Episode summary
The WealthStack Podcast: Building the Modern Investment Management Stack with Sterling Perkins
Summary
Sterling Perkins argues that wealth management firms have outgrown fragmented point solutions because clients now expect real-time, personalized digital service, and firms need technology that can keep up without adding headcount. He says Ridgeline was built from a clean slate as a front-to-back system of record, combining CRM, portfolio management, trading, accounting, compliance, reporting and AI in one unified platform rather than stitching together five or six separate systems.
Perkins says the main advantage of that architecture is not just convenience but speed: shared data, embedded workflows and real-time reconciliation let firms move from client request to modeling, compliance, trading and accounting without leaving the platform. He argues that AI works best when it is embedded in the system of record, because it already has client, portfolio and transaction context instead of relying on bolted-on tools that need constant manual prompting.
He also says the economics of advice are changing. Ridgeline’s agents can handle parts of servicing, compliance and reconciliation, and he claims some clients have doubled AUM without adding headcount. Even so, he emphasizes governance, human oversight and permissions, noting that Ridgeline has a responsible AI program and ISO 42001 certification. The capacity created by AI, in his view, should be reinvested into client relationships and higher-touch service.
Key takeaways
- Perkins says firms are under pressure to deliver retail-like, real-time experiences, which makes disconnected legacy systems a growing liability.
- Ridgeline’s pitch is a single platform with one data model for CRM, portfolio management, trading, accounting, compliance and reporting.
- Perkins argues embedded AI has an edge because it can act on client, portfolio and transaction context instead of waiting for manual context loading.
- He says some Ridgeline customers have doubled AUM without adding headcount, suggesting AI can change the economics of service and growth.
- Perkins says governance remains central: Ridgeline uses human-in-the-loop controls, opt-in data permissions and ISO 42001-aligned responsible AI practices.
- He says firms should reinvest AI-created capacity into client-facing work, relationship depth and better digital experiences.
Notable quotes
“we're looking at what happens when you rethink the investment management tech stack from the ground up”
“it really sits across two different areas. One is the tech, the second is the talent”
“it means that they have one system that's looking at that they're looking at throughout the day”
“AI embedded in that entire life cycle rather than bolted on or adjacent to the system”
“We're seeing some of our clients have been able to double their AUM without adding any headcount within their business”
How the episode opens
As wealth shifts to the next generation, client expectations are shifting, too. The next generation of investors expects intuitive, personalized digital experiences on par with their everyday digital experiences like Uber or Amazon. Smart IQ from Smart Communications helps wealth management firms deliver that intuitive personalized experience to your clients by modernizing onboarding and client servicing, capturing complete and accurate data, reducing friction, and supporting compliance throughout the client journey.
Prepare your firm for the next generation of wealth at smartcommunications.com. Welcome to the Wealth Stack podcast. As always, I'm your host, Shannon Rossi, the director of Wellstack Content Solutions, and today we're looking at what happens when you rethink the investment management tech stack from the ground up, particularly at a moment when AI is putting even more pressure on firms to have clean data, connected workflows, and technology that can actually act on that information.
So, to help us unpack all of that, I'm joined by Sterling Perkins, the director of solutions consulting at Ridgeline. And Ridgeline describes itself as the first front-toback system of record for investment management, bringing client engagement, portfolio management, trading, accounting, compliance, reporting, and now AI all together under a single platform. So, Sterling, excited to have you on the show.
Excited to be here. Thanks for having me. — Uh, very much looking forward to this, especially after I saw your guys' demo at our Edge conference a couple of months ago. So, excited to actually get under the hood with you a little bit. But I'm going to hit you with probably what's going to be the hardest question you'll have this entire conversation and I have to ask and our listeners want to know. I want to know what makes Sterling well Sterling both personally and professionally.
Yeah, great question and uh that probably is the hardest question that I'll get today but uh thanks again for having me.
From the episode’s captions: roughly the first two minutes, lightly cleaned. Keep watching on YouTube →
Topics
- investment management tech stack
- embedded ai
- ai governance and oversight
- aum growth
- system of record workflows
Companies and tickers mentioned
- Ridgeline
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Summary, takeaways and quote selection by Octagon. Quotes are short excerpts; the full conversation is in the episode.
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