Dynasty Financial Partners CEO Shirl Penney says investment in stock plan platform will be “of enormous value to the evolution of the independent RIA space.”
Dynasty Financial Partners is deepening its commitment to the equity compensation space, announcing a minority investment in Grantd, an AI-driven platform aimed at helping advisors and employees navigate corporate stock holdings.
The move comes as Dynasty welcomes Brian McDonald, a veteran of Morgan Stanley and Charles Schwab, as a senior advisor.
McDonald, who recently launched Grantd, brings decades of experience in workplace financial solutions, equity compensation, and retirement benefits. At Morgan Stanley, he served as managing director overseeing workplace financial solutions, and at Charles Schwab, he held leadership roles spanning wealth management, stock plan services, and financial technology-driven solutions.
For Dynasty, the addition of McDonald as a senior advisor signals a strategic push to bolster its offerings for independent financial advisors.
“Brian is one of the most respected names in the stock plan space, and we are extremely proud to welcome him to our team and introduce him to our Network,” Shirl Penney, founder and chief executive officer of Dynasty, said in an announcement on Monday. Penney said McDonald’s guidance and experience will be “integral to Dynasty’s expansion and of enormous value to the evolution of the independent RIA space.”
McDonald said he is “excited for the opportunity to partner with the Dynasty team and appreciate their investment in Grantd.” He noted that new models are emerging in the independent arena for technology and stock plan services, and expressed interest in helping Dynasty “take the industry to new levels.”
The investment in Grantd comes on the heels of Dynasty’s partnership with Diamond Consultants to launch the Breakaway Investment Banking Initiative, aimed at supporting large advisor teams exploring independence, capital raising, or mergers with established RIAs.
That partnership came in the wake of Dynasty welcoming a powerhouse team from Merrill whose move to launch their own independent RIA, OpenArc, was quickly protested by the Wall Street giant.
Dynasty’s decision to invest in Grantd also reflects a broader trend in the wealth management industry, where equity compensation is playing a growing role in retirement planning and overall financial wellbeing.
According to a recent Charles Schwab survey, nearly half of US employees participating in equity compensation or employee stock purchase plans view stock plans as a “must-have” benefit when considering new job opportunities. The survey found that company stock accounts for about one-third of participants’ investment portfolios, and half of respondents see equity compensation as a critical tool for reaching retirement goals.
“Equity compensation is both a powerful benefit and a meaningful motivator,” said Andrew Salesky, managing director at Schwab Stock Plan Services, in the survey report. He noted that a robust equity program can help employers demonstrate a commitment to employees’ financial security and foster stronger alignment with company goals.
Dynasty’s investment in Grantd follows the fintech’s acquisition of StockOpter, a long-standing provider of equity compensation planning tools for advisors. The StockOpter team, led by Bill Dillhoefer, joined Grantd this past summer, with plans to blend StockOpter’s capabilities with AI to enhance and simplify the equity compensation planning process.
“There will be no disruption of service. StockOpter will continue to be supported and enhanced because myself and the rest of the Net Worth Strategies team have joined Grantd,” Dillhoefer wrote in a July announcement. He added that the new platform aims to empower advisors to help clients make smart, timely, and tax-efficient decisions.
