Mariner, a national financial services firm, has completed the full strategic integration of Ocean Heights Advisors, a Newport Beach-based wealth management firm with $730 million in assets under advisement. This transition represents a pivotal milestone in Mariner's growth strategy and provides a clear, demonstrated pathway for advisory firm succession, a critical consideration for vendors serving the human resources and talent management sectors.
The integration model began with Ocean Heights first partnering with Mariner's independent platform in 2022. This initial phase allowed the firm to maintain its operational independence while leveraging Mariner's extensive operational support infrastructure. Over the subsequent three-year partnership, this arrangement enabled Ocean Heights to nearly double its assets under advisement and significantly expand its portfolio of client services, showcasing the effectiveness of the staged integration approach.
As detailed in the firm's announcement at https://www.marinerwealthadvisors.com, all members of the Ocean Heights team, including Founders Kevin O'Grady and Nella Webster, will continue in their current roles following the integration. Furthermore, current partners Kevin Barlow, Danielle Bronner, and Kara Devar will become Mariner shareholders, with Barlow assuming leadership of the expanded Newport Beach operations. This structure directly addresses succession planning by providing ownership opportunities to the next generation of financial professionals within the firm's framework.
Marty Bicknell, CEO and president of Mariner, emphasized the strategic importance of this transition model. He noted that it demonstrates the firm's commitment to providing financial advisors with a clear succession pathway while ensuring a seamless client experience throughout the process. The phased approach allows advisory firms to maintain their independence and brand identity initially, while having the structured option to fully integrate into Mariner's corporate infrastructure and support systems in the future.
For HR industry vendors, this case study highlights several key trends in talent management and organizational development. The model ensures long-term business continuity for acquired firms, provides expanded resources and career pathways for advisors and staff, and maintains uninterrupted, high-quality service for clients during transition periods. By systematically offering ownership and equity participation to successor generations, as seen with the Ocean Heights partners becoming shareholders, Mariner is positioning itself as a forward-thinking leader in addressing the industry's pressing succession challenges.
The agreement was formally signed in December 2024 and became effective April 1, 2025. Mariner's growth trajectory provides context for the significance of this integration model. The firm, which started in 2006 with $300 million in assets under advisement, now advises on over $560 billion in assets. This remarkable expansion underscores the scalability and strategic value of their acquisition and integration framework, which prioritizes talent retention and phased operational alignment.
The implications for the human resources industry and its vendors are substantial. This case demonstrates a replicable model for managing ownership transitions, retaining key talent during mergers, and structuring incentives that align the interests of founding principals, successor leaders, and the acquiring organization. Vendors providing services related to leadership development, compensation design, merger integration, and succession planning can look to this framework as evidence of evolving best practices in professional services consolidation, where talent strategy is integral to financial and operational strategy.
