Insights

March 6, 2024

The COO Roundtable: Episode 62

In Podcast: The COO Roundtable

Contributions from: Matt Sonnen

We are joined by Megan Hannah of Emerald Advisors and Spencer Rand from Five Oceans Advisors for Ep 62.  Megan has the unique position of Chief Operating Officer and Portfolio Manager.  Emerald Advisors is located in Bellevue, WA and manages approximately $700 million of client assets.  Spencer has the dual role of Director of Operations and Chief Compliance officer at Five Oceans Advisors, headquartered in Los Angeles with a fully remote staff, managing around $500 million.  Matt, Megan, and Spencer discuss their varied histories in the business, the fact that both guests have earned their Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation, as well as:

  • How their background in investments has shaped their approach to Operations
  • What led both firms to land on their ideal client persona
  • Services offered outside of traditional wealth management
  • Recruiting and hiring strategies
  • The importance of employee retention and culture

We hope you enjoy, share, and subscribe on Google PodcastsApple Podcasts, or Spotify.

You can read the full transcript here.

Related Articles

August 4, 2026

The COO Roundtable: Episode 89

While Episode 89 clocks in at 43 minutes, you are going to want to allocate 86 minutes so you can listen to it twice! Livia Ramirez and Stephen de Man offer actionable advice that can be incorporated at your firm today. Both Regional Directors and Vice Presidents in Dimensional Fund Advisors’ practice management division, Livia [...]

Contributions from: Matt Sonnen

July 7, 2026

The COO Roundtable: Episode 88

With Episode 88, Matt welcomes Bryant Hicks, Partner and Director of Operations at JFG Family Office, and Tim Feeney, FPQP®, Operations Manager at Bridgewater Advisors. JFG Family Office is headquartered in Denver, CO, with additional offices in Washington, DC, and Dallas, TX. The firm manages approximately $5 billion in client assets and has 62 employees, [...]

Contributions from: Matt Sonnen

June 2, 2026

The COO Roundtable: Episode 87

In this episode, Matt welcomes two dynamic operations leaders: Grace Balestrieri, Senior Director of Client Experience Operations at Brighton Jones, and Vince Nauheimer, Chief Operating Officer of OnePoint BFG Wealth Partners. Brighton Jones, headquartered in Seattle, WA, was founded in 1999 and recently celebrated its 25th anniversary. Today, the firm manages approximately $30 billion in [...]

Contributions from: Matt Sonnen