Coldstream Holdings Inc. (“Coldstream”) today announced the appointment of Rush Benton, CFA®, to its board of directors. Benton, CEO of investment banking firm Gorman Jones and former Head of Wealth Management M&A at investment advisory firm CAPTRUST brings strategic counsel, decades of industry experience and singular growth expertise to Coldstream.
“We are thrilled to welcome Rush to our board of directors,” said Kevin Fitzwilson, Coldstream’s Managing Shareholder. “Rush has one of the most extensive wealth management M&A backgrounds of anyone in our industry, making him a vital asset as we continue to execute our longtime mergers and acquisitions strategy, which prioritizes consistent year-over-year growth but also places an emphasis on the firm remaining independent and employee-owned.”
Benton launched Gorman Jones in June after spending more than 11 years at CAPTRUST. There, he was responsible for growing the firm’s private wealth assets, both organically and through the acquisition of independent, fee-based registered investment advisors (RIAs).
Before that, he was a Managing Partner at Benton Capital Partners, which provided M&A and strategic advisory services for the wealth management, RIA and investment management industries.
Benton also served more than 13 years as Founder and CEO of WealthTrust, a holding company of wealth management firms that collectively managed $8 billion in assets for high-net-worth clients. He has been involved in more than 70 M&A transactions throughout his career.
“Joining the board of directors at Coldstream is an incredible opportunity, with the firm’s approach to growth and service a reminder of a time when the industry wasn’t dominated by outside investors,” Benton said. “I look forward to collaborating with my fellow board members and a team that is dedicated to strategic expansion, innovation and world-class client service.”
Benton’s appointment comes as Michael Butler, Chairman and CEO of Cascadia Capital, leaves Coldstream’s board of directors after serving more than 13 years.
“We celebrate Mike for his dedication, support and guidance,” Fitzwilson said. “Mike has been a great board member and helped usher us into an era of growth and continued independence. He is leaving Coldstream in a stronger position than when he joined, so we can’t thank him enough for his service.”
Coldstream now has more than $10 billion in assets under advisement. Earlier this year, Coldstream combined with Arnerich Massena, Inc., a Portland, Oregon-based investment advisory firm managing approximately $2 billion in client assets. It followed the successful merger last fall with two other Pacific Northwest financial services providers: Seidman Capital Group (“SCG”), a wealth management firm, and Hersman Serles Almond, LLC (“HSA”), an accounting and consulting services firm. Reegan Rae, former Co-CEO, Managing Principal, and Senior Investment Advisor at Arnerich Massena will also be joining the Coldstream board of directors.
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