impact they will have in the near future in defining the issues and forming solutions for the independent advisory profession, which faces unprecedented challenges and opportunities in the years ahead. The IA 25 for 2007 are (in alphabetical order):
Rudy Adolf, founder and CEO, Focus Financial Partners
Rob Arnott, chairman of Research Affiliates
Max Baucus, Democratic Senator from Montana, chairman of Senate Finance Committee
Walt Bettinger, president and COO of Charles Schwab & Co.
Dale Brown, executive director of the Financial Services Institute
Bob Clark, IA columnist and editor-at-large
Christopher Cox, chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission
Mark Casady, chairman and CEO of LPL Financial Services Corp.
Peter Drucker, the late business management guru
Bill Gross, founder and CIO of PIMCO
Angela Herbers, IA columnist and president of Financial Advisor Resource Inc.
Mark Hurley, president of Fiduciary Network LLC
John Iachello, COO of Pershing Advisor Solutions