Strategic Consulting
Private Markets
Cerulli helps private markets firms with each stage of the investment lifecycle—investment due diligence, distribution and product development, and management of portfolio companies.
Consulting
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Let Us Help You
Cerulli has the network, data, perspective, and subject matter expertise you need to build and grow marketshare. With each stage of the investment lifecycle—investment due diligence, distribution and product development, and management of portfolio companies—Cerulli’s unmatched strategic guidance can help you develop your approach.
We help private markets firms confidently deploy capital in the wealth management and financial technology markets. Let us help you understand the risks and the opportunities with our comprehensive market sizing and due diligence.
How We Help Private Markets Firms
Distribution & Product Development
- Assess vehicle type and fee structure for target clients within wealth management
- Assess retail distribution opportunities across high-net-worth (HNW) and ultra-high-net-worth (UHNW) channels
- Understand advisor sentiment, demand, and bridge education gaps
Investment Due Diligence
- Conduct due diligence for acquisition targets in the asset management, wealth management, and fintech industries
- Evaluate secular trends driving industry consolidation and their impact on acquisition targets
- Size the market and critical demographic shifts underway shaping the advice value chain
Portfolio Company Management
- Evaluate opportunities for scale
- Expand or rationalize product, service, or distribution resources
- Optimize corporate structures and integrate affiliate businesses
Success Stories
RIA Diligence for Private Equity Firm
A private equity firm needed to understand the competitive positioning of a mid-sized RIA as a platform to acquire additional RIAs. Cerulli conducted interviews with independent RIA advisors, custodians, and TAMP executives and delivered original market sizing of the consolidation opportunity in the RIA market.
Private Equity Firm Seeks Due Diligence on Alternative Investments Platform
A private equity firm required due diligence on the market for retail alternative investment adoption and the use of operational fintech platforms. Cerulli interviewed financial advisors across channels who use alternative investments and delivered a detailed outlook on alternative investment adoption.
Distribution Strategy for Private Investments in U.S. Wealth Management Marketplace
Developed comprehensive a distribution approach to entering a highly fragmented market, including an analysis of pricing, product features, vehicles, intermediaries, and communication preferences.
Private Equity Firm Evaluates Retirement Technology Opportunity
Analyzed the market landscape for small-market 401(k) plans and assessed opportunity for tech-based recordkeeper to gain share.
Meet Our Consultants
Our diligence teams come with deep backgrounds in asset and wealth management and extensive knowledge of markets, asset managers, intermediaries, and investors.
Bing Waldert
Managing Director, U.S. Research
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Bing Waldert
Managing Director, U.S. Research
Bing Waldert leads Cerulli’s U.S. Research team comprising seven research practices that cover all elements of the U.S. asset management, wealth management, and retirement markets. He has authored Cerulli reports on the wealth management industry, high-net-worth market, the annuity industry, and retirement markets. He is a frequent board-level and C-suite speaker and well-regarded industry thought leader. He has spoken in front of the Investment Company Institute (ICI), the Asset Management Association of China (AMAC), the Investments and Wealth Institute (IWI), and the Money Management Institute (MMI).
He has worked on client projects on emerging manager expansion strategies, independent registered investment advisors (RIAs), multi-family offices (MFOs), investment platforms, and the outsourced chief investment officer (OCIO) industry. In addition, he has advised multiple private equity firms on acquisitions in the wealth management space.
Full biography here.
Stephen Caruso
Associate Director
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Stephen Caruso
Associate Director
Stephen is a Associate Director in the Wealth Management practice where he leads research into the registered investment advisor (RIA) channels. As part of his research, he is the author of Cerulli’s U.S. RIA Marketplace report and has written on topics including private equity investment in RIAs and the role staff play in RIAs’ pursuit of scale.
Full biography here.
Asher Cheses
Director
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Asher Cheses
Director
Asher is a member of Cerulli’s Wealth Management practice, specializing in trends that impact high-end advisory firms and high-net-worth investors. In his role, Asher is responsible for leading various strategic consulting engagements within the wealth management practice, focusing on multi-family offices, RIAs, private banks, and trust companies.
Prior to joining Cerulli, Asher worked as an Investment Analyst at a Boston-based multi-family office, where he conducted fund due diligence and portfolio analysis for high-net-worth investors.
Full biography here.
Brendan Powers, CFA
Director
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Brendan Powers, CFA
Director
Brendan is a member of Cerulli’s Product Development practice, which focuses on trends related to asset managers’ product development and management functions. This broadly includes assessing the opportunity for product development, evaluating emerging product trends, and understanding distribution and product positioning for investment products across retail and institutional channels.
Prior to joining Cerulli, Brendan worked as a Senior Client Associate at Eaton Vance Management, focusing primarily on the firm’s exchange funds.
Full biography here.
Michael Rose, MST
Director
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Michael Rose, MST
Director
Michael is a director within Cerulli’s Wealth Management practice, where he researches key elements of the wealth management industry, with an emphasis on broker/dealers and wealth management technology. In this capacity, he regularly engages with constituents across the wealth management ecosystem, including retail investors, financial advisors, and executives within wealth management, asset management, and technology firms, in order to support Cerulli’s market research initiatives.
Prior to joining Cerulli, Michael spent eight years working as a financial advisor, providing comprehensive wealth management services to high-net-worth individuals and families. Prior to his role as a financial advisor, Michael served as a research analyst for IDC, where he was responsible for researching trends within the technology industry and advising senior business executives on product strategy.
Full biography here.
Daniil Shapiro, CFA
Director
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Daniil Shapiro, CFA
Director
Daniil is part of Cerulli’s Product Development practice, where he works on the identification, analysis, and reporting of asset management industry trends with a focus on exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and alternative investments.
Prior to joining Cerulli Associates, Daniil was part of the Product Management and Business Intelligence teams with the MainStay Funds, part of New York Life Investment Management. At MainStay, Daniil supported sales efforts via fund and ETF competitive analysis, product research, and development of marketing materials, as well as performance reporting. Before New York Life, Daniil was part of the risk management practice at Accenture, and held risk and compliance roles at HSBC’s investment bank.
Full biography here.
Jared F. Baucom
Managing Director, Global Sales & Marketing
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Jared F. Baucom
Managing Director, Global Sales & Marketing
Jared is responsible for global sales, business development, and client service, including oversight of and coordination with the marketing team.
Prior to joining Cerulli, Jared worked as an equity analyst at Baring Asset Management, where he was responsible for the U.S. Utilities sector and also contributed to the U.S. Industrials sector. Prior to Barings, Jared spent two years at State Street Bank.
Full biography here.
Thought Leadership
Explore Our Perspectives
We cover the most important themes impacting the private equity industry.
July 2024
Alternative Allocations Podcast
Daniil Shapiro, CFA, Director at Cerulli Associates, joins Franklin Templeton's Alternative Allocations Podcast to discuss advisor adoption of alternative investments and the evolution of the industry.
July 2024
Taking Private Investments to the Masses
Join Cerulli’s Daniil Shapiro, CFA, for insights into the structures and channels managers should consider for distribution to the masses, the types of exposures that wealth managers are looking for, and other resources needed to grow adoption.
May 2024
M&A in Wealth Management
Access Cerulli’s latest insights on the drivers shaping merger and acquisition (M&A) activity in wealth management and the way that M&A will impact how advice is delivered across channels.
September 2023
Adapting to Growing Private Markets: A Playbook for Practice Success
Advisors can use alternative investments to differentiate practices and attract, consolidate, and retain client assets.
June 2023
Private Equity Carves Out Its Place in the RIA Space
Backed by some of the industry’s biggest PE players, M&A among RIA consolidators is strong.
February 2023
Fund Domicile Selection: Enabling Global Alternative Asset Growth
Explore the domicile selection process for U.S. private capital managers seeking expansion.
Connect With Us
Learn more about how our consulting services can help you.