In this episode of the RIA Edge Podcast, host David Armstrong speaks with Oliver Cross, founding partner, senior advisor and head of growth at Verum Partners, about the firm’s path from a breakaway team to a rapidly growing independent RIA managing over $1 billion.

He shares how early growth was driven by focusing on a core group of founding clients, building a strong internal structure through systems like EOS and creating a team-based client service model. Oliver also explains how hiring, technology decisions and a long-term ownership mindset continue to shape the firm’s direction as it scales.

Key takeaways:

• How a failed succession plan became the catalyst for launching a new independent RIA firm
• Why focusing deeply on founding clients created strong referrals and early growth momentum
• How implementing EOS improved structure, accountability, and long-term planning alignment
• The importance of hiring for values and building a long-term talent pipeline from scratch
• How AI, data control, and workflow systems are shaping the future client experience

Resources:

• Listen to the RIA Edge Podcast on Wealth Management
• Listen and Subscribe to the RIA Edge Podcast on Apple Podcasts
• Listen and Subscribe to the RIA Edge Podcast on Spotify

Connect With David Armstrong:

• Wealth Management
• LinkedIn: Wealth Management
• LinkedIn: David Armstrong
• Twitter: David Armstrong
• LinkedIn: Informa

Connect With Oliver Cross:

• LinkedIn: Oliver Cross
• LinkedIn: Verum Partners
• Website: Verum Partners

About Our Guest:

Oliver is a Founding Partner of Verum where he currently serves as a Senior Adviser and Head of Growth while also playing an active role in both the investment and financial planning committees. His penchant for prudent financial decision-making dates back to his early childhood lessons from his grandfather who often reminded him “a penny saved is a penny earned.” Oliver took this to heart and it became hardwired into his DNA, ultimately leading to career in wealth management.

As an adviser, Oliver caters to families who understand the importance of patience and discipline in building wealth and value the benefits of an independent firm structure that centers around problem-solving, thoughtful financial planning, tax-efficient and sophisticated investment solutions, and team-based client service. He and Verum promote the importance of alignment of interests which continue to plague the industry.

Prior to Verum, Oliver was an Investment Consultant and Director of Research at Carolinas Investment Consulting where he worked for nine years. Before pursuing his MBA in investment management at UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School, Oliver was a Vice President at Trusco Capital Management in Atlanta for six years, where he served as an Investment Manager for endowments, foundations, and retirement plans across the Southeast.

Oliver is a native of Winston-Salem where he attended R.J. Reynolds high school before heading to Davidson College where he was a member of the golf team. While still an avid golfer, Oliver spends most of his free time with his wife and two children finding any way to keep active outdoors. With a passion for mentoring youth, Oliver coaches basketball through the YMCA and soccer through Charlotte Junior soccer and taught Sunday School with his wife at Myers Park United Methodist Church.

In this episode of the RIA Edge Podcast, host David Armstrong speaks with Stephen Rigali, executive managing director at Kayne Anderson Rudnick, about the firm’s evolution from a family office into a $55 billion platform and how it has approached growth with intention over four decades.

He shares how the firm prioritizes organic expansion, structured advisor development and long-term client relationships, along with how it balances high-touch service with scalability, uses specialized partners to extend capabilities, and evaluates the role of AI in improving efficiency without replacing human decision-making.

Key takeaways:

• How the firm grew from founder capital into a $55 billion platform through steady, organic expansion
• Why advisor capacity is managed through defined lifecycle stages and proactive resource planning
• How long-term client relationships are built on trust, alignment and consistent human interaction
• Why combining in-house expertise with outside specialists strengthens the client experience
• How AI is being tested to improve research, workflows and operational efficiency across the firm

Resources:

• Listen to the RIA Edge Podcast on Wealth Management
• Listen and Subscribe to the RIA Edge Podcast on Apple Podcasts
• Listen and Subscribe to the RIA Edge Podcast on Spotify

Connect With David Armstrong:

• Wealth Management
• LinkedIn: Wealth Management
• LinkedIn: David Armstrong
• Twitter: David Armstrong
• LinkedIn: Informa

Connect With Stephen Rigali:

• LinkedIn: Stephen Rigali
• LinkedIn: Kayne Anderson Rudnick
• Website: Kayne Anderson Rudnick

About Our Guest:

Stephen Rigali is the Executive Managing Director and a member of the Executive Management Committee at Kayne Anderson Rudnick Investment Management, a Los Angeles–based investment and wealth management firm founded in 1984. He oversees business development across the firm’s institutional, retail, and wealth management platforms and works closely with the firm’s Chief Investment Officer and Chief Operating Officer to help shape the firm’s long-term investment and business strategy. He also serves on the firm’s Risk and Compliance Committee, ESG Steering Committee, and the Investment Committee for the Wealth Advisory division.

Stephen has more than four decades of experience in the investment management industry and has been with Kayne Anderson Rudnick since 1991, playing a key role in the firm’s growth and evolution. Earlier in his career, he was a Vice President at Shearson Lehman Brothers. Stephen holds a B.S. in Business and Economics from Loyola Marymount University and is a CFA charterholder.