Steward Partners – Weekly Recap

Steward Partners continued to solidify its position as a fast-growing, advisor-centric wealth management firm this week, with a series of developments highlighting strategic expansion, institutional backing, and sustained industry recognition. Founded in 2013 and operating as an employee-owned RIA platform, the firm now oversees nearly $50 billion in client assets and is increasingly recognized as a scaled competitor in the independent wealth management space.

A major strategic milestone was the announcement of a $475 million capital infusion from Ares Credit funds. The transaction combines an expanded lending facility with a non-controlling minority equity investment, preserving strategic and operational control for Steward’s leadership and partner-owners. Ares joins existing institutional investors Cynosure Group and The Pritzker Organization, deepening the firm’s capital base while reinforcing its partnership-driven, employee-owned structure. The financing is expected to support national expansion, advisor recruiting, potential acquisitions, and platform investments, while also providing liquidity opportunities for employee partners through profit-sharing and periodic capital events.

Geographically, Steward Partners is sharpening its focus on the Southeast with the opening of a new Sarasota, Florida office that will serve as a regional hub. CEO Jim Gold is relocating to Sarasota, signaling the strategic importance of high-net-worth Sunbelt markets to the firm’s growth agenda. The purpose-built office consolidates existing advisory activity in the area, adds infrastructure and support staff, and is intended to deepen client relationships across Florida and the broader Southeast.

The week also underscored Steward’s growing reputation for leadership, culture, and technology. Chief Information Officer Mohan Gurupackiam was named “CTO of the Year” in the 2025 ThinkAdvisor Luminaries Awards, recognizing the firm’s technology strategy and focus on advisor enablement and client experience. Steward Partners was additionally named one of Financial Planning’s 2025 “Best RIAs to Work For,” reflecting the strength of its employee-ownership model and workplace culture. These honors add to a wider slate of accolades, including a rise to No. 9 on Barron’s 2025 Top 100 RIA Firms list, repeat inclusion on the Inc. 5000 fastest-growing companies list, and multiple advisor and leadership rankings from leading industry publications.

Taken together, the fresh capital from Ares, regional expansion in Sarasota, and continued awards momentum point to a firm with reinforced financial flexibility, a scalable national platform, and validated culture and leadership, positioning Steward Partners for continued growth in a competitive RIA landscape.