Insights

May 21, 2025

The COO Roundtable: Episode 76

In Podcast: The COO Roundtable

Contributions from: Matt Sonnen

We are excited to return to our traditional interview format for Episode 76, but this time with a twist!  For the first time, we are interviewing an RIA who is actively searching for a Chief Operating Officer. In this episode, we delve into the responsibilities they envision for their new COO, once hired.

Sage Mountain Advisors, founded in 2018 out of Goldman Sachs, has experienced remarkable growth.  Starting with just six employees, the firm has expanded to 25 employees, managing approximately $5.5 billion for their clients. To date, the COO role has been filled by Whitney Imeraj, IACCP®, who also serves as the CCO and Partner of the firm. Whitney has shared many operational duties with Tony Cox, Co-Founder, President, and Chief Investment Officer.

In this episode, Whitney, Tony, and Matt discuss why Sage Mountain believes it is the right time to bring in a new COO, as well as:

  • How they are conducting their COO search process
  • The “Technology and Innovation” components of the new COO’s job
  • How they hope the new COO will impact “Team Leadership and Culture Building”
  • Where Whitney sees the candidate driving “Operational Leadership”
  • What direction Tony sees the COO taking “Strategic Growth and Vision”
  • The “Compliance and Risk Management” responsibilities the new role will encompass
  • How Sage Mountain plans to engage in M&A, and the expected impact of the new COO on these goals
  • Other key areas of the firm beyond Technology, HR, Business Administration, and M&A that the new COO will hopefully influence

To apply for this role and/or to see what a comprehensive COO job description looks like, please see Sage Mountain Advisors’ job posting here.

You can read Matt’s recent article, Smart Hiring for RIAs: Aligning Talent with Team Needs

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

You can read the full transcript The COO Roundtable – Ep 76 Transcript.

Related Articles

August 5, 2025

The COO Roundtable: Episode 77

Episode 77 finds Matt interviewing two seasoned RIA operators: Brad Cox and Michael Walliser, for an insightful conversation on growth, technology, and collaboration in the wealth management industry. Brad is COO, CCO, and Partner at Diversified Portfolios, Inc., based in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan.  The firm was founded in 1993 and has grown to approximately $1.8 [...]

April 23, 2025

The COO Roundtable: Episode 75

In the midst of volatile markets and a bustling tax season, Matt faced a unique challenge for Episode 75: he was unable to secure guests for the show. Rather than skipping an episode, he opted for a second monologue in a row, a format he typically reserves for special occasions. While he prefers to spotlight [...]

Contributions from: Matt Sonnen

March 5, 2025

The COO Roundtable: Episode 74

In Episode 74, Matt steps away from our usual interview format to share a vital message that could reshape how you approach your business. Drawing insights from his recent article in RIABiz, titled, How Fiduciary Duty Is Causing Confused Advisors to Run Bad Businesses, he dives deep into the crucial themes of firm capacity and [...]

Contributions from: Matt Sonnen