CAPTRUST Financial Advisors announced that it has appointed Mike Wunderli as head of mergers and acquisitions (M&A).
According to the firm’s June 4th announcement, Wunderli will lead the firm’s strategic inorganic growth initiatives, using his broad view of the marketplace to identify firms that align with the CAPTRUST vision — those that are “client-focused, growth-driven, and mission-aligned.”
“The industry is at an inflection point,” CAPTRUST CEO Fielding Miller said in a statement. “We wanted someone who was ready to face those challenges with energy and enthusiasm. Mike is ready. He fits CAPTRUST, and he fits our strategic ambitions for the future.”
Wunderli joins CAPTRUST from ECHELON Partners, a boutique investment banking firm, where he served as a managing director since 2016. At ECHELON, he oversaw M&A activities across the wealth and asset management industry.[1]
Before working at ECHELON, Wunderli spent 12 years at Lehman Brothers and UBS as a senior vice president in the private wealth management division. Throughout his career, he has worked with entrepreneurs and business owners and has collaborated with top investment managers, private equity funds, family offices, trading desks, and various capital providers, the announcement further noted.
“I’ve been on the other side of the table for the last nine years, and I’ve seen how the industry’s top acquirers have evolved. CAPTRUST’s elite offering, coupled with its integration expertise and deep resources, distinguishes it among the nation’s top financial advisory firms,” stated Wunderli. “In my view, a select group of elite firms will emerge as the clear leaders in the independent space, and CAPTRUST is uniquely positioned to elevate the industry to new levels of quality, integrity, and fiduciary stewardship.”
Wunderli holds a Bachelor of Arts from Brigham Young University and a Master of Business Administration from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. A native of Salt Lake City, Utah, he currently resides in Redondo Beach, California.
Last June, CAPTRUST announced that it had eclipsed $1 trillion of total client assets. In addition, the firm previously announced that it had closed more than 70 deals since 2006.
[1] Note: NAPA frequently writes about ECHELON’s quarterly RIA M&A Deal report concerning the latest dealmaking in the advisory space. In addition, members of the CAPTRUST team are also frequent participants and speakers in NAPA-related events, such as the 401(k) Summit and various webinars the organization holds.
