Ex-NFL, Ohio State Players Tackle New Advisor Roles
One former football player has gone independent after time with Merrill, while another is joining the firm that manages his money.
Two advisory firms say they recently hired former college and professional football players to join their teams.
Integrated Partners, an RIA affiliated with LPL Financial that works with financial advisors and CPAs, has recruited Harrison Till from Merrill Lynch, where he worked with about $100 million in assets.
Till played football at Ohio State and Duke University before joining Merrill in 2010.
“We’re hitting balls to all parts of the field at the moment and will continue to do so, because we have perhaps the most compelling growth offering for the fiercely independent, entrepreneurial advisor,” according to Rob Sandrew, head of advisor recruiting for Integrated.
With his transition to the firm in New Jersey, Integrated should surpass $7 billion in brokerage and advisory assets. It added over $2 billion in 2019.
“Integrated offers the ability to create bespoke financial plans for my clients based entirely on their unique financial circumstances,” according to Till.
The firm has about 150 advisors and 125 CPAs in 45 offices.
RBC Recruits QB
Meanwhile, RBC Wealth Management says former NFL quarterback Caleb Hanie has joined its branch office in Palos Heights, Illinois, near Chicago.
Hanie, who played for the Chicago Bears for three of his six years as a pro, is now part of the Heide Wealth Management Group in Palos Heights and will be an associate financial advisor. He’s been a client of the group, which focuses on clients who are athletes and entertainers, for more than a decade.
“The team brought a consistent level of excellence, quality and experience with pro athletes,” Hanie said in a statement. “I always loved working with them, and when they moved to RBC, it was an even higher level of excellence and quality. I wanted to be a part of it.”
Hanie is in a two-year training program, which entails coursework and licensing exams. He should have his initial licenses in the spring of 2020.
“Caleb and I talked about him joining our team quite a bit over the years,” according to Jeff Neumann, a senior vice president and advisor with Heide. “He has an unbelievable sincerity and trustworthiness about him, and he can really relate to what a professional athlete goes through.”
Hanie recently moved to the Chicago area from Dallas with his family. He spent the past five years working with other former NFL players on Flex Football, a youth football program aimed at preventing head impacts in the sport.
“Helping people solve problems and achieve long-term goals is what really appeals to me about becoming a financial advisor,” Hanie explained. “I’ve gone through a lot of the same big decisions throughout my career, so I can relate to other athletes/entertainers.”
RBC Wealth has about 1,900 advisors with close to $390 billion in total client assets in the U.S.
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