The Diamond Podcast: Cyndeo Wealth Partners’ Matt Kilgroe
Five years after launching Cyndeo Wealth Partners from UBS, Matt Kilgroe returns to the podcast to discuss what happens after independence. Rather than focusing on the transition itself, Louis and Matt explore the next phase of growth: scaling an advisory business, attracting talent, developing niche expertise, taking on outside capital, and building an enterprise designed to last. Along the way, Matt shares how Cyndeo expanded from $1.2B to $3.5B, why serving professional athletes required a different business model, and what led the firm to partner with Rise Growth Partners as it looks toward a $25B future.
The Storyline
For many advisors, independence is viewed as the finish line.
For Matt Kilgroe, it became the starting point.
When Cyndeo Wealth Partners launched in 2020, the goal wasn’t simply to leave the wirehouse behind. It was to build a business with the flexibility to grow in ways that simply weren’t possible before.
Five years later, that vision has evolved into something much larger. Cyndeo has nearly tripled in size, expanded its niche serving professional athletes and entertainers, recruited advisors, added specialized operational talent, and recently welcomed Rise Growth Partners as a minority investor to help accelerate its next phase of growth.
The conversation explores what changes when firm leaders stop thinking like advisors managing successful practices and begin thinking like CEOs building enduring enterprises. The discussion spans succession planning, capital strategy, recruiting, organizational design, and the mindset required to scale from billions to tens of billions—all while remaining focused on clients and culture.
Topics Covered
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Building an enterprise beyond independence
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Scaling from $1.2B to $3.5B in assets
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Organic growth versus recruiting
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Serving professional athletes and entertainers
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Why fiduciary independence matters for niche client segments
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Building operational infrastructure for growth
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Partnering with Dynasty Financial Partners
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Minority capital and Rise Growth Partners
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Succession planning and employee ownership
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Thinking from $3.5B to $25B
