Up Close with Rich Steinmeier: LPL’s CEO on the Transformation of a $1.8T Company

Rich Steinmeier – CEO, LPL Financial

Overview

Rich Steinmeier offers a candid perspective of LPL’s journey and how the founding core principles remain a pillar of the business today, even as evolutionary changes have made it one of the hottest firms in the industry.

About this episode

LPL Financial is a classic example of a “legacy firm”—built over time on a solid and enduring foundation.

While many may view long-standing firms as immutable and resistant to change, LPL’s new CEO, Rich Steinmeier , is proving that’s a misconception.

LPL shows that enduring legacies built to last are those established on a solid foundation of the past while continuously evolving and transforming to become better and stronger for the future.

LPL was born in 1989 from the merger of two small brokerage firms, Linsco and Private Ledger, and was designed as an alternative to traditional Wall Street firms. The founders’ vision centered on helping financial professionals build competitive businesses while serving their clients’ best interests.

Yet, as Rich puts it, LPL's foundational legacy is in how it views its advisors: They are LPL’s clients, and the tradition of treating advisors like “people, not accounts,” remains today.

Since Rich rose to the rank of CEO in October 2024, his role has been to advance LPL value propositions, such as taking care of advisors and institutions so they can take care of clients.

In this candid conversation with Louis Diamond, Rich shares a behind-the-scenes perspective of the firm, including:

• Raising to the ranks of CEO—and his vision for LPL now and in the future.
• A look back at the legacy—and how the foundational tenets are informing their direction and goals.
• Continually raising the service level bar—and why “finding more ways for advisors to win” is such an important concept.
• The variety of ways for advisors to affiliate with the firm—and how that’s transforming the way advisors consider independence.
• The succession crisis—and how LPL sees an opportunity for advisors and their businesses.
• Their path to becoming a $1.8T firm—and what’s driving their growth.

It’s a rare, candid conversation with the CEO of one of the hottest wealth management firms in the industry.?

Related Resources

The Succession Conundrum: How Advisors Can Balance Legacy and Liquidity Multigenerational teams have several options for monetizing and transitioning the book from one generation to the next. So, how do they decide what’s best?

Satisfying an Advisor’s Quest for Independence as an Employee For many advisors, independence is just a bridge too far—but greater autonomy and control are often closer than they realize.

Succession and Liquidity: Key Considerations and Options for Founders and Next Gens Succession and monetization are hot topics for advisors in every model. LPL Financial’s Liquidity and Succession program representatives discuss what advisors, independent business owners, and next gens need to consider as they grow their businesses and explore long-term and short-term options, plus best practices to prepare for a transition and maximize business value.

You can also listen to the full episode on our website, as well as on Apple Podcasts,?or on your favorite podcast app.