How can financial advisors use AI to improve the client experience without creating more administrative work?
As AI continues to reshape wealth management, many advisory firms are asking where technology can create meaningful value and where the human element still matters most. In this episode of Beacon 1% Better Every Day, Chip Kispert welcomes Steven Latow, Chief Strategy Officer at Zocks, to explore how clean client data, connected workflows, and AI-powered tools can help advisors spend less time on manual processes and more time building stronger client relationships. They also discuss why the firms that prepare their data today may be better positioned to adapt as AI continues to evolve.
What to expect:
Why clean, structured client data is becoming the foundation for successful AI adoption in wealth management.
How AI meeting assistants are evolving beyond note-taking to improve advisor workflows and client records.
Why disconnected CRM systems and manual processes create friction for advisors and clients alike.
And more!
Whether you’re leading an RIA, broker-dealer, or independent advisory firm, this conversation offers practical insights into how AI, better data, and stronger operational processes can help your team deliver a more efficient and connected client experiencewhile growing your business.
Explore more conversations from Beacon 1% Better Every Day for practical ideas on advisor growth, operational excellence, technology, leadership, and the future of wealth management.
Steven Latow is the Chief Strategy Officer at Zocks, where he helps shape AI solutions designed specifically for financial advisors. In this conversation, he shares insights on client data, advisor workflows, AI adoption, and how technology can enhance, rather than replace, the human side of financial advice.
Technology is changing how financial professionals work, but not every AI solution is built on the same foundation.
What separates tools that create real efficiency from those that simply add another layer of complexity? And how can firms prepare for a future where AI handles more of the administrative workload?
In this episode, Chip Kispert speaks with Darren Tedesco, President of Advisor360°, and Scott Freeland, VP of Product Management for the Enterprise Suite at Advisor360°, about the future of AI, data strategy, and workflow automation in wealth management. They explore why unified data is becoming the foundation for agentic AI, how firms are approaching technology consolidation, and what operational challenges stand in the way of broader AI adoption. The conversation also examines workflow automation, advisor productivity, and the infrastructure needed to support long-term innovation.
Key takeaways:
Why unified and trusted data is becoming the foundation for meaningful AI adoption in wealth firms
How technology consolidation can reduce operational friction across advisors, clients, and home offices
What separates note-taking AI tools from systems capable of executing workflows and actions
Why agentic AI may shift advisors away from administration and toward client-facing activities
How end-to-end workflow automation could reshape onboarding, reporting, and portfolio management
Darren Tedesco is President of Advisor360°. Darren is responsible for strategic relationships at the executive level and leads business development activities for complex enterprise relationships. He represents Advisor360° externally as an industry leader, elevating the brand through conferences, councils, and thought leadership on the intersection between technology and wealth management. Internally, Darren provides market intelligence and competitive insights into the company and advises on account growth opportunities. Prior to Advisor360°, Darren spent most of his career at Commonwealth Financial Network, where he was the Managing Principal of Innovation & Strategy, overseeing all aspects of technology and designing the platform that would eventually become Advisor360°.
An accomplished senior leader with over 30 years of experience in driving value creation, growth, and profitability across global financial services and FinTech, Scott Freeland has a proven track record of launching and leading industry-leading wealth management businesses, financial products, digital solutions, and enterprise integration. A transformational leader with strong communication, organizational, and strategic skills, he has successfully led teams in high-stakes environments, delivering exceptional results in the areas of wealth management, banking, product and digital innovation, and investment research and analytics.
With a deep expertise in global financial markets, product and technology development, M&A, and strategic partnerships, Scott has played a pivotal role in the growth of organizations like London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG) / Refinitiv, Scivantage, and Bank of America / Merrill Lynch. His leadership has been instrumental in driving multi-year strategic plans, reshaping business models, and creating new digital experiences, positioning companies for long-term success in an increasingly competitive and tech-driven financial landscape.
In his most recent role as Global Head of Business Strategy for Investment & Wealth Solutions at LSEG, a global business providing investment research, market data, analytics, and digital solutions to wealth and asset management markets, Scott was responsible for leading strategy and the execution of strategic programs. Scott successfully executed a comprehensive multi-year strategy to transform the business through targeted market expansion, strategy-aligned product development, and strategic investments with corporate development, and restructured market strategy to regain competitive advantage and focused growth. With the successful transformation of the business, in 2023 Scott took on expanded responsibility serving as Global Head of Wealth Solutions.
The wealth management industry is at a crossroads, and those who fail to adapt will get left behind.
In this episode, Chip Kispert welcomes back Michelle Feinstein, General Manager of Financial Services at Salesforce. With three decades of experience across Pershing, BNY Mellon, and Salesforce, Michelle offers an insider’s look at how firms can modernize, scale, and lead through disruption.
Together, they explore what it means to move from “builder” to “steward,” why AI and data strategy now define success, and how to break down silos between technology and talent.
What to expect:
How firms can unify people, process, and technology to scale smarter
The game-changing impact of AI, data, and MCP integration
Why firms must choose strategic partners over endless integrations
Practical ways to embrace innovation without losing human touch
Michelle Feinstein is general manager and vice president, Global Wealth and Asset Management Solutions and Strategy for Salesforce Industries. Her expertise is in digital transformation for wealth management. This process of digitization is complex; it requires firms to accelerate plans to harness data, digitize advisor-client experiences, and modernize service to scale and support growth.
