LPL Financial has tapped Jonathan Lewis, a former Wells Fargo technology executive, to serve as its managing director and chief technology and information officer, the firm announced Monday. Lewis will oversee architecture, engineering, infrastructure, and development, and will be based in New York, reporting to Greg Gates, who has been elevated to group managing director and chief product and technology officer.
Lewis brings more than two decades of experience building large-scale technology platforms at major financial institutions. At Wells Fargo, he most recently led digital and trading technology for the wealth management division, where he worked on AI-driven engineering capabilities for advisors and clients. Earlier in his career, he ran asset management technology at J.P. Morgan.
His appointment is the latest in a series of technology-focused leadership changes at LPL, which has been steadily refining its tech bench since 2024. In July 2024, the firm hired Sushil "Sid" Vyas as executive vice president and chief technology officer of infrastructure and operations, a role focused on platform stability. Vyas, who spent two decades at Wells Fargo and its predecessors before a stint at Mizuho Americas, has since moved to RBC Capital Markets as managing director and global head of capital markets operations, supervisory and regulatory technology, according to a LinkedIn post this month.
In April 2025, LPL restructured its executive ranks, elevating five long-serving leaders to a new managing director tier. Among them was Gary Carrai, who became managing director and chief product officer, overseeing the firm's advisor and institutional technology platforms. That same month, LPL hired Vaughn Harvey, a veteran of JPMorgan and Morgan Stanley, as its first chief data and artificial intelligence officer, a role created to steer the firm's broader AI strategy.
The leadership additions come as LPL embarks on a nearly $2 billion, three-year investment in modernizing its technology infrastructure, unveiled at its Focus 2026 advisor conference in San Diego earlier this month. The spending underwrites LPL Latitude, a unified platform that combines data, workflows, cybersecurity, and an embedded AI agent called Cyan into a single system for advisors.
"The best technology isn't technology that shows off what we can build," Gates said at the event, underscoring the firm's focus on practical, advisor-centric tools. LPL CEO Rich Steinmeier addressed advisor anxiety about automation directly, stating, "Will AI replace the advisor? Quite simply, no. Those who embrace AI will become more valuable."
Lewis's move is part of a broader trend of talent movement between major wealth management firms. For instance, Wells Fargo has been recruiting advisory teams, and two Wells Fargo teams recently jumped to Ameriprise and Janney. Meanwhile, Commonwealth's digital chief departed for Janney as LPL integration proceeds. These moves highlight the competitive landscape for technology talent in the wealth management industry.
With Lewis on board, LPL aims to accelerate its platform modernization and AI initiatives, positioning itself to better serve its network of independent advisors. The firm's substantial investment underscores its commitment to staying ahead in a rapidly evolving digital environment.
