Much has changed in the three decades that Jim Gold has been in the financial advisor industry — everything from the style of office furniture to the essentials of client service. But if there were one constant, he said, it would be the importance of team culture.
People need to enjoy what they are doing, Gold, Steward Partners' president and CEO, told ThinkAdvisor during a recent interview at one of the firm's offices in New York. They also need to feel like they have a real stake in the success of the broader organization. Simple as these things sound, they are some of the vital elements of a positive firm culture. Establishing them isn't rocket science, Gold admitted, but that doesn't necessarily mean it's easy, either.
The first point requires identifying the right talent for the right roles, providing the necessary support and resources to allow people to focus on the important tasks at hand, and being willing to recognize and pivot from mistakes. The second involves empowering people to ask questions and have genuine dialogues with peers and managers — and giving everyone an slice of the pie via equity compensation doesn't hurt.
Ultimately, building team culture and seeing how people lean into their work has been the most gratifying experience since the foundation of Steward Partners almost 10 years ago, Gold said. Seeing the firm's rapid growth via both organic and acquisition channels has been meaningful, of course, but that's just a reflection of something more important.
"Over the years I've had a few of my colleagues' spouses or family come up and tell me that their husband or wife, or whoever, is happier now going to work at Steward than they have been in a long time," Gold said. "We take so much pride in our culture, and it's always been a major factor in our growth."
Steward Partners' Growth Trajectory
Reflecting on where his firm stands today compared with just a handful of years ago, Gold said the momentum has clearly been building upon itself. He noted, for example, that the firm was No. 19 on Barron's' latest annual ranking of independent registered investment advisors.
He pointed out that Steward's growth over the past year allowed the firm to move up 13 spots from its previous position. The ranking, based on such criteria as assets under management, technology, spending, staff diversity and succession planning, marked the fourth consecutive year that Steward Partners has been included in the top 100 RIAs.
Gold cited the importance of the firm's acquisition strategy to this recognition, "but organic growth also matters a lot." He said one of the most important recent acquisitions was that of Freedom Street Partners, which in addition to a significant amount of assets and advisors also brought on important internal succession planning capabilities — a key component to creating and sustaining a positive culture in the independent RIA space.
"Freedom Street has created a really powerful sell and stay infrastructure that is highly attractive to later-career advisors as they think about joining our platform," Gold explained. "It helps to show our advisors and prospects that Steward Partners isn't going anywhere, and we have the advisors and the platform to take care of your clients and your practice when it's time for you to step away."
As Gold explained, this significant development led to the establishment of a dedicated proprietary division within Steward Partners, providing a specialized platform for advisors transitioning their business. The firm now offers an even broader range of affiliation models, including W-2, 1099 and RIA-only (IAR) models — all of which empower advisors with equity.
