RBC Wealth Management has appointed Shawn Bernhard as complex director for its Texas South region, a move that brings a 25-year industry veteran from Raymond James to oversee advisor teams in Texas and Louisiana. The appointment, announced Oct. 23, is part of a broader wave of senior hires across the wealth management industry this week, including new leadership at DPL Financial Partners and Prime Capital Financial.
Bernhard previously served as managing director and branch manager at Raymond James' Tucson, Arizona office, and before that held several leadership roles at UBS Wealth Management, where she managed major markets in Arizona. Her arrival at RBC comes after a year in which the firm has successfully recruited sizable advisor teams from UBS, signaling an aggressive growth strategy in key regions.
Scott Skinner, RBC's Mountain South divisional director, praised Bernhard's approach: "She understands that when you empower advisors with the right resources and support, everyone thrives – advisors and clients alike." Bernhard, who holds the Certified Financial Planner and Certified Exit Planning Advisor designations, said she was drawn to RBC's "genuinely collaborative, advisor-centric culture." She previously chaired the Women's Wealth Advisors of Arizona.
DPL Financial Partners expands leadership as assets near $7 billion
Louisville, Kentucky-based DPL Financial Partners, a platform for commission-free annuities, has named Mark Forman as head of experience and Kendal Wetzel as head of sales strategy and operations. The firm, which is approaching $7 billion in assets under administration, created these two new roles to support its growing roster of fee-based fiduciary advisors.
Commission-free annuities eliminate sales commissions, a structure that proponents argue reduces conflicts of interest for advisors who charge fees. DPL has been developing tools for this market, including a portfolio-level review tool for legacy annuities aimed at RIAs transitioning from commission-based to fee-based models.
Forman, who previously led experience initiatives at Jefferson National and Nationwide Financial, and later served as chief marketing officer at RetireOne and Optifino, will oversee service for DPL's member advisors, partners, and consumers. Wetzel, who held a similar role at Jackson National Life Distributors and earlier was director of RIA distribution at Allianz Life, will run sales operations and enablement. DPL founder and CEO David Lau noted that both executives "know the RIA market well and bring expertise tailoring annuity and insurance solutions to its unique needs."
Prime Capital Financial boosts retirement consulting in the Mid-Atlantic
Overland Park, Kansas-based Prime Capital Financial, which entered into a recapitalization deal with Carlyle's Global Credit platform this summer, has hired Ekaterina "Katie" Sheliga as a retirement plan consultant. Sheliga brings more than 15 years of experience in financial services and retirement, most recently as sales director of strategic accounts at PCS Retirement, where she managed relationships with national broker-dealers, RIAs, and wealth firms.
Sheliga's career also includes leadership roles at the American Retirement Association and The Standard, and she began at Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. At Prime Capital, she will focus on building relationships with employers, advisors, and centers of influence. Jania Stout, who joined Prime Capital in 2024 to lead its retirement practice, highlighted Sheliga's broad background: "She's worked in consulting, recordkeeping and strategic partnerships, so she understands how the pieces fit together."
The hires come amid a competitive landscape for advisor talent, with firms like RBC and others recruiting large teams and boutique firms adding key personnel. For RBC, Bernhard's appointment is part of a broader push to strengthen its presence in the South, a region with growing wealth management opportunities. For DPL and Prime Capital, the new executives are expected to drive growth in their respective niches: commission-free annuities and retirement plan consulting.
As the industry continues to evolve, these moves reflect a focus on specialized expertise and client-centric strategies. Whether it's retirement plan complexity or the shift to fee-based models, firms are investing in leadership to navigate changing advisor and client demands.
