Merit Financial Advisors ("Merit"), a Georgia-based financial advisory firm that specializes in financial planning and wealth management solutions for high-net-worth individuals and families and those navigating life transitions, today announced the addition of two key executives to its leadership team, a move aligned with the firm's continued momentum, scaled growth, and commitment to supporting advisors in building thriving, future-ready practices.

Alex Hansen Named Chief Advisor Success Officer

Joining Merit as the firm's newly created Chief Advisor Success Officer is industry veteran Alex Hansen, formerly SVP, RIA Solutions, at Commonwealth Financial Network.

In this advisor focused leadership role, Hansen will drive a direct feedback loop between Merit's advisors and the firm's executive team. His mandate: actively listen, identify the biggest levers for advisor growth, and advocate for the resources, technology, and support that enable advisors to grow and scale faster including accessing and leveraging the entire Merit ecosystem to its full potential.

Hansen spent the majority of his wealth management career consulting with advisors through business model transitions — fee-only, hybrid, launching RIAs, and evaluating affiliation options. At Commonwealth, he built and led the RIA Solutions consulting function, along with business-critical transition and relationship management teams.

"I love when an advisor says, 'I want to do X, but I don't think it's possible,' Hansen said. "If you truly listen, you can help uncover what's most important. What will win their next high-net-worth client? What will unlock that next stage of growth?" In its simplest form," he added, "my job is to deeply listen to our advisors — and translate what they need into action."

"To have someone of Alex's experience and stellar reputation with advisors join our team in this critical new role, is a key piece to how we plan to execute on our growth plan for the future", said Kay Lynn Mayhue, President of Merit Financial Advisors.

Brian Brashaw Named Vice President of Employer Plan Solutions

Merit also announced the appointment of Brian Brashaw as Vice President of Employer Plan Solutions, a newly created role designed to lead the firm's strategy for retirement plan business including the expansion of 401(k) and employer-sponsored plan opportunities.

Brashaw joins Merit from Osaic, where he served as Head of Employer Plan Consulting. In that role he helped support more than 23,000 401(k) plans and approximately $80B in plan assets, and developed award-winning communities including Generation (k)ultivate, designed to grow the next generation of retirement plan advisors.

 Earlier in his career he held roles at TD Ameritrade and Ladenburg Thalmann.

This is a key area of opportunity for advisors to expand into. With the impact of SECURE 2.0 and state-based mandates, the number of 401(k) plans is projected to jump from roughly 700,000 today to more than 1 million by 2030.

"The industry is not prepared for that volume and yet it represents one of the most important growth opportunities in wealth management," Brashaw said. "My job at Merit is to build the foundation, resources, and engagement strategies so our advisors are not only ready — but they are positioned to lead."

This is a growing area of need for our clients and Brian will empower our advisors to provide the knowledge, support and services to best serve them," said Rick Kent, CEO of Merit Financial Advisors. "This will also allow Merit to expand our business owner planning opportunities from benefits to executive comp to succession," he continued.

"There will be millions of new participants entering the retirement ecosystem over the next five years," Brashaw added. "Advisors who engage them early will create relationships that carry through to private wealth — and that's a responsibility as much as it is an opportunity."

Creating the Foundation for Continued Growth

This announcement follows a year of continued expansion for Merit, which continues to invest intentionally in leadership talent, platform improvements, and offerings that make it easier for advisors to grow while closing the gap between opportunity and execution. Merit recently celebrated its 51^st partnership transaction and has a robust pipeline in place for future growth.