Managing Partner Trisha Qualy has contributed to Wealth Management Magazine's 2026 Market Outlook, addressing how advisory firms can build enterprise value in an era of rapid industry consolidation.
In her piece, Qualy outlines how the wealth management industry is undergoing a fundamental transformation as record M&A activity, demographic shifts, and evolving succession needs push advisory firms to operate more like professionally managed enterprises.
"In today's market, equity value is the outcome of intentional strategy, disciplined execution, and a clear roadmap for long-term scalability," Qualy writes.
The article identifies four critical areas where firms must focus to maximize enterprise value:
- Reinforcing Financial Foundations: Advisory firms are taking closer stock of growth rates, reassessing their mix of recurring versus transactional revenue, and strengthening EBITDA margins as markers of operational discipline.
- Building Scalable, Resilient Infrastructure: Firms are moving beyond basic tool usage to integrated, end-to-end workflows that enhance efficiency and reduce dependency on manual processes.
- Strengthening Continuity: Firms are reevaluating organizational structures to create better leverage across teams and formalizing succession planning to institutionalize client relationships rather than relying on personal rapport.
- Aligning Client Mix: Revenue quality is now as important as revenue volume, with firms segmenting clients by profitability and long-term potential to ensure resources align with ideal client profiles.
Qualy emphasizes that firms increasingly use enterprise assessments and benchmarking scorecards to develop 12- to 24-month transformation roadmaps with measurable targets.
"Valuation is not left to chance," she writes. "It is engineered through consistent, intentional decisions."
Read the full 2026 Market Outlook here.