NFP Hires Adviser Calvelli to Retirement Group

Deana Calvelli will report to Joel Shapiro, head of retirement at Aon’s NFP.

Retirement plan adviser Deana Calvelli has joined NFP’s retirement division in the Northeast region, according to the Aon-owned company.

Calvelli, a vice president of retirement and wealth, reports to Joel Shapiro, president of retirement, and Pam Basse, managing director of retirement for the Northeast region.

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Deana Calvelli

“Deana has been directly involved in the evolution of the industry, and her appointment is an important step for NFP as we work to advance change that helps the industry operate more collaboratively for the betterment of plan participants,” said Shapiro in a statement.

Calvelli brings the division more than 30 years of experience in plan advisement, including most recently running her own consultancy. Before that, she worked at Creative Planning, which she joined when the company acquired Lockton in late 2021.

At NFP, Calvelli will “facilitate growth across the business with a focus on the Northeastern U.S.,” according to the firm.

She joins NFP after it was acquired by Aon in April for $13 billion. Aon, a London-based risk, retirement, wealth and health benefits firm, has said NFP will continue to operate under its own name while leveraging Aon’s platforms and resources.

Calvelli was a 2023 PLANADVISER Top Retirement Plan Adviser and a Top Women Advisor Captain in 2022 by the National Association of Plan Advisors.

“I’m looking forward to making meaningful contributions at NFP and helping grow the retirement business in the Northeast region,” said Calvelli. “Under Joel’s leadership, NFP consistently demonstrates a dedication to client success while elevating the retirement plan advisory industry.”

Advisory M&A News – 8/5/24

Bluespring Wealth Partners acquires $1.35B Rodgers & Associates Wealth Advisers; Sentinel Advisory Group, with $300M in client assets, joins Commonwealth from Northwestern Mutual; Ameriprise adds $150M UBS adviser Walstien.

Bluespring Wealth Partners Brings on $1.35B Advisory

Bluespring Wealth Partners, which is acquiring independent registered investment advisers and hybrid wealth management firms, has acquired Rodgers & Associates Wealth Advisers, a wealth and retirement planning firm based in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

The deal marks Bluespring’s 27th partner firm in five years of operations and adds $1.35 billion in client assets and more than 1,000 household clients to the aggregator.

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Rodgers & Associates was founded by husband-and-wife partners Rick and Jessica Rodgers, who will make the move over to Bluespring. They will be joined by Sandra Skrodinsky, president and chief compliance officer; Susan Connors, director of operations; Patrick Carney, manager of adviser services; and Clint Krushinsky, business development specialist, as part of a 25-employee shop.

Rodgers & Associates joined Bluespring for factors including “marketing, other back-office resources, and educational tools on succession planning,” according to an announcement.

“From the beginning, we were drawn to Bluespring’s emphasis on growth at scale while staying true to the core of our business,” said Rick Rodgers in a statement.

Sentinel Advisory Group Chooses Commonwealth as New Firm Partner

Sentinel Advisory Group of Middleton, Wisconsin, has joined the Commonwealth Financial Network of independent financial advisers.

Sentinel joins from Northwestern Mutual, bringing its $300 million in client assets to Commonwealth’s advisory network.

Nine advisers will make the move, including Brent Cashore, Peter Shulla and Nathan Keeling, all co-founders, and adviser Cary Grunder.

“Of all seven of the potential partner firms we explored, only Commonwealth checked every box,” said Shulla in a statement. “We needed unified technology systems that could both ease how we do business now and enable us to extend our range of services over time while leveling up our client experience.”

Cashore noted that the move will help Sentinel “evolve faster with the breadth of tools available to us” and “develop our next generation of advisers and pursue an aggressive growth path for our practice.”

Walstien Leaves UBS for Ameriprise

Ameriprise Financial has brought on financial adviser Michael Walstien from UBS Financial Services. Walstien will join with $150 million in client assets and continue to be based in Wayzata, Minnesota, according to an announcement.

The adviser said in the announcement he made the move for client service support, technology and culture.

“Ameriprise invests in technology, tools and services that make it more efficient for advisers to run their businesses, while offering a streamlined digital experience for clients,” said Walstien.

He is joined by team member Kaeli Williams, a client service associate, and they are being supported by Ameriprise Complex Director Adam Lukens and Ameriprise Regional Vice President Mitch Doren. Walstien had been with UBS for more than 17 years.

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