That’s a wrap!
Stay tuned for 2026 event information.
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DeVoe Elevate™ 2025 Speakers
Mark Tibergien is a nationally recognized expert on management, strategy, and transition issues within the financial services industry.
He has led organizations from start-up to exit, from dynamic growth to turn-around. He has consulted with hundreds of financial services organizations in the United States, Australia, the United Kingdom, Europe, and Canada.
He currently serves as Advisor in Residence for Ernst & Young’s Wealth & Asset Management Group; an independent director of Pathstone, an wealth management and multi-family office RIA; and as an Advisory Board Member for Commonwealth Financial Network, a $180 billion broker-dealer & RIA. In September 2024, he was presented with WealthManagement.com’s first Lifetime Achievement Award to “recognize Tibergien’s guidance, principles and wisdom that have helped shape the industry.”
Most recently, Mark was CEO of Pershing Advisor Solutions LLC, an affiliate of The Bank of New York Mellon. Prior to joining Pershing, he was a Principal in the CPA firm, Moss Adams LLP, where he was head of the Business Consulting Group, specializing in the financial services industry. He wrote a monthly column for Investment Advisor/Think Advisor on management issues.
He is the author of four books published by Bloomberg Press/Wiley & Sons: Practice Made Perfect (2005) and How to Value, Buy or Sell a Financial Advisory Practice (2006); Practice (Made) More Perfect (2010) and The Enduring Advisory Firm (2016).
Mark Tibergien
Keynote Speaker
Former CEO
Pershing Advisor Solutions
John joined DeVoe & Company as a special advisor in 2024.
For the preceding nine years he served as CMO for Focus Financial Partners, a leading RIA aggregator which executed a successful IPO, grew revenue to over $2 billion and more than tripled the size of its network between 2015-2024.
At Focus, John was responsible for developing programs to support organic growth, business development and marketing for the company’s 90+ partner firms. Based upon rigorous field testing, the programs he designed enabled participants to dramatically outperform their peers in matched control groups. He summarized his findings and insights in two internally published books outlining best practices for organic growth, entitled “Outperformers” and “Nester-Hunter-Builder.”
John’s previous financial industry roles include global director of advertising for Citi Smith Barney – where his campaign won the FCS’ Financial Marketer of the Year award – and leading paid advertising efforts for TIAA. His non-financial accolades include leading the team who launched “Can you hear me now?” for Verizon Wireless, which was inducted into the Advertising Walk of Fame.
John holds an MBA degree from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Rice University.
John Mittnacht
Keynote Speaker
Special Advisor
DeVoe & Company
Former CMO
Focus Financial Partners
David DeVoe founded DeVoe & Company in 2011 to help wealth management companies optimize their business decisions. The company has supported hundreds of firms in consulting, investment banking and valuation engagements since launch. David has been a thought leader on RIA practice management for 18 years and was named the 'RIA M&A Guru' by Barron's magazine.
Previously, he served as Managing Director of Strategic Business Development at Charles Schwab Advisor Services. In this role, he developed and led Schwab’s Transition Planning platform, which provides comprehensive M&A and succession planning services to registered investment advisors. During this eight-year period, he provided strategic counsel to over 500 advisors. Previously, David worked in the Business Strategy group at American Express.
David holds a BA degree from the University of California, Berkeley and an MBA from Cornell University Johnson Graduate School of Management.
David DeVoe
Keynote Speaker
Founder and CEO
DeVoe & Company
Ben Harrison is a Managing Director and leads the client facing businesses for BNY Pershing. He is the Co-Chair of BNY’s Wealth Community Practice which aligns professionals serving the wealth industry across the BNY enterprise. Additionally, Ben serves as President & board member for BNY Mellon, N.A. Ben is a member of BNY’s Senior Advisory Council, a group of senior managing director working closely with BNY’s Office of the CEO and the Executive Committee on the bank’s strategic initiatives.
Prior to his current role, Ben led Wealth Solutions serving wealth intermediaries, the RIA custody business as well as business development and relationship management for the advisory marketplace at BNY Pershing. In those roles, he spearheaded key strategic initiatives and built successful partnerships with clients focused on powering their growth. Ben was a 2010 Chairman’s Circle Honoree, recognized for his outstanding performance and contribution to BNY. Before BNY Pershing, Ben worked at TD Ameritrade Institutional where he focused on the RIA business.
Ben earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics Management from Ohio Wesleyan University. He has also completed the Securities Industry Institute® program, sponsored by the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association (SIFMA), at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
Ben is a former Chair for the Foundation for Financial Planning and a current trustee. He also serves on the Board of The Woodstock Academy Foundation.
Ben Harrison
Managing Director, Head of Client Business Services
BNY Pershing
Ken Haman joined AB in 2005. As Managing Director of the AB Advisor Institute, he coordinates the group’s activities, develops the core curriculum, and serves as a consultant to FAs and key leaders at AB’s partner firms. Financial Advisors, advisory teams and managers seek out Mr. Haman when they need help with strategic marketing, improving their internal and external communications, and developing practice-management strategies.
Mr. Haman’s professional experience includes managing a practice in psychotherapy for 20 years in the Washington, DC, area and a consulting practice to large organizations, financial professionals and senior executives in the mid-Atlantic states. He holds a BA in business administration, graduate degrees in psychology and theology, and certifications in clinical hypnosis and neuro-linguistic programming.
Ken Haman
Managing Director, The Advisor Institute
AllianceBernstein
Rob Montella is a member of the business consulting team at First Trust Portfolios that helps financial advisors, RIA’s, banks, and institutional clients maximize efficiency and business growth.
Rob previously served as a Senior Strategist in Business Practices' for GSAM's Strategic Advisory Solutions team. He specialized in the delivery of practice management tools and services designed to improve financial advisors' business efficiency and productivity. Prior to joining Goldman Sach's, Rob spent 16 years with Ameriprise Financial, most recently as a Managing Partner with RiverSource University. In that role, he was instrumental in the development and implementation of a program that provided performance coaching and practice management consultation to top financial advisors at over 20 firms. Rob's work in the areas of Emotional Intelligence and Behavioral Finance has been featured in many industry journals and more recently in the book, "Educating Others to be Emotionally Intelligent." Rob received his Bachelor's degree from the Governor's State University.
Rob Montella
Business Consultant
First Trust Portfolios
Aimee J. Jachym is a Member in Miller Johnson’s Business and Corporate practice representing businesses in commercial transactions, mergers and acquisitions, corporate governance and compliance matters. She leads the firm’s RIA practice.
Investment Advisory Practice
Ms. Jachym represents financial industry professionals and registered investment advisory (RIA) firms throughout the United States and provides counsel on mergers and acquisitions, succession planning, and other business matters. She also advises RIAs on SEC and state registration, compliance matters, and client and partner transitions. Ms. Jachym has worked on dozens of RIA transactions, representing firms with up to $50B in assets under management.
International
Ms. Jachym works on many cross-border and international trade matters. She represents Korean and other international clients doing business in the United States and also advises domestic clients looking to expand their business into new markets. Ms. Jachym is proficient in verbal and written communication in Korean.
Corporate Law
Using her background in business and international affairs to meet the needs of local and global clients, Ms. Jachym counsels businesses of all sizes, including public institutions and start-ups, in diverse matters ranging from contract negotiations to regulatory matters and complex agreements. She serves as outside general counsel to several corporate clients and advises owners of privately-held entities on ownership issues, corporate governance, and succession planning.
Aimee Jachym
Member
Miller Johnson
Jay specializes in practice development, team leadership, communication, collaboration and adult-learning behavior. He and his team provide coaching to financial professionals across the country, and he frequently speaks regionally and nationally on behalf of Invesco Global Consulting (IGC). Jay is also a member of the IGC Leadership Team, which focuses on helping financial professionals grow, keep and optimize their practices in a complex and competitive business environment.
A keynote speaker, executive coach and author, Jay has worked in the financial services industry since 1999. His writing has been featured in multiple industry publications, and he is the coauthor of The Three Commitments of Leadership: How Clarity, Stability and Rhythm Create Great Leaders.1
Jay joined Invesco in 2019 when the firm combined with OppenheimerFunds. Previously, he was a Director of Business Consulting and head of CEO Advisor Institute Marketing at OppenheimerFunds. Prior to these postions, Jay held various leadership roles in the financial industry, including head of learning and development, national sales manager and head of professional development at ING, MassMutual and The Hartford, respectively. Jay earned a degree in economics and finance from the University of Massachusetts and a BS in business management from Western Governors University. He holds the Series 7 and 63 industry registrations.
Jay Therrien
Managing Director of Executive Consulting, Invesco Global Consulting
Invesco
Christine joined Mercer Advisors in 2021. She has more than 25 years in the financial services industry, including 17 years at Edelman Financial Engines. Christine is a member of the company’s executive leadership team, responsible for the overall technology vision and roadmap for the firm. She participates on panels or advisory boards for several companies, including Salesforce, Charles Schwab, and Fidelity. Christine earned her bachelor’s degree from William & Mary, is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional, and holds the Chartered Retirement Plans SpecialistSM designation.
Christine Cataldo
Chief Technology and Digital Officer
Mercer Advisors
Jason Gordo is a co-founder and president at Modern Wealth Management. Gordo is an accomplished wealth management executive with a diverse background in business strategy, execution, and mergers and acquisitions. Prior to joining the founding team at Modern Wealth, Gordo was a Managing Director at Goldman Sachs Personal Financial Management where he was Head of Advisor Growth.
Gordo was part of the team that scaled and sold United Capital, a $25B RIA with 90 locations, to Goldman Sachs for $750M. While at United Capital he held various positions, including Head of Office and Head of FinLife Partners. Gordo was also a member of the United Capital executive team where he worked to help drive the firm’s growth and success.
Before joining United Capital, Gordo co-founded Valley Wealth, Inc., a wealth management firm that served high-net-worth clients, endowments, foundations, and corporate retirement plans. Under his leadership, the firm was named to Forbes Magazine’s list of fastest-growing RIAs.
Gordo graduated from Gonzaga University, earning a master’s degree in organizational leadership. He also holds industry credentials from the College for Financial Planning and the Center for Fiduciary Studies.
Jason Gordo
President, Co-Founder
Modern Wealth Management
Jon Wainman is an advisor practice management consultant at Capital Group. He coaches and provides practice management consulting insights to top financial professionals. He has 22 years of investment industry experience helping financial professionals grow their retirement plan and practices and has been with Capital Group for 13 years. Earlier in his career at Capital, he was a senior sales capabilities manager and a retirement plan counselor, responsible for relationship management and sales development in western and central Pennsylvania and West Virginia.
Prior to joining Capital, Jon was a regional vice president at Voya Financial. Before that, he was an internal wholesaler at Transamerica Retirement Plan Solutions. He holds a bachelor’s degree in marketing from Indiana University. Jon is based in Los Angeles.
Jon Wainman
Advisor Practice Management Consultant
Capital Group
As Chief Practice Officer and member of the Beacon Pointe, LLC Board, Commie is passionate about improving the client and advisor experience. She originated our allWEALTH® approach and is focused on the development of life and legacy solutions and tech-enabled systems that make it easier for advisors to provide proactive, personalized advice and be advice-ready as life changes. Commie also oversees the firm’s approach to financial, estate and legacy planning and is a proud founding member of Beacon Pointe Women’s Advisory Institute and co-author of Your Dollars, Our Sense: A Fun and Simple Guide to Money Matters.
Before joining Beacon Pointe Advisors, Commie practiced estate planning at Albrecht and Barney and served as the Director of Estate Planning for Pacific Life Insurance Company. She earned her Juris Doctor from Pepperdine University School of Law, her BA in Economics from the University of California at Irvine, is a member of the State Bar of California.
She has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, US News & World Report, The Street, Financial Advisor IQ, The National Financial Educators Council, The Journal of Practical Estate Planning and The University of California, Irvine’s Wealth Management Frontier Journal. She regularly speaks on financial and estate planning topics and has been a guest lecturer at The Paul Merage School of Business at the University of California at Irvine and Stanford University.
Commie Stevens
Chief Practice Officer Managing Director of Wealth Planning
Beacon Pointe
In 2005 Shell Black started consulting on Salesforce. He was impressed by how the platform, when used well, enabled businesses to compete with much larger companies. In 2010, Shell’s affinity for solving problems in the cloud became a business. ShellBlack was founded with a simple mission —– to help companies maximize their CRM investment.
Shell previously worked in financial services, where he gained the industry knowledge he uses when assisting clients today. Shell and his team serve more than 400 wealth firms, including 40% of Barron's Top 20 RIA firms, underscoring ShellBlack’s reputation as Wealth Management's Premier Salesforce Partner.
Shell Black
President
ShellBlack
Russ Larsen is responsible for managing Wintrust’s middle market banking efforts in the northwest suburbs, Wintrust’s Investment Advisor Banking practice, and also serves as CEO of Village Bank & Trust. Russ has spent the last 30 years working with middle market companies in the greater Chicagoland area. He is passionate about establishing highly personalized relationships with an emphasis on strategic discussions about growth and succession planning.
Russ has a bachelor’s degree in finance with an emphasis in accounting from Northern Illinois University and an MBA in marketing with an emphasis in finance from DePaul University. He serves on the Board of Executive Advisors of the Northern Illinois University College of Business and as a board member for the American Cancer Society.
Russ Larsen
Group Executive Vice President
Wintrust
Doug joined DeVoe & Company in 2021 as a Managing Director and works with our clients on consulting and investment banking projects.
Doug has more than 20 years of senior-level RIA management experience as COO/CCO and consultant. Most recently, he served as COO/CCO at Parcion Private Wealth (~$2B) in Seattle. He oversaw an 80% AUM growth trajectory in the first 12 months of his tenure there. Prior to Parcion, Doug spent six years at The Ensemble Practice, where he supported RIAs and broker-dealers with business consulting and strategic planning. Doug also served in leadership positions at Columbia Pacific Capital Management and Lakeside Capital Management, among other firms.
Doug earned an MBA from Thunderbird School of Management/ASU and a BA from University of California Los Angeles.
Doug Johnson
Managing Director
DeVoe & Company
Andy joined Capital Advisors in 2001 and has been on the Board of Directors since 2006. He has served as President since 2012. Andy oversees the Wealth Management, Client Service, and Financial Planning teams in addition to long-term strategic planning for the firm. He graduated from the University of Tulsa and brings over 25 years of experience to the firm. Andy is active in the Tulsa community, a long-time supporter of Catholic Charities and the Alzheimer’s Association, and an advocate for financial literacy.
Andy Brown
President
Capital Advisors
Scott serves as President and Client Advisor of the firm. As President, Scott has broad responsibilities in all areas of practice management within the firm. In his role as Client Advisor, he uses his investment and retirement planning experience to tailor wealth plans for clients. He also serves as Chief Compliance Officer and is a senior member of the firm’s Retirement Plan Services Team as well as Investment Committee.
Scott believes the foundation of successful firms are values that are lived and breathed. The values of Integrity, Teamwork, Humility, Excellence and Enthusiasm are alive, well and part of the everyday culture at The Joseph Group. Scott enjoys helping The Joseph Group Team and Clients “live their great lives” and being part of the firm’s best places to work culture.
Scott is a graduate of Denison University where he majored in economics and computer science. Prior to joining the firm, he established and operated Mizer Financial Services – an independent financial and investment advisory firm. Scott has more than 30 years of experience in the financial planning and investment management industries and, earlier in his career, was with the Huntington Trust Company and Nationwide. He is a member of the American Society of Pension Professionals and Actuaries (ASPPA) and holds the Qualified 401k Administrator (QKA) designation.
Scott Mizer
Partner and President
The Joseph Group Capital Management
Lyle Minton is the Chief Investment Officer at Keel Point. Prior to joining Keel Point in 2013, Lyle was a Founding Member and Chief Investment Officer of Point Clear Capital Management, where he managed a global macro hedge fund. He was a Senior Vice President with Alcentra, Inc.(a $16 billion fixed income fund headquartered in London), where he was Head of Structured Products responsible for global structured credit trading. He was also a Managing Director at HSBC Bank in New York from 2000-2003, during which time he managed the Financial Institution team and was head of Product Development.
Lyle Minton has over 25 years of experience in capital markets, trading a variety of cash and derivative markets across asset classes. He graduated in 1988 from Auburn University with a B.S. in Economics and from Pace University in 1992 with a M.B.A in finance. He completed a fellowship in derivatives pricing theory at Virginia Tech University’s Center for Futures and Options. Mr. Minton has published articles in Risk and Canadian Derivative Strategy.
Lyle Minton
Chief Investment Officer
Keel Point
As Lido’s Chief Growth Officer, Jordan is responsible for driving growth and expansion across the organization both organically and inorganically, and identifying and developing strategic initiatives for enhancing the current organization.
Jordan was most recently Managing Director at Kayne Anderson Rudnick serving the institutional and retail divisions. Jordan has deep experience including a wide range of client-focused and regional roles at Fidelity Investments. Prior to Fidelity, Jordan served as Chief Operating Officer at RADY Asset Management, overseeing hedge fund and separately managed account operations.
Jordan holds a B.S. degree in Psychology Pathology from the University of Utah and an M.B.A. in Business from Cornell Johnson Graduate School of Management.
Jordan Greenhouse
Senior Management Director, Chief Growth Officer
Lido Advisors
Ed Moore joined DeVoe & Company as a Special Advisor in 2021. Most recently, Ed served as President of Edelman Financial Services, the nation’s largest independent RIA. Over his 30-year career at Edelman, he helped grow the firm from six people into a $230-billion enterprise with 1.1 million clients and 1,400 employees. In addition to overseeing the large-scale merger and integration of Edelman Financial Services and Financial Engines, Ed navigated the company through a series of sales to private equity firms and taking the firm private.
During his tenure, he helped lead the firm’s organic growth from one office to 45 offices with 150 planners from coast to coast. As part his leadership roles there, he led and helped train financial planners, served on the Executive committee, Investment committee and the firm’s Board of Directors.
Ed started his career with Waddell & Reed as a financial advisor. Ed has been a CFP® professional since 1991 and has served on the Board of Directors for the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc.
Ed graduated from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University with a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering and Operations Research.
Ed Moore
Special Advisor
DeVoe & Company
While growing up in the small town of Franklin, TN, Sam learned the values of honesty, candor, and hard work from his family members. Through his love of sports and passion for life, he established many life-long relationships that he values. His love of water sports led Sam to White Water Slalom Kayaking where he went on to be a multiyear USA National Champion and an Alternate in the Olympic Games. Living and competing abroad helped shape his view of the world and forge global friendships that exist today.
Sam brought his high work standards to the financial world after achieving a Masters in Business Administration degree. He obtained his Certified Financial Planner™ designation while working for an international financial institution. Sam saw a need for a more personalized approach to client relationships and envisioned financial solutions that were tailored to the desires and needs of his clients.
As a result, Sam found his way to TBH Advisors, a firm that shared his philosophy for client service. Sam strives to achieve asset preservation and prudent growth for his clients while placing them in investments that meet their long-term savings goals.
Sam Davis
Managing Member & Financial Advisor
TBH Advisors
Kyle joined Homrich Berg in 2020 as Chief Operating Officer, returning after a previous stint with the firm from 2008-2013. He leads the firm’s internal operations, helps align the firm’s talent and culture with its long-term objectives, and drives strategic initiatives to support future growth.
Prior to re-joining Homrich Berg, Kyle was a Manager in Bain & Company’s Atlanta office. In his 5 years at Bain Kyle led teams serving clients across a wide variety of industries, with a focus on Private Equity, Consumer Products, and Technology. His expertise includes M&A, growth strategy, organization and operating model design, and performance improvement.
Kyle received an MBA with Honors from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business in 2015 and a BS in Management with Highest Honors from Georgia Tech in 2008.
Kyle Glenn
Principal & Chief Operating Officer
Homrich Berg
Yelena is the Head of Product for Catchlight. In her role, Yelena is responsible for developing and managing the Catchlight platform products providing strategy development, product management, and go-to-market support. She is driven to help advisors leverage data and technology to grow their businesses.
Prior to joining Catchlight, Yelena spent over 25 years in various roles across Fidelity Investments. She has focused her efforts on the cross section of advisor and investors facing technology. She has specialized experience in portfolio management, institutional order management, trading platforms, and workplace investing technology.
Yelena Melamed
Head of Product
Catchlight
Prior to founding Zoe Financial, Andres was an Executive Director at JP Morgan Asset Management, helping oversee $300 billion in assets.
Before JP Morgan, Andres worked in Morgan Stanley's Institutional Equity division, where he developed investment ideas and conveyed equity market insights to institutional clients.
Andres is consistently ranked as a top speaker at major industry conferences. He is a regular guest at CNBC & Bloomberg,
He holds a CFA designation and an MBA from the Wharton School, where he received the Joseph Wharton Fellowship and Toigo Foundation Fellowship.
Andres Garcia-Amaya
Founder and CEO
Zoe Financial
Dustin Mangone is a Managing Partner and the Director of Investment Advisor Services for PPC LOAN, a cash-flow based lender providing nationwide financing to service sector businesses. He has over 18 years of experience with cash-flow lending and has evaluated and underwritten over $1 billion in loans for investment advisors. Dustin now spends 100% of his time consulting on the M&A financing needs of RIAs and Independent Investment Advisors nationwide and is a regular speaker on these topics. Dustin’s experience is focused on acquisitions, mergers, buy-ins, buy-outs, equity purchases, succession plans, and debt consolidations.
Dustin is a 2002 graduate of Texas A&M University and spent 2 years as a financial advisor providing retirement planning for non-profit organizations before joining PPC LOAN in May of 2005.
Dustin Mangone
Managing Partner
Director of Investment Advisor Services
PPC Loan
James Hughes serves as a Managing Director for Live Oak Bank’s Small Business Lending division; his title is Head of Professional Services Lending. In this role, James oversees the management of Investment Advisory, P&C Insurance, Accounting & Tax and Law Practice lending at Live Oak Bank. James leads the sales team and oversees the lending process from the initial call to loan servicing. Since joining Live Oak in 2013, he has helped hundreds of businesses achieve their goals through financing. James has served in several roles at Live Oak, including as a sales trader, relationship manager, underwriter, loan officer and business development officer.
Before joining the bank, James worked at one of the leading investment banks in the world, where he managed a group of derivative trading assistants and several client service teams. Through this unique experience, James has gained an understanding of business owners' challenges. James' dedication is to assisting small business owners attain success and continue to thrive with Live Oak Bank’s products and services James has a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Bucknell University.
James Hughes
Managing Director - Small Business Lending Division
Live Oak Bank
Brad joined DeVoe & Company in 2018. He brings 30+ years of financial services experience in wealth management, asset management, and banking.
Brad has led several multi-billion dollar AUM RIAs and banks that own RIAs, many of which he helped grow through acquisition. His roles included President of PSBT’s Wealth Management Group, Managing Director of Manarin Investment Counsel, President of Carson Wealth Management Group, and President and CEO of BancWest Investment Services. Earlier in his career, he held senior positions at Citigroup, Kemper Financial Institution Group, and consulted with Farmers Financial Services.
Brad earned his undergraduate degree in Economics from Loyola University Chicago.
Brad Grubb
Managing Director
DeVoe & Company
Parker Ence is the CEO and Co-founder of Jump AI, the leading Advisor AI meeting assistant for financial advisors designed to cut meeting admin time by 90% while elevating client and advisor experience by putting meeting prep, note taking, meeting compliance, CRM updates, and meeting follow-ups on AI autopilot. Parker works with RIA and broker-dealer teams every day to implement award-winning, safe, and compliant AI that is built for advisors, customizable to the advisor’s style, and deeply integrated with the advisor tech stack. Parker is a 4x technology CEO with experience in fintech, data, AI and briefly at Google Cloud AI. Parker received an MBA from Stanford Graduate School of Business and a bachelor's in Economics from the University of Utah.
Parker Ence
CEO and Co-Founder
Jump AI
With over 35 years of experience, Scott’s passion for helping others realize their goals has extended beyond his clients and into serving others through education and community outreach. In his time, he’s seen trends come and go, but has always held true to the belief that a long-term approach provides the best roadmap to financial success.
Scott shared his knowledge by educating future financial professionals at Marymount College, Baruch College, and New York University (NYU) financial planning programs. He was an Adjunct Associate Professor of Financial Management at NYU and recipient of the Award for Teaching Excellence.
Deeply committed to serving his community, Scott spends a large portion of his non-working hours helping others. He serves as an active member of the Financial Planning Association (FPA), previously served as a member of the FPA’s National Board of Directors for over five years, and acted as a member of the Editorial Advisory Board for FPA’s Journal of Financial Planning. He has also chaired a number of the FPA’s educational conferences.
Scott also serves his community through financial education and guidance as a board member of the Foundation for Financial Planning; a nonprofit organization that provides funding to organizations that offer pro bono financial planning to those in need. He regularly provides college planning seminars for parents and students at the local high school in Chappaqua, NY, and served as a board member and treasurer for the Board of Directors for the Horace Greeley Scholarship Fund.
In 2022, Scott received the P. Kemp Fain Jr. Award. This award is given to those who have made significant contributions to the financial planning profession in the areas of service to society, academia, government and professional activities. In 2017, Scott received the FPA Heart of Financial Planning Award for his commitment to the financial planning community as well as his passion for his work. He earned his CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ certification from the College for Financial Planning and received his Bachelor of Arts Degree from Syracuse University.
Scott Kahan
Board Member
Foundation for Financial Planning
Peggy Ruhlin, CPA/PFS, CFP®, joined DeVoe & Company as a Special Advisor in 2020. Peggy is also the Chair of the Board of Directors at Budros, Ruhlin & Roe, Inc., a $3.5 billion wealth management firm based in Ohio. She joined the firm in 1987 and served as Chief Executive Officer for nearly 18 years. Under Peggy’s leadership, Budros, Ruhlin & Roe won the 2011 Schwab IMPACT Awards® Best in Business award.
Peggy is a Certified Public Accountant with a Personal Financial Specialist accreditation, and a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ certificant. She has served on many industry boards and committees, including the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards and the Schwab Advisor Services Advisory Board.
Peggy has been recognized as one of America’s most distinguished women in wealth management. Accolades and awards include: Recipient of the 2017 Alexandra Armstrong Award for lifetime achievement, named one of the “20 Most Influential Women to Watch in 2016” by InvestmentNews, one of the Top 25 Women RIAs in 2016 by WealthManagement.com, and as one of the Financial Times Top 100 Women Advisers in 2014.
She holds a Bachelor’s in Business Administration from Otterbein University.
Peggy Ruhlin
Special Advisor
DeVoe & Company
Scott Grouten is a senior RIA strategic relationship manager at Capital Group, home of American Funds. He has 19 years of industry experience and has been with Capital Group for eight years. Prior to joining Capital, Scott was a vice president at American Century Investments. Before that, he was a vice president of Corporate Retirement Plan Sales at Voya Retirement Plans. He holds a bachelor's degree in business administration from Marist College in Poughkeepsie, New York. Scott is based in Los Angeles.
Scott Grouten
Special Advisor
Capital Group
Adam returned to DeVoe & Company in 2022 after previously working with the company in 2014-2015. Adam is focused on delivering our valuation services to RIA clients. He is an experienced CFO and financial analyst.
He has held positions across multiple industries, including financial services, technology, and other professional services verticals. Most recently, he was the CFO at Talent, Inc a technology-enabled career services provider. Prior to that, he was the CFO at Helix Education, a technology-based enrollment platform for colleges and universities. Earlier in his career, Adam co-founded Deer Creek Capital Partners, a long/short alternative investment fund with $20MM in assets. He was also a Senior Equity Analyst at Invesco Funds Group.
Adam has a BA in English from the University of Michigan and a MBA in Finance from Cornell University Johnson Graduate School of Management.
Adam Levy
Managing Director
DeVoe & Company
2025 AGENDA Highlights
DeVoe Elevate™ offers rich and insightful content. Networking breaks, meals, and receptions provide options for
learning from your peers, speakers, and other experts.
Human Capital SESSIONS
Dynamic Leadership and the Enduring Advisory Firm
Building Culture: How Elite Leaders Build a Team and Influence Behavior
Tales from the Field: Succession that Works
Next-Gen Capital: Fueling Tomorrow, Today
Creating a Culture to Attract and Retain Top Talent
Growth SESSIONS
Supercharging RIA Growth: Unlocking Competitive Advantage
Creating a Growth Mindset
The Professional Referral Method: Becoming the Trusted Advisor
Crafting a High Performance Business
Growth, Engineered: Smart Tech Strategies That Scale
Event Location
Grand Hyatt nashville
1000 Broadway, Nashville, TN 37203, United States of America
The DeVoe Elevate room block at the Grand Hyatt has sold out and is now closed. The hotel has limited rooms remaining to book directly through the hotel website. Below are some nearby hotels in the area to book accommodations:
Tempo by Hilton (.2 miles)
Caption by Hyatt (.3 miles)
The Westin Nashville (.4 miles)
Hilton Nashville Downtown (.5 miles)
W Nashville (.5 miles)
2025 Networking Events
Make sure to join us for our third annual Women in Wealth Brunch in partnership with our Premier Partner, Beacon Pointe. It will be a fantastic way to kick off the event! Registration required.
Save the date for the Main Evening Event at the iconic Category 10! Thank you to Invesco QQQ, our Diamond Partner, for their partnership on this event! Registration required.
You won't want to miss the Early Evening Reception at the close of Thursday, May 8. Join us for a good time after a full day of learning and connecting.
If you would like to learn more about becoming a partner, please email us at events@devoe-co.com.
Join us at Elevate, where we consistently earn high NPS scores reflecting top-tier speakers and insightful content that keeps attendees highly satisfied and eager to return.
DeVoe Elevate™ was selected as one of the best conferences to attend in 2025 by Michael Kitces’ Nerd’s Eye View
The 18 Best Financial Advisor Conferences To Attend In 2025
Follow along on social media using #DeVoeElevate2025.
Please enjoy these photos from previous DeVoe Elevate™ events.
