Episode Details
Back to EpisodesCulture, Collaboration and Career Change with Cerity Partners’ Claire O’Keefe
Description
What happens when a schoolteacher from Ireland follows her curiosity halfway across the world and ends up helping shape one of the nation’s largest wealth management firms?
In this episode of the Focused on the Future podcast, host Suzanne Siracuse talks with Claire O’Keefe, partner and head of partner development at Cerity Partners, about her unconventional journey from education to wealth management and the people-first culture that drives firm growth.
Claire shares insights on career transitions, cultural alignment in mergers and acquisitions, the importance of organic growth and how investing in people powers the future of wealth management.
Claire discusses:
- How her travels from Ireland to the U.S. led to a career in wealth management
- The key trends shaping M&A decisions for RIAs, from succession planning to client experience
- Why cultural alignment and shared values determine successful partnerships
- How top-performing firms prioritize training, development, and broad ownership structures
- Her perspective on the future of small and solo firms in a rapidly evolving, AI-driven industry
Resources:
- Listen to Focused on the Future on WealthManagement.com
- Subscribe and listen to Focused on the Future on Apple Podcasts
- Subscribe and listen to Focused on the Future on Spotify
Connect With Suzanne Siracuse:
Connect With Claire O’Keefe:
About Our Guest:
Claire O’Keefe serves as Partner, Head of Partner Development, and member of the Leadership Team at Cerity