Premier Path’s Billion-Dollar Sprint and the New Advisor-Consultant Model

MADISON, NJ – November 24, 2025

In the fiercely competitive landscape of independent wealth management, reaching the billion-dollar milestone is a signal of arrival. Accomplishing it in just two years from a standing start is a powerful signal of momentum. Premier Path Wealth Partners, a Madison, New Jersey-based advisory firm, has done just that, announcing on its second anniversary that it now oversees more than $1 billion in assets. This achievement is not just a story of rapid financial accumulation; it is a case study in strategic focus and the accelerating evolution of the advisory industry itself.

Public filings confirm the firm's impressive trajectory. According to its Form ADV filing with the SEC dated March 28, 2025, Premier Path reported discretionary assets under management of $1,104,979,833. This rapid scaling, driven almost entirely by organic growth, starkly contrasts with industry benchmarks. While the 2025 Charles Schwab RIA Benchmarking Study noted a healthy median AUM increase of 16.6% for firms last year, Premier Path’s growth from its founding in 2023 represents an exponential leap that places it in an elite category of industry sprinters. The signal here is clear: the firm has tapped into a deep and underserved market vein with a compelling value proposition that is resonating powerfully.

More Than Money: The Rise of the Advisor-Consultant

The driving force behind this momentum appears to be a deliberate move away from the traditional confines of wealth management. Coinciding with its anniversary, Premier Path announced the launch of a dedicated business consulting division. This move formalizes services it has been providing since its inception, including exit planning, intergenerational succession, governance structures, and legacy strategy. This is not merely an expansion of services; it is an embodiment of a critical industry trend—the fusion of personal wealth advisor and strategic business consultant.

“We founded Premier Path to give business owners and families the kind of strategic, thoughtful, and highly personalized guidance that is difficult to find in today’s advisory landscape,” said Michael Lehman, the firm's CEO. His statement cuts to the heart of the matter. For entrepreneurs and the leaders of family enterprises, the personal and business balance sheets are inextricably linked. A decision about a liquidity event impacts family legacy; a succession plan is as much about emotional dynamics as it is about financial modeling.

The wealth management industry is awakening to this reality. As investment advice becomes increasingly commoditized, top-tier RIAs are differentiating themselves by providing holistic guidance that addresses the entire lifecycle of an entrepreneur's wealth. Premier Path's new division is a direct response to this demand, creating a formalized structure to serve clients who are not just managing wealth, but actively building it. This strategic positioning caters directly to the ongoing “great wealth transfer” and the wave of aging business owners contemplating their next chapter.

Building a Moat with Expertise

A strategy is only as strong as its execution, and Premier Path’s growth signal is amplified by its clear investment in deep, multidisciplinary expertise. The firm’s leadership, including CEO Michael Lehman and COO Derek Wittjohann, carry credentials from their prior tenure at Merrill Lynch, but they have also armed themselves with designations like the Certified Private Wealth Advisor® (CPWA®) and the Certified Exit Planning Advisor (CEPA®), which are specifically tailored to the complex needs of their niche clientele.

This commitment to expertise extends beyond their internal team. The firm’s recent client event on business succession serves as a prime example of its strategy in action. Rather than a simple market update, the event was a high-level symposium featuring a curated panel of outside authorities. The lineup included Richard Orlando, Ph.D., a leading voice in family legacy and author of LEGACY: The Hidden Keys to Optimizing Your Family Wealth Decisions; Dr. Marc Celentana, a consulting psychologist specializing in leadership development during major transitions; and Scott Mashuda, a veteran M&A strategist and former chair of the M&A Source, a top association for dealmakers.

By assembling experts in family systems, organizational psychology, and M&A, the firm is demonstrating that it understands the multifaceted nature of its clients' challenges. This approach—combining financial acumen with insights into human dynamics and deal strategy—builds a significant competitive moat. It transforms the firm from a mere financial advisor into a central hub of strategic intelligence for its clients, reinforcing its role as an indispensable partner.

Navigating the Legacy Labyrinth

Ultimately, the strongest growth signals often emanate from firms that solve a complex and emotionally charged problem. For many business owners, the transition of their life's work is a labyrinth of financial, legal, and familial challenges. The firm’s focus on this journey—from growth to exit and beyond—is what appears to be fueling its success.

“We are not just wealth advisors. We are long-term partners to our clients as they navigate major financial decisions, manage complex family dynamics, and design legacies that endure,” noted Derek Wittjohann, the firm's COO. This statement captures the essence of the modern advisor-consultant model. It’s a shift from managing a portfolio to quarterbacking a client’s entire financial life, especially at critical inflection points.

By building its service model around education, community, and deep expertise, Premier Path is doing more than just gathering assets. It is building a platform designed to guide clients through some of the most significant decisions they will ever make. As the firm looks to thoughtfully expand its team of specialists, its trajectory serves as a clear signal of strength, indicating that in the world of wealth, the most valuable currency is integrated, empathetic, and deeply specialized advice.