Wilbanks Partners, LLC

Wilbanks Partners, LLC This is the core of the firm’s expertise. Of course, there is a distinguished track record of Board and “C” suite leadership projects.

Wilbanks Partners provides a full range of executive recruiting and organizational management consulting services to every segment of the asset and wealth management business. Wilbanks Partners brings expertise across the entire Institutional Investor 300 with a track record of engagements in mutual funds, ETF’s, hedge funds, private equity and institutional separate account businesses. Wilbanks P

artners work in the asset and wealth management sectors has included investments, sales, marketing, financial management, strategy, technology and operations.

Wilbanks Partners Celebrates Women's History Month & International Women's Day 2026In the face of the racist and misogyn...
03/17/2026

Wilbanks Partners Celebrates Women's History Month & International Women's Day 2026

In the face of the racist and misogynistic policy goals of the current administration, it is refreshing to take a moment and reflect back on the tremendous progress the world has made expanding women’s rights and integration into the economic system. From the 19th Amendment, to the enormous impact of women in the workforce during WWII, business profitability grows with more complete integration of women in every aspect of business. Clear evidence shows that this is even more pronounced as women play a more important role in executive leadership and the boardroom in the 21st century. No effort to support these initiatives, no matter how small, goes unnoticed or fails to have an impact. Embrace your role as an ally, mentor or sponsor in supporting gender parity, equity, and inclusion.

The journey of Black History Month is a reflection of the journey of the American ideal of inclusivity that began with t...
02/24/2026

The journey of Black History Month is a reflection of the journey of the American ideal of inclusivity that began with the multi-racial forces that fought for the independence of our country in the American Revolution in the mid-18th century, through the Civil War where millions of Americans died to abolish slavery in the 19th century, to the Civil Rights movement in 20th century. It is the journey of equality of opportunity and inclusivity that has made the United States the envy of the world and a destination of choice for a brighter future for the populations of almost every country on earth.

Once again we are fighting a civil war, this time a proxy war, to further that vision of inclusivity and equal opportunity over the right of privilege according to race or nationality. The rise of widespread racism condoned at the federal and state level is a regression that resists the inevitable tide of justice. Take the time this month to reflect on this journey, a journey of immigrants to a promised land which is the story of almost every American regardless of race or nationality, and how we can resist racism and its ugly manifestations.

Stay optimistic, focus on primary data, and speak out against injustice.

https://nmaahc.si.edu/explore/moments/black-history-month

https://wilbankspartners.com/celebrating-black-history-month-2026/

Wilbanks Partners wants to with everyone and Happy and Prosperous New Year. We urge you and your friends and family to r...
12/29/2025

Wilbanks Partners wants to with everyone and Happy and Prosperous New Year. We urge you and your friends and family to reflect on the gift of prosperity, and hope that you will include what you create and give, as well as what you receive as we set forth on another year’s journey.

Paul Tudor Jones and his team at Just Capital provide a more eloquent message written by CEO of Just Capital Martin Whittaker, "The Economics of a Wonderful Life"

https://mailchi.mp/justcapital/the-just-report-is-a-new-republican-vision-for-american-capitalism-emerging-12776007?e=142bd40888

I have been involved as an active member of the Management Institute for over 20 years, including recruiting current CE...
12/19/2025

I have been involved as an active member of the Management Institute for over 20 years, including recruiting current CEO Craig Pfeiffer. The MMI 2025 Annual Meeting in April in Washington, DC, was a great success with a record 600 professionals in attendance. Visiting with clients and MMI Board members was nonstop and made me realize what a significant deficit missing several of the recent conferences had been. Thanks to CEO Craig Pfeiffer and his entire team, as well as board members led by Anne Steer, Chair Emeritus; Brandon Clark, Chair; and Jim Devaney, Chair Elect, for all the effort that went into a great agenda.

With the growing importance of as the backbone of customized that are integrating alternative assets for the mass affluent, the association's member education and networking opportunities have never been more innovative and important.

Our recruiting work includes working with mutual fund trustees almost every year, most recently helping Morningstar laun...
12/19/2025

Our recruiting work includes working with mutual fund trustees almost every year, most recently helping Morningstar launch a new mutual fund series trust. As a result, there are several events each year that we find very useful for staying up to date on the industry and for meeting with friends and clients. These include the Independent Directors Council Fund Directors Conference held this year in October in Scottsdale. This has been a very productive conference on our schedule for over a decade, earlier known as the IDC “Chicago conference.” With over 450 attendees, we find the visits with clients and the member-driven content curated by Thomas Kim, his team, and the Board of the IDC, led by Chair Bill Ebsworth, very productive every year.

Another ICI/IDC event that has great speakers and productive networking opportunities is the annual Mutual Funds Conference, this year held in March in San Diego instead of the traditional Palm Desert location. With nearly 1,000 attendees, it is three busy days of learning and meeting with clients. The venue in San Diego on the harbor was beautiful.

This year, in pursuit of continuing education credits to support my NACD (National Association of Corporate Directors) certification, I attended the National Association of Corporate Directors Annual Conference in Washington, DC. With over 1,800 directors and corporate sponsors in attendance, it was a deep program of topics on governance best practices that was very worthwhile. I was surprised at the number of clients and friends I was able to visit with (nearly 100), and in a testimony to the quality of the programming, the final session on the last day was packed!

A first-time event for us this year (also in pursuit of NACD continuing education credits) was the NYU Law Forum's Annual Directors Academy in October in NYC. The innovation and high quality of the presentations and workshops, as well as the networking opportunities with over 100 professionals, made this a memorable event. It was an added bonus to be in the village at my wife’s alma mater, NYU Law, and to meet Dean Troy McKenzie.

12/15/2025

To our Jewish friends, from Wilbanks Partners: Chag Sameach. As you light the hanukkiah, each candle adds brightness—reminding us that resilience and religious freedom grow when every voice is welcomed. This Hanukkah, we honor dedication to our values: inclusivity, tolerance, and tikkun olam. May our work and communities shine together with integrity, compassion, and hope, night after night, throughout the coming two weeks of religious holidays. Our shared values working to improve all humankind surely outshine our varying ways of expressing our faith.

My favorite annual events include the Los Angeles and New York City Toigo Foundation Galas. The NYC event this year was ...
12/11/2025

My favorite annual events include the Los Angeles and New York City Toigo Foundation Galas. The NYC event this year was in June and 800 guests with the backing of sponsors like Carlyle, Apollo, and Ares packed the Glasshouse rooftop. We had a great table of independent fund directors led by Theresa Hamacher, Chair and Lead Independent Director of our client Morningstar Funds Trust. It is such a great venue to visit with so many friends and clients.

The Los Angeles event this year took place as a one day conference called Beyond the Benchmark; Innovation, Impact & Investment Leadership. The sold out event was a great opportunity to network and learn with backing from sponsors like Aristotle, Carlyle, Clearlake, Oaktree, Goldman Sachs, Palladium, WCAS, GCM Grosvenor, aberdeen and Locust Point. Speakers and panels included Scott Chan, Chief Investment Officer, California State Teachers Retirement System, Marcie Frost, Chief Executive Officer, California Public Employees Retirement System, Jonathan Grabel, Chief Investment Officer, Los Angeles County Employees Retirement Association, Natalie Jenkins, Chief Investment Officer, City of Dallas, Rod June, Chief Investment Officer, Los Angeles City Employees Retirement System. Tom Lee, Executive Director & Chief Investment Officer, New York State Teachers Retirement System, Angela Miller-May, Chief Investment Officer, Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund and Apoorv Saxena, former Partner at Silver Lake (and a Toigo fellow).

These events on either coast are always on our agenda every year, and we look forward to continuing to build on these relationships in support of such a great foundation.

https://www.toigola.org/

I attended the Association of Asian American Investment Managers (AAAIM) annual meeting this year in September in NYC fo...
12/09/2025

I attended the Association of Asian American Investment Managers (AAAIM) annual meeting this year in September in NYC for the first time. Though I have been following AAAIM for over a decade through my friendships and client relationships with a number of the current and former Board members, the AAAIM Elevate conference was a wonderful in-person introduction to this group. The 600 professional over-capacity attendance was filled with friends and clients.

Spending time with Board member and Head of the Boston chapter York Lo talking about advocacy and the future of the industry was a highlight. All the sessions were great learning experiences, but the most impactful panel for me was about the women's career success stories breaking the glass and bamboo ceiling simultaneously moderated by Welsh Carson Anderson Partner Mia Jung that included friends Sona Menon of Morgan Stanley and Candice Tse of Goldman Sachs.

CEO Jim Park and his staff, along with conference chair and AAAIM Board Co-Chair Sanjiv Shah (formerly a Partner at HarbourVest), organized an amazing group of sponsors and speakers. Highlights included Jay Park, Co-founder & Managing Partner of Prysm Capital interviewing former NY Yankee Bernie Williams, and closing the conference for the very last panel (delivered to a packed room!) Kim Lew, CIO, Columbia Investment Management Company interviewing emerging manager Divya Nettimi, Founder and Chief Investment Officer, Avala Global, one of the first female founded funds that launched with $1 bil AUM.

I will be attending the 2026 event for sure!
https://aaaim.org/events/

This fall I attended the IPAVision conference in Washington DC and found it an excellent venue to meet with clients and ...
12/03/2025

This fall I attended the IPAVision conference in Washington DC and found it an excellent venue to meet with clients and keep up with cutting edge trends around the distribution of private market products through the wealth channel. Hiring in this area by major private equity, venture and hedge funds continues to be aggressive as the larger firms with AUM over $100 bil are creating distribution teams of over 100 staff, including sales, marketing and product. In addition, major alternative firms are starting to create joint venture partnerships with both traditional '40 Act fund families, as well as wealth advisory firms.

New product structures continue to evolve with extensive discussions on interval funds, closed end funds, BDCs and other structures meant to manage the illiquid nature of these investment strategies. There was extensive discussion in the halls and a panel on how defined contribution plans will fit into this democratization of access to private markets, although the complexities of selling into qualified plans mean that most conversations ended with more questions than answers.

Crypto and the tokenization of all investments was another conversation theme that we ended up talking about numerous times with friends and clients. The growth of crypto ETFs and other vehicles, and the possibility of extending some of the early blockchain traded mutual funds and EFTs to private market investments was top of mind with many participants, whether their firms had already launched products or were still in the planning mode.

Mark Goldberg's survey data on the relationship between GPs and distribution platforms and other intermediaries [https://www.altsmi.com/post/adoption-snapshot-whos-using-alts-and-how-much], as well as new product insights, was a highlight of the conference once again. It was a true sign of dedication that Mark showed up on his birthday for the presentation, and it was great to catch up with him briefly as he and his wife headed out that evening to celebrate. Thanks again Mark!

Visiting with Brian Jones was valuable as we talked about all the complexities of managing the plumbing of getting these complex and illiquid products through the intermediary channels accurately and efficiently. Envision has remained a leader in this area and is expanding further into supporting tokenized assets of all types, as well as crypto ETF and blockchain mutual funds.

Earlier in the year, because the IPASummit was concurrent with the ICI Leadership Summit in Washington DC in April, I had a chance to catch up with several clients and IPA Boards members, as many were registered at both events, and the two venues were only a few blocks apart in the capital center area.

The Board of the IPA is clearly leaning into the content and advocacy in support of the democratization of alternatives for the wealth channel. You can see the results, not just through the conference content, but in the enthusiastic response of a rapidly growing membership, a record 500+ in attendance in Boston. Thanks to Anya Coverman, CEO IPA, and her team for all the leadership and organizational efforts that go into these successful events.

This fall I attended the IPAVision conference in Washington DC and found it an excellent venue to meet with clients and ...
12/03/2025

This fall I attended the IPAVision conference in Washington DC and found it an excellent venue to meet with clients and keep up with cutting edge trends around the distribution of private market products through the wealth channel. Hiring in this area by major private equity, venture and hedge funds continues to be aggressive as the larger firms with AUM over $100 bil are creating distribution teams of over 100 staff, including sales, marketing and product. In addition, major alternative firms are starting to create joint venture partnerships with both traditional '40 Act fund families, as well as wealth advisory firms.

New product structures continue to evolve with extensive discussions on interval funds, closed end funds, BDCs and other structures meant to manage the illiquid nature of these investment strategies. There was extensive discussion in the halls and a panel on how defined contribution plans will fit into this democratization of access to private markets, although the complexities of selling into qualified plans mean that most conversations ended with more questions than answers.

Crypto and the tokenization of all investments was another conversation theme that we ended up talking about numerous times with friends and clients. The growth of crypto ETFs and other vehicles, and the possibility of extending some of the early blockchain traded mutual funds and EFTs to private market investments was top of mind with many participants, whether their firms had already launched products or were still in the planning mode.

Mark Goldberg's survey data on the relationship between GPs and distribution platforms and other intermediaries https://www.altsmi.com/post/adoption-snapshot-whos-using-alts-and-how-much], as well as new product insights, was a highlight of the conference once again. It was a true sign of dedication that Mark showed up on his birthday for the presentation, and it was great to catch up with him briefly as he and his wife headed out that evening to celebrate. Thanks again Mark!

Visiting with Brian Jones was valuable as we talked about all the complexities of managing the plumbing of getting these complex and illiquid products through the intermediary channels accurately and efficiently. Envision has remained a leader in this area and is expanding further into supporting tokenized assets of all types, as well as crypto ETF and blockchain mutual funds.

Earlier in the year, because the IPASummit was concurrent with the ICI Leadership Summit in Washington DC in April, I had a chance to catch up with several clients and IPA Boards members, as many were registered at both events, and the two venues were only a few blocks apart in the capital center area.

The Board of the IPA is clearly leaning into the content and advocacy in support of the democratization of alternatives for the wealth channel. You can see the results, not just through the conference content, but in the enthusiastic response of a rapidly growing membership, a record 500+ in attendance in Boston. Thanks to Anya Coverman, CEO IPA, and her team for all the leadership and organizational efforts that go into these successful events.

11/26/2025

Wishing all of our friends and clients a Happy Thanksgiving. We hope that you will take the time to set your digital devices aside and enjoy the company of family and friends. Please take a moment to reflect on how you can support those in less fortunate situations, either by financially helping missions to feed and care for those in need, or providing time and friendship to those who need comfort or advice.

11/25/2025

Technology Fluency Moves To The Forefront

Commentary from across the industry is reflecting what we heard from our clients this year and reported in our most recent client letter [hyper link to WP newsletter site]; technology skills continue to move to the forefront for every job function in the industry.We are writing in increased technology fluency into ever job description on all our searches. C Suite leaders talk to us about their personal journeys upskilling their own capabilities. Everyone is expected to be a more sophisticated user of technology tools from both inside and outside the corporate structure, and in every phase of business activity. The following are just two of the most recent examples:

Deloitte '2026 Investment Management Outlook'
- Firms are increasingly elevating technology-centric and interdisciplinary rolesspanning data science, artificial intelligence, liberal arts-informed communication, and specialized product expertise—reflecting a broader reassessment of which capabilities will likely define success in the years ahead.

https://www.deloitte.com/us/en/insights/industry/financial-services/financial-services-industry-outlooks/investment-management-industry-outlook.html

Ignites 'Tech Fluency Tops Employers Wish List'
- Firms are starting to prioritize tech-forward workers who look for ways to innovate their jobs through the use of AI, and understand enough about new tech to ask smart questions and validate the results

https://www.ignites.com/c/5010064/697374/from_code_curation_tech_fluency_tops_employers_wish_lists

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