Cerity Partners

Market position

Positioned as a national, multi-office U.S. wealth management firm with more than 1,700 colleagues, serving retail, corporate and institutional segments, and pursuing strategic expansion to broaden its capabilities. Its venture practice has been described as having launched and managed more corporate venture funds than any other firm.

The firm emphasizes objective, fiduciary advice with minimized conflicts of interest, an integrated bench of planning, tax, investment and retirement specialists, and national scale combined with local offices. Its corporate venture capital arm is described as combining corporate and institutional venture capital approaches, with a venture-capital-as-a-service model that leaves corporate partners in control of their programs while Cerity Partners Ventures co-manages strategy, governance, diligence and M&A.

Go-to-market

Client acquisition runs through local offices in more than 65 U.S. locations, inbound "Request an Introduction" forms segmented by client type (individuals and families, corporations, institutions and non-profits), and a Concierge Program offering a complimentary 30-minute discovery call to match prospects with a suitable advisor. The firm also publishes content marketing — market and economic outlook videos and webinars, tax and planning commentary, and a Cerity Partners Ventures newsletter — and cites appearances in outlets including Barron's, Bloomberg, CNBC, Forbes, USA Today and The Wall Street Journal.

High-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth individuals and families, business and professional practice owners, corporate executives and total rewards leaders, corporations (including retirement plan sponsors and corporate venture programs), and institutions and non-profit organizations.

Geography

United States-wide with more than 65 offices across at least 21 states: Arizona (Scottsdale); California (including Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego, Pasadena, Santa Barbara, Silicon Valley, Orange County, Sonoma); Colorado (Denver, Louisville); Florida (Boca Raton, Jacksonville, Naples); Georgia (Alpharetta); Illinois (Chicago, Wheaton); Indiana (Indianapolis); Kentucky (Bardstown, Bowling Green, Elizabethtown, Louisville); Maryland (Baltimore, Rockville); Massachusetts (Boston); Michigan (Bloomfield Hills, Grand Rapids); New Jersey (Westfield); New York (Albany, Park Avenue, Saratoga Springs, Wall Street); North Carolina (Raleigh); Ohio (Cincinnati, Cleveland); Oregon (Portland); Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, West Conshohocken); Tennessee (Nashville); Texas (Austin, Corpus Christi, Fort Worth, Houston, West Texas); Virginia (Lansdowne, Norfolk, Reston, Richmond); and Washington (Seattle). The firm states its offices are regional home bases and that advisors travel to clients.

History

The firm's name is described by CEO Kurt Miscinski as a modification of the word "sincerity." It states that it continually pursues strategic opportunities to expand the breadth and depth of the firm, and has grown to more than 1,700 colleagues in over 65 offices. The corporate venture capital business, Cerity Partners Ventures, built a venture-capital-as-a-service platform with 25-plus corporate partners before joining Cerity Partners, a combination described as expanding those services and giving the wealth firm's private clients more access to startups.