Technology and Operations Intern Conversion

Latest feature articles. August 4, 2026. July 30, 2026. July 17, 2026 | briefly. Michael Allwin has joined William Blair, the global investment bank, as a managing director and head of biopharma investment banking, based in New York. Mr. Allwin arrives from Truist Securities, where he held the same title, and will lead the firm's global efforts advising public and private biopharma companies across all stages of development, along with financial sponsors and venture firms focused on the sector. He brings nearly 15 years of biopharma experience, including investment banking roles at Credit Suisse, RBC Capital Markets, and Deutsche Bank, spanning M&A, equity and equity-linked transactions, IPOs, follow-ons, private placements, debt securities, PIPEs, and venture capital funding. He holds a B.A. in political science and economics from Bucknell University. Steve Tole is managing director and head of healthcare investment banking at William Blair. Mr. Allwin is the latest senior banker to join William Blair in 2026, following additions including Jayant Dey in energy, Alain Harfouche in chemicals, and Rishi Sethi in FinTech in London, alongside the firm's acquisition of Inner Circle Sports. June 23, 2026 | briefly. Braemont Capital has hired Daniel Grinnan as managing director and Will Olson as vice president of business development. Mr. Grinnan joins from the Riverside Company, where he served as principal focused on originating, executing, and managing investments; he previously held roles at Newstone Capital Partners and Raymond James, and holds an MBA from the Wharton School. Mr. Olson joins from Vixxo Facility Solutions, a Braemont portfolio company, where he served as vice president of corporate development; he previously held roles at Farmers Business Network, Stax, and EY-Parthenon. Robert Covington is founder and managing partner of Braemont Capital. Ridgeline Roofing & Restoration, the Bertram Capital-backed provider of residential and commercial roofing solutions, has acquired Freedom Roofing & Construction, a Champaign, Illinois provider of roofing installation and repair, siding, gutters, and storm damage restoration services. Freedom Roofing was founded in 2014 by Kurt Kiser, who will remain with the business following the close. The buy of Freedom is Ridgeline's seventh add-on acquisition since its founding in 2020. Zach Bassi, a vice president at Bertram Capital, led the transaction. Ridgeline provides residential and commercial re-roofing and restoration services including roof repairs, full replacements, and storm damage restoration, along with siding and gutter installation, across Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, Mississippi, Florida, Minnesota, Nebraska, and now Illinois. Chris Baldus continues as chief executive officer. Bertram Capital invested in Ridgeline in January 2024 as the first platform for its Bertram Ignite strategy targeting companies with EBITDA of $3 million to $7.5 million. Kevin O'Mara has joined DLA Piper as a partner in its private equity practice in New York. Mr. O'Mara advises private equity sponsors and portfolio companies on cross-border transactions, including platform and add-on acquisitions, divestitures, and general corporate matters, across manufacturing, media, oil and gas, business services, education, healthcare, and technology. His practice includes coordinating counsel across finance, healthcare regulatory and compliance, and tax structuring in complex domestic and international PE transactions.

People moves: RBC Clearing & Custody hires former Pershing executive for business development. Also, Kestra Financial hires client service and operations leads; alt-focused Quincy Wells names a CIO; and Toronto-based Verecan Capital adds a CFO as it pushes further into the United States. Alex Ortolani, Senior Reporter, Wealth Management August 4, 2026 RBC Clearing & Custody, which offers clearing, custody and execution services to independent broker/dealers and registered investment advisors, has hired Larry Agin as business development manager. Agin joins RBC after a two-year stint at Apex Fintech Solutions, a firm he joined after more than two decades at BNY Pershing. He has experience in wealth solutions, securities operations, trading and client relationship management, according to RBC's announcement. "When I began the process of hiring a new business development manager, I never could have imagined a better fit than Larry," Kelly Johnson, chief revenue officer of RBC Clearing & Custody, said in a statement. "He shares the values of our organization, understands what truly matters to our clients and wants to make a real difference for the businesses that choose to partner with us." Agin will be tasked with further growing RBC's clearing and custody business for the IBD and RIA sectors, even as upstarts such as Apex and Altruist seek to undercut the legacy providers. "Joining RBC Clearing & Custody provides a meaningful opportunity to contribute my experience to a market leader with scale, extensive resources, a strong commitment to the clearing and custody business, and a team that focuses on innovation," Agin said in a statement. Kestra Financial adds Fidelity National, Truist alumni to leadership team. Kestra Financial, a hybrid RIA based in Austin, Texas, announced this week that it had hired Kristan Garner as head of client service and John Milligan as head of operations. Garner joins from financial technology firm Fidelity National Information Services, where she served as director of operations. She will now lead Kestra's client service organization, including advisor service, technology solutions and account services. Milligan joins from Truist Bank, where he served as executive vice president, head of capital markets operations. At Kestra, he will oversee trading, cashiering, producer compensation and fee billing. "Kristan and John bring deep expertise in client service and operations, and their leadership will help us continue raising the bar for efficiency and operational excellence across the advisor experience," said Angela Xavier, executive vice president, client experience officer at Kestra, in a statement. Kestra said the hires build on investment in operations and client experience, including Xavier's hire as client experience officer last year from LPL Financial, and the establishment of a secondary headquarters in Tempe, Ariz. In April, Kestra hired four business development leaders from competitors, including LPL and Commonwealth Financial Network, to its national recruiting team. Quincy Wells Advisors names Matt DenBleyker CIO. Quincy Wells Group, a Chicago-based wealth management platform focused on alternatives, named Matt DenBleyker chief investment officer of Quincy Wells Advisors this week. DenBleyker joins from Lee Financial, where he served as director of private markets. At Quincy, he will lead the development of investment solutions, oversee multi-asset-class portfolio construction, and contribute to business development initiatives. "Matt has spent his career building institutional investment programs and translating them into something advisors can actually put in front of clients," said John Neppel, managing partner of Quincy Wells Group, in a statement. "That is exactly the capability our advisors need as demand for alternatives keeps growing." DenBleyker brings more than two decades of investment management experience across RIAs, investment consulting firms and public pension plans. Prior to Lee Financial, he was managing director and co-chief investment officer at Commerce Street, where he built the firm's outsourced discretionary investment platform. Verecan Capital Management appoints Jim Andrews as CFO. Verecan Capital Management, a discretionary portfolio management firm based in Toronto with U.S. clientele, said it had appointed Jim Andrews as chief financial officer, effective July 20. Andrews joins from CWB Wealth, where he was president and CEO. He is tasked with leading Verecan's growth strategy, including acquisitions, advisor relationships, strategic partnerships and opportunities with independent firms. "We are fortunate to have Jim join Verecan at this stage in our growth. He understands this industry and sees the opportunity in what we are building," Verecan Group of Companies CEO Colin White said in a statement. The appointment follows Verecan's recent addition of Emily Dunn as chief operating officer, further strengthening the senior leadership team as the firm expands beyond Canada, according to the announcement. Verecan launched in 2023 and expanded in 2025 to provide services to U.S.-based clients and clients with cross-border financial concerns. Senior Reporter, Wealth Management Alex Ortolani is a New York-based senior reporter with Wealth Management with a focus on deals, moves and trends in the registered investment advisor space. In addition to financial and business reporting, he has worked in media relations and corporate communications for tech firms and Fortune 500 companies.

PNC has appointed Christian Winward as its new chief information security officer. Winward spent 35 years at FirstBank, which PNC acquired for $4.1 billion, starting as a teller in 1991 and rising to chief information officer. He will oversee PNC's enterprise information security, including cyber strategy, security operations, and incident response. Separately, Truist has hired Shimna Sameer to lead its wealth management division, effective in October. Sameer spent over 20 years at Bank of America, most recently heading products and platforms at its private bank. She will report to Chief Wholesale Banking Officer Kristin Lesher and oversee a division that grew second-quarter income by approximately 8% year-over-year.