Modernizing Legacy Wealth Firms with John Yackel

Mar 17, 2026

John Yackel, EVP and Head of Wealth Management at Janney with 30+ years in wealth and fintech, shares how legacy firms modernize while keeping culture intact. He talks tech modernization, the “supported independence” model for advisors, scaling advisor platforms, boosting advisor productivity, and strategic expansion. Short, practical conversations about making it easier for advisors to run and grow their practices.

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ANECDOTE

Career Arc Shaped Janney Strategy

John described his 34-year path from SEI to Fortagen, Prudential, Envestnet and founding Truscendant before joining Janney in Dec 2022.
That background in fintech and integrations informed Janney's cloud migrations and vendor choices.

INSIGHT

Owner Driven Modernization Accelerates Advisor Experience

Janney shifted to owner-driven culture and aggressively modernized advisor-facing tech to make it effortless for advisors to run their practices.
They replaced CRM, planning tools, data aggregation, client portals, mobile app and built integrated advisory tools while partnering selectively with vendors.

ADVICE

Scale By Fixing Infrastructure Before Recruiting

Prioritize scalability and cultural fit over chasing deals when expanding into new markets like Texas and Chicago.
Build in-house infrastructure first and recruit advisors seeking supported independence, not just product differentiation.

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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:

(00:00) - Intro
(01:13) - John’s career path across wealth management and fintech
(05:30) - How Janney’s ownership model shapes modernization and advisor focus
(08:01) - Expansion strategy: balancing growth, infrastructure, and culture
(10:16) - The “supported independence” model for financial advisors
(13:59) - Unlocking advisor capacity through practice management and succession planning
(17:49) - Janney’s service model for recruiting, integrating, and supporting advisors
(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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