Succession Planning for Advisors: How Today’s Firms Are Thinking About Tomorrow

Independent RIA owners rarely think of themselves as succession planners. They built their firms to serve a niche they care about. They are still growing, still leading, and still very much in it. Stepping away can feel abstract or irrelevant. But the real question is not when you will exit. It is whether your firm is built to thrive without you.

Join seasoned Exit Planners, Brooklyn Brock, CFP® and Tiffany Lee, CPRC of Ellevate Advisors in this session that reframes succession planning as a long-term leadership and ownership strategy, not simply a future liquidity event. We will explore how founder-led firms can begin preparing now, even if retirement feels far away.

We will discuss:

• The subtle signs it is time to start planning, even if you feel “too young.”
• Why wait until burnout or urgency appears to sharply limit your options
• The common traps founders fall into, such as assuming a loyal employee will naturally become a successor, or focusing only on valuation instead of transferability
• The personal and relational dynamics that can quietly derail an otherwise solid plan

Advisors will leave with a clearer understanding of what succession truly requires operationally, financially, and emotionally, and how to start building optionality long before urgency forces a decision.