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Industry Spotlight






                CAREER



                CHANGER



                GREG





                FLEMING






                Meet the ex-wirehouse exec

                turning the Rockefeller

                Family Office into a wealth
                management firm.




                  BY JANE WOLLMAN RUSOFF

                          boutique firm may seem an unlikely venture   Global Investors private fund — Viking is the majority stake-
                          for Gregory Fleming to helm. After all, he spent   holder — a trust representing the Rockefeller family, and
                          virtually his whole career at two wirehouses —   RCM management.
                A  Morgan Stanley and Merrill Lynch — where he       Based at — no surprise — 45 Rockefeller Plaza in New York
                topped out as president of wealth and asset management, and   City, RCM is made up of three units: the Rockefeller Global Family
                president, respectively.                           Office, Rockefeller Asset Management and Strategic Advisory.
                  But a smaller  enterprise with  an entrepreneurial  mindset   The firm was formed from the family office originated by
                is exactly what Fleming, 57, is now running. The investment   John D. Rockefeller, founder of Standard Oil. The philan-
                banker — who helped Bank of America buy Merrill’s busi-  thropic Rockefellers funded Spelman College, the University
                ness and helped former Yankee Derek Jeter in the consortium   of Chicago and the Museum of Modern Art, among many other
                acquisition  of the Miami Marlins — is relishing  the job of   renowned institutions.
                recasting the Rockefeller family office into a wealth manage-  As for the advisory firm, it is reportedly offering handsome
                ment firm, he told Investment Advisor in a phone interview.   signing bonuses to top-notch FAs. All Fleming has to say about
                  Offering  an  array  of  products  and  services  for  high-net-  that is: “We offer competitive packages, but we’re not trying
                worth and ultra-high net worth clients, Rockefeller Capital   to win on the package. If the decision comes down to financial
                Management has the welcome mat out for elite advisors   consideration, advisors should go to other firms.”
                nationwide. But Fleming is picky: Dovetailing with the firm’s   In 2018, the first to onboard as an employee firm was The
                culture is of paramount importance, he stresses.   Bapis Group — renamed Vios Advisors — a nine-person team
                  In 2018, Fleming, who spent six years at Morgan Stanley and   that left Hightower Advisors.
                17 years at Merrill, formed Rockefeller Capital Management out   RCM’s second family office acquisition — following that
                of Rockefeller & Co., the former family office of the Rockefeller   of Financial Clarity, based in Mountain View, California — is
                family, to help clients with complex financial and investing needs.  Whitnell & Co., a $1.4 billion wealth management and multi-fam-
                  The firm, of which Fleming is CEO, is owned by a Viking   ily office services firm. It was a subsidiary of Associated Banc-



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