Steward Partners Eyes Growth Through M&A and Culture
Recording on location at the Steward Symposium, host Ryan Nauman welcomes Scott Danner (Chief Growth Officer) and Valerie Rivera (Chief Operating Officer) of Steward Partners to discuss growth in wealth management, where organic expansion has become harder and M&A has become a major driver. Danner shares his background building Freedom Street Partners and joining Steward in 2023, noting Steward’s growth from about $30B to over $50B in AUM largely through acquisitions. They explain why Steward frames the function as “strategic growth” rather than recruiting, emphasizing attraction, culture, and relationship over transaction. Rivera highlights advisors’ priorities beyond payout—clients, employees, legacy, and transition support—while outlining due diligence, integration, communication, and repeatable operational processes. Danner addresses misconceptions, the importance of scalable, team-based practices, and Steward’s long-term goal of becoming a $100B firm.
Learn more about Zephyr here.
Learn more about Steward Partners here.
00:00 Welcome and Disclosures
00:41 Symposium Setup and Growth Theme
01:30 Meet Scott and Val
01:54 Scott Career and Steward Growth
03:26 Val Background and Partnership
04:24 Why Steward Calls It Growth
06:32 North Star Relationship First
08:34 Val Perspective on Transitions
12:18 When Advisors Truly Fit
15:35 Due Diligence Beyond Numbers
16:46 Scaling Operations for Growth
18:28 Cutting Through M&A Noise
20:56 Misconceptions and Practice Value
25:35 How Scott and Val Complement
26:53 Future Vision and Closing
