Outgrowing the Employee Model: How an ex-Merrill Advisor Found Autonomy & Abundance in Independence
This press feature covers how Presilium's founders, Jerry Davidse and Brook, left Merrill Lynch to launch an independent registered investment advisory firm. They concluded that going independent would let them remove corporate limitations and offer clients timely, creative communication and a more complete fiduciary experience.
This press feature covers how Presilium's founders, Jerry Davidse and Brook, left Merrill Lynch to launch an independent registered investment advisory firm. They concluded that going independent would let them remove corporate limitations and offer clients timely, creative communication and a more complete fiduciary experience.
Key takeaways
- Presilium's founders left Merrill Lynch because the employee-advisor model limited the client experience they wanted to deliver.
- Independence let the team remove constraints on communication, technology, and service.
- As an independent RIA, Presilium operates under a fiduciary standard rather than a wirehouse framework.
- The move reflects a broader industry trend of advisors going independent to better serve clients.
“As a young team, they were starting to feel like they had outgrown Merrill, and were limited in providing what they felt could be an “exceptional experience” for their clients…In conducting due diligence, Jerry and Brook realized that they could remove the limitations and offer their clients the best of everything – including timely and creative communications – by building their own independent firm.”
More from our team
Turn insight into a plan
The first conversation is 30 minutes, no preparation needed.