LOMBARD, Ill., Oct. 24, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Forum Financial Management has hired Brian Shapiro, former BAM Advisor Services Client Development Director, as its Advisor Development Officer. In this new role, Shapiro will focus on recruiting financial advisors and registered investment advisors (RIA) to join the $3.8 billion firm.

With 31% annualized growth over the past 10 years, Forum is ramping up to add to its national team of more than 70 advisors.

Jonathan Rogers, Forum Financial Management co-managing partner, said, "Brian is one of those rare people who immediately sees the big picture of what we are building. He knows our story, he knows what our advisors need, and how they think about the world. Our greatest challenge has always been to find the right advisors, who think like business owner-entrepreneurs and who share our Dimensional Fund Advisors (DFA) and Vanguard style investment approach. We are excited to have him on board!"

We sat down with Shapiro to get his take on the new role with Forum:

Can you tell me a bit about yourself and how you came to Forum?

I have known of Forum since starting my career at BAM back in 2008. At the time, they were only around a few hundred million, but I was impressed with their leadership and the vision of their firm. Over the past several years, Forum's name kept popping up on my radar more and more when speaking with advisors, so I researched them further. I was impressed, but not surprised, to see that they had grown to be a nearly $4 billion organization. When the opportunity to join them arose, I jumped at the chance to be a part of this terrific organization.

What will you be doing at Forum?

In a lot of ways, I will be doing what I have always done. I'll be showing advisors how what we offer can help them spend more time meeting with their clients and growing their business. I've always taken a consultative approach to determining how best we can help advisors achieve the vision they have for their company.

What has struck you as different about Forum?

The intellectual capital throughout the organization, I think, is unparalleled in the industry. It is uniquely advisor-owned, which changes how things run. The people who are setting the vision for the firm are meeting with their own clients, and that comes through in the decisions they make and how they think about the business. The platform they have created gives advisors a lot of optionality in how they engage: they can become a partner, an advisor of Forum, or stay an independent RIA. Finally, the technology is impressive. I've never seen something be so integrated or deliver the efficiencies they are able to deliver.

You mention the advisor-ownership of Forum. What does it mean to become a partner at Forum?

I think Forum's partnership structure is unique in the industry. It is a partnership created by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs. Ownership is based on each partner office's relative revenue and changes over time. The partner offices each have their own P&L, which means they keep control over their hiring and budgeting decisions. This gives partners merging into the firm immediate equity in the firm and full upside in their office's future growth, as well as an opportunity to have a seat at the table.

We've talked a lot about owners, but what about the next generation partners at Forum?

New next gen partners don't buy into the partnership, unlike most other firms in the industry. An entrepreneurial advisor gets full credit for helping build the firm from day one and would be far better off working with Forum than going it alone or buying into a traditional partnership structure. This results in partners being able to attract extremely talented younger advisors who actually contribute to and potentially accelerate growth.

For more information about Forum Financial Management, visit www.forumfin.com.

Forum Financial Management, LP is registered as an investment advisor with the SEC and only transacts business in states where it is properly registered, or is excluded or exempted from registration requirements. SEC registration does not constitute an endorsement of the firm by the Commission nor does it indicate that the advisor has attained a particular level of skill or ability. The home office is located at 1900 S. Highland Ave., Suite 100, Lombard, IL 60148. Before making an investment decision, please contact our office at 630.873.8520 to receive a copy of Forum's Advisory Agreement and Form ADV Part 2A, which includes Forum's fee schedule. This information is intended to serve as a basis for further discussion with your professional advisors. Although great effort has been taken to provide accurate numbers and explanations, this information should not be relied upon for making investment decisions. web: www.forumfin.com

SOURCE Forum Financial Management

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