Perigon's New Blueprint: Centralizing Command for Scalable Growth

SAN FRANCISCO, CA – August 05, 2026 – In a strategic move designed to manage its explosive growth, Perigon Wealth Management has consolidated its operational command structure, expanding the role of Chief Investment Officer Rafia Hasan to include Chief Operating Officer responsibilities. The decision comes as the independent wealth management firm, which now oversees approximately $11.2 billion in client assets, re-engineers its internal framework to support further expansion and enhance its service platform for both advisors and clients.

The restructuring places Hasan at the nexus of the firm's most critical functions—investments, financial planning, operations, and technology. This unified leadership model is Perigon's answer to a challenge endemic to the RIA industry: how to scale a national enterprise without diluting the personalized service that defines the independent advisory model.

The Architecture of Scale

For rapidly growing firms, the transition from a collection of successful practices to a cohesive national entity is fraught with operational complexity. Perigon, which has expanded its footprint to 19 locations across the country, is proactively addressing this by centralizing oversight of its core operational engine.

"As we considered how best to support our continued growth, it became clear we needed to enhance our executive leadership to provide additional strategic oversight of our critical operational functions," said Perigon CEO Arthur Ambarik in a statement. He noted that Hasan's prior success in centralizing the firm's investment platform provided a clear precedent for this broader mandate. "I am confident she can spearhead developing a single, unified structure to drive better experiences and results across the entire firm."

Hasan, who joined Perigon as CIO in 2023 from Wipfli Financial Advisors, will now guide the strategic alignment of the firm's entire operational platform. This includes integrating the financial planning division, led by Head of Financial Planning Beth Bosworth, and the day-to-day operational processes managed by Director of Operations Brian McGunnigle, into a single, cohesive unit under her purview.

"The wealth management industry continues to evolve rapidly, and there is a critical need for centralized programs and solutions that enable firms to drive sustainable growth without sacrificing personalized service," Hasan explained. She views the firm's work in building its investment platform as "a helpful blueprint" for this larger enterprise-wide integration. The goal is to create a seamless experience where technology, investment strategy, and financial planning are not siloed functions but integrated components of a holistic advisory service.

The AI Imperative in Wealth Management

A cornerstone of Perigon's new structure is a heavy emphasis on technology, specifically the integration of artificial intelligence. The firm has appointed Chris Briley, formerly the Chief Technology Officer at Manning & Napier, as its new Managing Director of Technology. Briley reports directly to Hasan and is tasked with architecting the firm's entire technology strategy, with a clear mandate to embed AI across the platform.

This move is more than just a nod to a trending technology. It represents a strategic bet on AI's potential to redefine efficiency and service delivery in wealth management. For advisors, AI-enabled tools promise to automate time-consuming administrative tasks, streamline portfolio analysis, and generate data-driven insights for client conversations, freeing them to focus on strategic advice and relationship building. For clients, this translates into a more personalized and responsive experience, with financial plans that can be more dynamically modeled and adjusted.

Briley's appointment complements a broader push into technology-driven growth at Perigon. Earlier this year, the firm hired Jon Seif from Betterment as Managing Director of Digital Strategy and Luke Samuels from Wealth Enhancement Group as Senior Director of Business Development. Together, they have been developing a proprietary organic growth platform that uses AI and sophisticated lead tracking to create a unified engine for client acquisition, a critical component for sustaining momentum in a competitive market. This proactive integration of AI aligns Perigon with a larger industry shift, where firms are increasingly looking to augment human advisors with intelligent technology to expand capacity and deepen client engagement.

Empowering the Independent Advisor

While the leadership changes reflect a move toward centralization, the stated purpose is paradoxically to better empower the firm's independent advisors. By creating a more efficient and integrated back-office and technology stack, Perigon aims to simplify operations and accelerate business growth for the advisors who affiliate with its platform. The firm has built its reputation on offering a flexible program that accommodates various affiliation structures, a key selling point in an industry undergoing significant consolidation.

The promotion of Beth Bosworth, who was named a partner in April 2025 through the firm's "Path to Partnership" program, serves as a tangible example of this advisor-centric philosophy. The program offers a route to equity ownership for high-performing advisors, reinforcing the firm’s "advisor-led, advisor-owned" culture.

This internal restructuring is part of a larger talent acquisition strategy designed to build a robust support infrastructure. In addition to the technology and growth-focused hires, Perigon recently brought on Rory Shusted as Chief People Officer, Varun Sanon as Managing Director of Corporate Development, David Scarpello as Chief Financial Officer, and Debra Dunham as Director of Transitions and Integrations. This comprehensive team-building effort underscores the firm's commitment to creating a scalable, full-service platform capable of attracting and retaining top advisory talent. The industry is taking notice, with Perigon earning spots on both Barron's Top 100 RIA Firms 2025 list and AdvisorHub's inaugural 50 RIA Firms to Watch in 2026.