Key Takeaways
- • Sowell Management, a $6.8 billion Arkansas-based RIA, named Scott Dooley, CFA, as Chief Investment Officer to lead its newly launched Office of the CIO.
- • The Office of the CIO combines institutional investment leadership, research, portfolio construction, advisor consulting and a curated network of specialized investment partners.
- • The model is designed to give independent advisors institutional-level investment resources without building an in-house investment department, according to CEO Daryl Seaton.
- • Advisors can engage the Office at varying levels, from research and portfolio consultation to full investment management and portfolio construction.
- • Dooley brings two decades of asset management experience across institutional investing, wealth management and customized strategy development for advisors.
Summary
Sowell CEO Daryl Seaton said independent advisors increasingly compete with wirehouses, large RIAs and private banks that maintain deep investment benches. He said the firm is expanding the expertise and support behind advisors' investment decisions as part of its growth strategy. According to the firm, the model expands what independent advisors can offer without the cost and complexity of building an in-house investment department.
Dooley brings two decades of asset management experience across institutional investing, wealth management and the development of customized investment strategies for financial advisors. He is a Chartered Financial Analyst and holds an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. Describing the role, Dooley said advisors need "an investment office they can draw on as an extension of their own business," providing perspective, research and independent judgment.
Sowell states that as client wealth grows, investment needs often extend beyond a diversified portfolio, including tax-aware portfolio construction, concentrated positions, income and liquidity planning, alternative investments and multi-manager strategies. The Office is intended to unite research, due diligence, portfolio construction and implementation expertise to help advisors pursue more sophisticated client opportunities. Advisors can choose their level of engagement and may remain actively involved in portfolio decisions or delegate certain responsibilities.
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