Summit Taps Ex-Dynasty Exec for Business Development Role
Ed Friedman, a longtime Morgan Stanley employee, is set to lead the RIA's growth efforts.
RIA Summit Financial says it has hired industry veteran Ed Friedman to lead its business development efforts. The wealth firm works with about $3.6 billion of assets; Merchant Investment Management took a minority stake in Summit last year.
Earlier, Friedman worked for Dynasty Financial Partners (2013-2019). He also was part of the founding management team at HighTower (2008-2011) and was with Morgan Stanley from 1986 to 2008, according to FINRA BrokerCheck.
“Ed’s industry experience and recognition will advance this goal, and we expect he will make an immediate impact,” Summit Financial CEO Stan Gregor said in a statement.
“His expertise in business development and strategic leadership roles, as well as his background as a financial advisor, supports our mission to deliver what advisors truly need in order to stand apart in the market,” Gregor added.
News of Friedman’s hiring comes as Michelle McIntyre, who led Advisor Experience and Business Development at Summit for the past year, moved to become a senior business development officer at BNY Mellon | Pershing, according to her LinkedIn profile.
At Dynasty, Friedman was the national director of Practice Management and also led its Enterprise Group, focused on RIAs with assets of $1 billion and up.
“I have spent years helping shape the independent wealth management industry and have seen a lot of support models come and go,” said Friedman in a statement. “I firmly believe Summit Financial’s SummitVantage offering leads in its structure and value proposition for advisors looking to thrive long term.”
The SummitVantage portal includes access to client relationship management, financial planning and other tech-driven resources. Summit is based in Parsippany, New Jersey.