Immigration Intern

Osaic hires chief AI and technology officer. Sayee Bellamkonda joins from Vialto Partners and will report to CEO Jamie Price. The move follows several executive departures and a $2 billion recapitalization. Diana Britton, Executive Editor, Wealth Management August 27, 2026 Osaic has hired Sayee Bellamkonda as its new chief artificial intelligence and technology officer. He joins from Vialto Partners, a global provider of tax and mobility solutions, where he was executive vice president and chief digital and technology officer, and will report directly to CEO Jamie Price. He replaces Ed Obuchowski, who served as chief technology officer until his departure from the firm last year, according to public filings. Since then, Matt Schlueter has overseen the technology function in his role as chief product and operations officer. The broker/dealer is adding the chief AI title to the role, as Osaic continues to integrate AI into its technology platform. "Bellamkonda's recruitment marks a strategic investment in Osaic's integrated technology capabilities as the firm advances its short- and long-term technology and AI roadmap," the firm said in a statement. He'll focus on improving the company's tech, data and AI infrastructure and scaling the tech platform across the enterprise. "Sayee has spent his career connecting technology strategy with business outcomes, and he knows how to build the organizations, capabilities and culture needed to turn that strategy into action," said Price, in a statement. "Bringing a leader of Sayee's caliber to Osaic reflects the opportunity we have to build something consequential and underscores how important these enhancements are to our future." This follows the departure of several top Osaic executives, including Greg Cornick, executive vice president of wealth management solutions, and Kristy Britt, chief financial officer, last month. Kristen Kimmell, who had served as Osaic's head of business development since 2021, left in June to rejoin RBC Wealth Management, her former employer. Two other senior Osaic executives stepped down from their roles in May, including Dimple Shah, head of strategy and client experience, and Sudhakar Kanagarajan, head of application engineering and architecture. Shah joined Humanity Labs, while Kanagarajan joined Fidelity Investments. In December, the firm hired Shannon Reid as president and head of advisor growth and engagement, a newly created position. Also, in April, Osaic's private equity owner, Reverence Capital Partners, closed on a recapitalization of the broker/dealer, with Bain Capital entering as a new investor. The deal raised more than $2 billion in fresh capital for Osaic and allowed Reverence to retain majority ownership. LPL also announced a new tech executive this week, hiring Jonathan Lewis as managing director and chief technology and information officer from competitor Wells Fargo. In the new role, Lewis will lead technology architecture, engineering, infrastructure and development, while reporting to Greg Gates, who has been promoted to group managing director, chief product and technology officer. Executive Editor, Wealth Management Diana Britton is the Executive Editor of Wealth Management, covering independent broker/dealers and RIAs from all angles. She's also the host of the Jesse H. Neal Award Winning Podcast, The Healthy Advisor, focused on advisor health and wellbeing. A native of Los Angeles, she now lives in Rocklin, Calif.

Vialto launches AI immigration tool for global mobility. Mon, 17th Aug 2026 (Today) Vialto has launched VialtoExplore, an AI-enabled immigration assessment tool for HR and corporate global mobility teams managing international hiring and employee transfers. The tool gives employers early answers on visa pathways, timelines and costs before starting a cross-border move or overseas hire. It automates immigration assessments so companies can gauge feasibility and compare options earlier in the process. Immigration decisions often come at the start of an international recruitment or transfer process, where uncertainty over visa eligibility, timing and cost can determine whether a move goes ahead. Businesses managing staff across borders also face growing complexity as they balance local rules, budget constraints and the employee experience. VialtoExplore collects information on the destination country, the candidate and the role, then analyses possible immigration routes. The system draws on Vialto's immigration knowledge and country-specific information to identify viable options, expected timelines and projected total cost. Early triage The product is intended to bring more structure to what is often an inconsistent early-stage process. Vialto highlighted three main areas of focus: clarity on feasibility, speed by replacing manual research, and consistency across regions and business units. That puts the product in a part of the HR technology market where employers want more standardised decision-making tools, particularly for work that crosses tax, legal and immigration boundaries. Global mobility teams are increasingly being asked to deliver faster assessments while still accounting for local compliance requirements. Aaron Smith, Chief Product Officer at Vialto, said the highest-risk immigration decision often comes when companies know the least. "The first immigration decision is the one that carries the most risk, and it's typically being made with the least information-it's often a guess," Smith said. He said the tool is designed to give employers a clearer view of the practical constraints around an international move. "VialtoExplore draws on our own immigration expertise and provides AI-driven guidance to give companies a full understanding of the parameters associated with early immigration decisions. It shifts immigration from reactive processing to proactive workforce planning and keeps global work moving quickly and compliantly," Smith said. Broader market Vialto provides services related to global work, including immigration, tax, rewards, advisory and private client work. The launch of VialtoExplore adds a software product to that mix, reflecting broader demand from multinational employers for tools that can help them screen international mobility cases before committing time and budget to a formal application process. For employers, an early indication that a move is unlikely to qualify, will take longer than expected, or will cost more than planned can shape hiring strategy and internal deployment decisions. For HR teams, that can reduce repeated intake work and help align mobility, talent and immigration functions around a single assessment. The tool produces structured outputs intended to improve predictability on timing, cost, deployment readiness and reporting. In practice, businesses can use the early-stage assessment to decide whether to proceed, consider another jurisdiction, or explore a different visa route. The launch also shows how AI is moving into more specialised areas of corporate administration beyond general productivity software. Immigration assessment is highly rules-based but also depends on country-specific interpretation, making it a field where businesses are testing whether automated tools can reduce manual work without removing expert oversight. Vialto said VialtoExplore is its first fully AI-enabled immigration assessment tool.

Vialto Partners announced a $225 million equity capital investment from existing investors, including Clayton, Dubilier & Rice and HPS Investment Partners. This recapitalization reduces Vialto's debt by approximately $700 million, transforming its capital structure. The investment will support Vialto's growth initiatives, enhancing its global mobility, tax, and immigration solutions through technology and team development. CEO Neil Masterson highlighted the importance of this milestone for client-focused innovation.