The COO Roundtable: Episode 78

Episode 78 dives deep into a challenge many COOs contend with on a daily basis: mastering M&A integration. Matt hosts a dynamic discussion with two former COOs who have recently stepped into groundbreaking roles focused exclusively on business integration: Eric Stephenson and Shelly Kapoor.

Eric is Managing Director of Integration and Optimization at Pathstone, a firm spanning 22 office locations, 800 employees, and managing over $100 billion of assets for clients.  Shelly is a colleague of Matt’s at Coldstream, where she has taken on the new role of Manager of Business Integration. Coldstream now has approximately $13 billion of AUA, eight office locations, and more than 200 employees. Eric and Shelly explain how they leverage their varied experiences as COOs in their integration work, as well as:

• How their new roles extend beyond traditional M&A integration work
• Their firms’ unique philosophies and approach to M&A
• Why the human side of integration and change management remains the greatest challenge
• The critical role of technology in supporting seamless integration
• Essential advice for COOs considering or transitioning into dedicated integration roles

The article, “Growing RIAs Must Focus on Process, Not Technology” can be found here.

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You can read the full transcript here.