Corporate Roundup: Pontera, Snowden Lane Partnership; Modern Wealth Acquires KCM

In this week’s corporate roundup, several strategic moves are reshaping the retirement and wealth management landscape. Pontera and Snowden Lane Partners formed a partnership to enhance advisors’ capabilities with held-away retirement accounts. Modern Wealth acquired Kaye Capital Management, expanding its California footprint. Leading Retirement Solutions joined The Cerrado Group, while Anna Rathbun launched Grenadilla Advisory. Meanwhile, Congruent Solutions partnered with Broadridge for trading integrations, and Carnegie welcomed Skye Barry as a new SVP and wealth advisor.

Pontera and Snowden Lane Announce Collaboration

Pontera and Snowden Lane Partners this week announced a strategic partnership.  

Snowden Lane’s advisors will now have access to the Pontera toolkit to manage their clients’ 401(k)s, 403(b)s, and other held-away accounts.

“Our firm’s advisors have long seen significant demand from clients for advice in held-away workplace retirement accounts. We’re thrilled to add Pontera to bridge the gap between 401(k) accounts and our financial advisors’ unique expertise,” said Alison Burkett, executive vice president and head of Enterprise Development at Snowden Lane Partners. “As a result, our advisors can address their clients’ needs and drive better outcomes for retirement savers.” 

“While out-of-the-box offerings like target date funds make a good fit for many retirement savers, those with a broader financial plan need their 401(k) accounts managed holistically with the rest of their assets,” said Peter Nolan, SVP of Sales at Pontera. “Like Snowden Lane, Pontera is committed to empowering retirement savers with choice over how their retirement assets are managed.” 

Modern Wealth Acquires KCM

Modern Wealth Management this week announced an asset purchase agreement of El Segundo, California-based Kaye Capital Management (KCM), a fee-only RIA with over $700 million in assets under management (AUM) and an additional $300 million in assets under advisement (AUA).

“KCM joining Modern Wealth marks another significant milestone as we deepen our reach in California.”

Jason Gordo

KCM offers financial planning and investment management services, along with a dedicated institutional retirement planning business. With this transaction, Modern Wealth surpasses $8.5 billion in AUM and completes its fourth acquisition of 2025.

“KCM joining Modern Wealth marks another significant milestone as we deepen our reach in California, strengthening our ability to deliver comprehensive wealth and retirement solutions for individuals and corporations in one of the nation’s most sophisticated markets,” said Jason Gordo, co‑founder and president of Modern Wealth. “David and Ken have built an exceptional firm with deep community roots and real expertise across both personal wealth management and institutional retirement planning. Their leadership and local presence sharpens our bench in Los Angeles and contributes to our growing national presence.”

Established in 2000, KCM provides wealth management services to corporate executives, public servants, physicians, attorneys, entrepreneurs, film directors, writers and retirees across California and beyond. The firm also offers institutional retirement planning services for corporations and nonprofit organizations. Led by Ken Watten, CFP, and David Hilton, AIF, both of whom join Modern Wealth as managing directors, KCM manages more than $300 million in assets for over 200 households through its individual advisory business and more than $400 million in retirement plan assets for over 400 companies ranging from 50 to 1,000 employees.

“As KCM grew, so did the complexity of running the business. David and I found ourselves spending more time managing the firm and less time doing what we’re most passionate about – serving clients,” said Watten. “Modern Wealth provides the scale and support we need to help our clients navigate the complexities of their financial lives, within a team that shares our values and is working toward a common goal. Joining Modern Wealth gives us the opportunity to continue growing both personally and professionally.”

Modern Wealth will integrate KCM’s specialized retirement plan services across the firm, providing access to consulting and co-fiduciary services for a range of qualified retirement plans, including 401(k), profit sharing, 403(b), 529 plans and more. These capabilities build on the firm’s growing retirement plan advisory business, launched in March 2024 through the asset purchase of Beltz Ianni and led by Michelle Cannan, CPFA, QKA, QKC, managing director and head of Company Retirement Plan Services.

“Michelle and the Modern Wealth retirement plan services team bring a distinct level of depth and expertise that elevates our offerings for corporations and nonprofit organizations,” added Hilton. “Their acumen in plan design, compliance and administration will enable us to better serve the sophisticated needs of this client base, delivering institutional-caliber solutions for employers in Southern California and beyond.”

The Cerrado Group Brings in Latest Member Firm

The Cerrado Group on Tuesday named Leading Retirement Solutions (LRS) as a member firm of the group.

Leading Retirement Solutions Founder and CEO Kristen Currey says “we are proud to join The Cerrado Group, an influential think tank and advocate for the essential role of independent third-party administrators (TPAs) in the retirement plan industry. For years, LRS has known The Cerrado Group as a powerful voice in elevating the visibility, standards, and strategic importance of TPAs. Their work has helped position TPAs as key stakeholders in shaping the future of retirement services.”

Nick Zapf, president of Cerrado Group member firm Dunbar, Bender & Zapf says, “we are very excited to welcome Kristen and the entire team at Leading Retirement Solutions to the Cerrado Group. Kristen’s dynamic experience, thought leadership and unique expertise in the industry will be valuable additions to the ongoing growth and vision of the Cerrado Group.”

Financial Executive Launches Grenadilla Advisory

Financial advisor Anna Rathbun on Thursday announced the launch of wealth management firm Grenadilla Advisory.

Grenadilla will specialize in personalizing portfolios for clients in public and private markets. In particular, it will focus on alternative investment solutions, including private investments in equity, credit, and real assets, such as real estate and infrastructure. The firm aims to generate alpha through private markets and deliver institutional-quality private market expertise to individuals and families. The firm’s investment strategies will center around Rathbun’s research and her assessment of the global market environment. Notably, Grenadilla will utilize actively managed ETF-based strategies that provide public market beta exposure and tax efficiency.

“Over the past few decades, there has been a commoditization of investments in the wealth management space. I strongly believe that investments should be personalized to each client’s unique needs, which is why I’m starting Grenadilla,” said Rathbun. “Discernment has never been more important in the industry, and Grenadilla will proudly provide clients with institutional-grade advice and offerings.”

Rathbun previously served as chief investment officer for CBIZ Investment Advisory Services. In addition to her tenure at CBIZ, she held the role of managing director for Clearstead, a financial advisory firm serving wealthy families and leading institutions. Rathbun received a bachelor’s degree in economics from Harvard.

Congruent Solutions Partners with Broadridge

“Our connection with Broadridge ensures that our clients can now execute transactions efficiently and securely, with the confidence of working with a proven industry leader.”

Mahesh Natarajan

Congruent Solutions, a specialist technology partner to the U.S. retirement industry, announced a strategic partnership with Matrix Settlement & Clearance Services, LLC, a subsidiary of Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc. and a provider of mutual fund trading and settlement solutions for customer accounts supported by recordkeepers, third-party administrators (TPAs), banks, trust companies, and registered investment advisors (RIAs).

As part of this collaboration, plan providers using Congruent’s CORE platform can now integrate with Broadridge’s trading and settlement solutions for retirement plan recordkeepers. This includes processing for mutual funds, ETFs, and CITs via Broadridge’s trust system CC360. The integration will automate key processes such as distributions and tax reporting—streamlining operational efficiency for defined contribution (DC) plans.

“At Congruent, we’re building more than a platform—we’re creating a marketplace that unlocks value across the retirement ecosystem,” said Mahesh Natarajan, chief revenue officer at Congruent Solutions. “Our connection with Broadridge ensures that our clients can now execute transactions efficiently and securely, with the confidence of working with a proven industry leader.”

“We are thrilled to collaborate with Congruent Solutions as they seek to power the next generation of retirement plan infrastructure,” said Joe Matarazzo, vice president and Interim GM of Broadridge Retirement and Workplace Solutions. “This integration helps further our mission of bringing speed, automation, and compliance to mutual fund trading for institutions serving the retirement space.”

Carnegie Welcomes SVP and Wealth Advisor

Carnegie Investment Counsel, a registered investment adviser (RIA) with $6.5B in assets under management, has hired Skye Barry CFA, CFP as senior vice president and wealth advisor. Within her role, Barry will work out of the firm’s Cincinnati office delivering integrated wealth management strategies to clients around the country to support their long-term financial goals.

“Skye’s arrival strengthens our growing Cincinnati office and supports our continued national expansion,” said Richard Alt, CEO of Carnegie. “Her client-first mindset and comprehensive wealth management experience make her a natural fit within our team and her talent will allow us to further elevate Carnegie’s reach and capabilities, delivering on our overarching goal to better serve individuals and families with purpose and clarity.”

Before joining Carnegie, Barry led investment strategy at a $4.5 billion RIA, where she oversaw all public market portfolios, co-chaired the Investment Committee, and served as a strategic advisor to the firm’s largest clients.

“I’m excited to join a firm that shares my commitment to delivering personalized, strategic advice,” said Barry. “Carnegie’s dedication to service and growth is the ideal pairing for my experience and I look forward to the opportunity to apply what I’ve learned over my career to help individuals and families make informed, confident financial decisions.”

Barry is both a CFA charterholder and a CFP professional. She is a member of the CFA Institute and the CFA Society of Cincinnati, and is a frequent speaker at national conferences, where she shares insights on complex investment topics. Originally from Cape Town, South Africa, Barry earned her bachelor’s degree in finance from the University of Cape Town.

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