Managing Director, Head of Advisor Transitions & Integration (Chicago)

About Cresset

Cresset is a firm built by clients, for clients. As an independent, award-winning multi-family office and private investment firm, we are reimagining the way wealth is experienced. Our purpose is to help ensure that both wealth and life are fully optimized**—integrated, intentional, and aligned with each client’s vision of success.

We provide access to the caliber of talent, ideas, and investment opportunities typically available to the largest single-family offices and institutions. Our approach is personalized, entrepreneurial, and client-first.

Cresset was built to endure. We are creating a 100+ year firm—one focused on delivering an exceptional experience, not only for the families we serve but for the team that serves them. Recognized by Barron’s among the nation’s top multi-family offices, * Cresset is guided by long-term relationships, shared success, and a belief that wealth should serve a life well lived.

Job Description

As Cresset continues to grow through acquisitions, lift-outs, strategic hires, and organic expansion, exceptional onboarding and integration has become a core differentiator of our business. The Managing Director, Head of Advisor Transitions & Integration is responsible for overseeing all aspects of advisor and client transitions from initial due diligence through full integration. This leader will define the strategy, operating model, governance, and execution standards that enable Cresset to deliver a seamless experience for incoming advisors, their team, and clients. While this role is highly strategic, it is equally operational. During periods of advisor onboarding and integration, this leader is expected to be fully embedded with incoming teams, working side by side with advisors, internal Cresset subject matter experts, custodians and 3rd party partners to coordinate resources, remove obstacles, and ensure the successful transition of clients and assets.

This is not a role that leads integrations from afar; it requires a leader who is equally comfortable developing enterprise strategy and rolling up their sleeves to execute alongside the business teams. During onboarding, this leader is expected to be physically present with incoming teams for multiple, consecutive weeks. They will work directly alongside Advisory Practice Management Operations, Client Service, Technology, HR, Compliance, Legal, and other business functions to ensure resources are effectively coordinated and issues are identified and resolved quickly so advisors and their team members can remain focused on serving clients. Success requires calm leadership under pressure, sound judgment, and the ability to rapidly prioritize competing demands while maintaining an exceptional advisor and client experience.

Key Responsibilities

• Serve as an active partner to Corporate Development and Advisory Leadership during due diligence to assess operational readiness, integration complexity, technology environments, organizational structures, client service models, and transition risks.
• Evaluate advisor operating models and identify opportunities to accelerate integration while preserving the elements that make teams successful.
• Lead readiness planning by developing preliminary integration strategies, day one operating models, transition timelines, pre-close checklists, break readiness, resource requirements and alignment internally and with partners, and risk mitigation and contingency plans ahead of break.
• Quickly build trusted relationships with incoming leadership teams and team members to establish confidence and ensure a seamless transition.
• Support late-stage conversations by clearly articulating the integration approach and advisor experience
• Identify critical decisions that must be made prior to onboarding and ensure appropriate alignment internally and with incoming team.

Integration Execution & Delivery

• Lead day-to-day execution of integration plans post-break, including regular integration meetings / discussions and working sessions to track progress and resolve blockers
• Drive coordination across operations, client service, compliance, technology, reporting, finance, and HR
• Translate strategic integration plans into detailed workstreams, timelines, and deliverables
• Serve as the primary operator ensuring milestones, risks, and dependencies are actively managed
• Identify and resolve issues early, pulling in subject matter experts to triage and stabilize and senior leaders as needed to support
• Establish clear ownership and accountability across all integration workstreams

Advisor & Client Transition

• Own the advisor transition experience from signed agreement through post-integration stabilization.
• Serves as the face of Cresset's transition experience for incoming advisors and teams across the following activities: Advisor onboarding strategy, client transition planning, asset migration coordination, custodian conversion planning, communications, readiness and scenario planning, training coordination, service model implementation, and issue escalation and resolution.

Systems & Data Integration

• Oversee integration of technology tools (ex. Salesforce, Addepar, custodian platforms, and financial planning)
• Coordinate data migration, validation, and reconciliation
• Identify and resolve system gaps, inconsistencies, and reporting issues

Investment & Platform Integration

• Support review and mapping of portfolios, securities, and alternative assets
• Coordinate platform approvals and transitions with investment and operations teams
• Address custodial setup, pricing discrepancies, and account structure issues

Process & Playbook Development

• Develop and refine integration playbooks and best practices
• Conduct post-mortems, document lessons learned and continuously improve workflows
• Support scaling the integration function as deal volume grows

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree or certifications a plus.
• 10+ years of experience in financial services, wealth management, or integration-focused roles.
• Demonstrated experience leading large-scale advisor transitions, acquisitions, or enterprise integrations within wealth management or financial services.
• Comfortable leading highly visible integrations where executive presence, responsiveness, and sound judgment are essential.
• Proven ability to remain calm and decisive while managing multiple priorities in rapidly changing environments.
• Experience building trust with founders, advisors, and senior executives during periods of significant organizational change.
• Willingness to travel extensively in support of acquisitions, lift-outs, advisor transitions, due diligence, and post-close integration activities.
• Proven ability to lead complex, multi-workstream initiatives and fluency with project management tools (e.g., Asana.)
• Strong understanding of brokerage/custody operations, account transfers, client onboarding, and wealth management technology.
• An understanding of custodial platforms (Schwab, Fidelity, Pershing), advisor technology ecosystems (e.g., Addepar, E-Money, MSCI Wealth, Salesforce), and investment portfolio structures.
• Exceptional communication, organizational, relationship-building, and stakeholder management skills.
• Ability to operate with a high degree of ownership in a fast-paced, evolving environment
• Clear alignment with Cresset’s values of client-first excellence, partnership, collaboration, and continuous improvement.

What We Offer:

At Cresset, we focus on people first. As a service business, our people are our assets. Engaging our clients and employees is our highest priority. Starting salary is $200,000 - $255,000. Salary will be based on factors including, but not limited to, experience, licenses/certifications, industry knowledge, and geographic location. Cresset offers a competitive compensation package including an annual incentive and a benefits package to all full-time employees including medical, dental, vision, life insurance, 401(k) retirement plan, health savings accounts, short and long-term disability insurance, voluntary critical and accident insurance, and pre-tax parking and transportation programs.

Equal Employment Opportunity

It is the policy of Cresset to ensure equal employment opportunity (EEO) for all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy (including childbirth, lactation, or related conditions), national origin or ancestry, age, disability, veteran status, uniformed servicemember status, sexual orientation, gender identity, status as a parent, genetic information (including testing and characteristics), or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law. It is Cresset’s policy to comply with applicable laws concerning the employment of persons with disabilities, including reasonable accommodation for applicants and employees with disabilities.

*Disclosures related to awards, recognitions, and rankings available here .

*Barron's Top 100 RIA Firms (issued 09.2026). Based on data from July of the prior year through June of the award year. Rankings are determined using a proprietary methodology that considers qua]]> <