Ex-UBS Group Forms $1.5B RIA With Dynasty

The new group is led by Craig Findley, who has over 25 years in the advice business.

Venture Visionary Partners includes Lindsey Rouser (left), Jackie LaScola, John O’Brien, Craig Findley, Brian Funkhouser, Jamie Kaczmarski, Kristy Keller, Melissa Estrich, Rob Retzloff, Nicole Bellino and Lauren Douglas (Photo: VVP/Dynasty)

Former UBS financial advisor Craig Findley has formed an independent wealth team and is now working with Dynasty Financial Partners near Toledo, Ohio.

The new RIA, Venture Visionary Partners, has 11 members, who earlier worked with $1.5 billion of client assets. It plans to acquire “like-minded advisors in Ohio and the Midwest,” according to a statement.

The team includes former UBS advisors Robert Retzloff, with 25 years of experience; Brian Funkhouser, with 15 years in the business; and John O’Brien, with nine years of experience.

Venture is using Schwab as its custodian, Purshe Kaplan Sterling as its broker-dealer, and Black Diamond for asset and performance reporting.

Findley has 26 years in the business, including seven years at UBS, eight at Merrill Lynch, nine at City and one at Everen Securities, according to his FINRA BrokerCheck report

About the move, the former UBS star said in a press release Thursday: “We will now be able to evaluate decisions from a different perspective and seek out optimal solutions, regardless of where the solutions reside … . We are looking forward to having a true sense of ownership and control as a client focused/independent firm with the freedom to do as we see fit for our clients.”

According to Dynasty CEO Shirl Penney, “Craig has considerable stature in the industry, and we are excited to partner with him and his team as they move to independence.”