Modernizing Legacy Wealth Firms with John Yackel
WealthTech on Deck
Design by wine: listening to advisors
John shares the 'Design by Wine' listening tour and initiatives to free advisors' time and boost productivity.
This week, Jack Sharry talks with John Yackel, Executive Vice President and Head of Wealth Management at Janney Montgomery Scott. With more than three decades of experience across wealth management, financial services, and fintech, John has built a career focused on helping firms modernize their technology, scale advisor platforms, and deliver comprehensive advice to clients.
John joins Jack to discuss how long-established wealth firms can innovate while preserving the culture that defines them. He explores how Janney is investing in technology modernization, advisor productivity, and strategic expansion while maintaining its ownership-driven culture. John also shares how the firm’s “supported independence” model helps advisors grow their practices, unlock capacity, and build sustainable businesses for the future.
In this episode:
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(00:00) - Intro
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(01:13) - John’s career path across wealth management and fintech
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(05:30) - How Janney’s ownership model shapes modernization and advisor focus
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(08:01) - Expansion strategy: balancing growth, infrastructure, and culture
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(10:16) - The “supported independence” model for financial advisors
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(13:59) - Unlocking advisor capacity through practice management and succession planning
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(17:49) - Janney’s service model for recruiting, integrating, and supporting advisors
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(20:23) - John's interests outside of work
Quotes
"You need to make it easy for the advisor to do business, and you have to meet the advisor where they do that business." ~ John Yackel
"When we go out recruiting and speak with financial advisors, it's harder and harder to continue competing just by always articulating what product, service, or platform we have. The playing field needs to be leveled every day. You have to be innovative." ~ John Yackel
"If you lead with organic growth and help existing advisors in your network become more productive, provide them with greater capacity, and support their lead generation and business development programs, you will start to have organic growth within your current business model." ~ John Yackel
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