Opto Investments (“Opto”), the technology-enabled solution that empowers independent investment advisors to confidently access private markets, today announced it has created an advisory council that brings together seasoned financial services entrepreneurs and thought leaders.
“Wealth advisors operate in an increasingly complex environment, and without bold ideas and differentiated access much of their work is easily commoditized,” said Joe Lonsdale, Co-founder and chairman at Opto Investments. “This group of some of the most thoughtful industry leaders understand what sets apart the top wealth management businesses, and will support Opto’s business and continued growth.”
The new council members bring formidable expertise in portfolio management, financial technology, marketing, cybersecurity, management of high-growth companies, and more. They are:
- David Barnard, Former Head of Private Wealth Management at AllianceBernstein; CEO of Luminary
- Michael Batnick, Managing Partner at Ritholtz Wealth Management
- Keri Findley, Managing Partner at Tacora Capital
- Mark Goldberg, Former CEO of Griffin Capital and Former CEO of Carey Financial
- David Kleinhandler, Founder and CEO of Lifewize; Co-Founder of Dynasty Financial Partners
- Steve Lockshin, Founder and CEO of AdvicePeriod and Vanilla
- Kelly O’Connor, Founder and CEO of Lumiere Partners
- Andrew Rubin, CEO and Founder of Illumio
- Todd Ruppert, Former CEO and President of T. Rowe Price Global Investment Services; former venture partner at Greenspring Associates; and CEO of Ruppert International
- James Waldinger, Founder and Former-CEO of Artivest
Opto’s end-to-end solution was built for contemporary wealth managers, who benefit from the ability to discover, invest in, and service private market investments. The platform enables financial professionals to access funds from rigorously vetted managers spanning private credit, private equity, real estate, venture capital, and infrastructure. Further, Opto’s experienced team is available to help advisors build and customize investment strategies tailored to their clients’ needs. These strategic advisors, among other things, bolster Opto’s existing brain trust, lending robust strategic planning, platform development, investment selection, and due diligence insights.
Lonsdale added, “Opto partners with wealth advisors to serve clients with unique, personalized investment opportunities. Moreover, our interests are aligned with advisors and their clients – Opto has skin in the game, and wins when investments perform. We’re in the business of providing access to the very best managers, and building technology to make the experience seamless for advisors and their clients: not pushing product.”
Today’s announcement comes on the heels of a $145M Series A funding round announced last September, which included Tiger Global, 8VC, Michael Dell’s MSD Capital, Clocktower Ventures, Fin Capital, HOF Capital, and other leading firms. Since its launch, Opto has embarked on a period of expansion as the firm has added seasoned financial services executives such as Matthew Malone (Head of Investment Management) and Sean C. Mulcahy (Head of Investment Operations).
“We are delighted to establish our advisory council with this esteemed group of industry luminaries,” said Kamal Jafarnia, co-founder and general counsel at Opto Investments. “Their collective financial services experience and acumen is poised to further accelerate our firm’s growth while augmenting our ability to help advisors and their clients access sought-after private market investments.”
Jafarnia himself brings more than 30 years of experience as an attorney, compliance professional, and financial services industry veteran. He has advised public and private companies—including alternative investment program sponsors—on complex securities offerings, regulatory and compliance issues, mergers and acquisitions, and corporate governance.
For more information on Opto’s approach to private investments, please visit our website.
About Opto Investments
Opto Investments provides independent investment advisors with a comprehensive solution for accessing private market investments. The platform connects investment advisors to historically top-performing managers and a full suite of tools and resources to help educate and attract clients, boost revenue, and ensure that their clients are able to access the right investment opportunities. Opto’s investors include Tiger Global, 8VC, Michael Dell’s MSD Capital, Clocktower Ventures, Fin Capital, HOF Capital, among others. For additional information, please visit our website and LinkedIn.
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