Where HighTower is headed: Lightning Round with CEO Bob Oros

As the independent advisory business surges toward a record volume of M&A deals, HighTower Advisors “absolutely expects to be a major player,” says CEO Bob Oros.

After a career holding executive posts at Charles Schwab, LPL Financial, Fidelity Investments, and, most recently, HD Vest Financial Services, Oros took over as HighTower’s chief executive in January.

Co-founder Elliot Weissbluth had stepped down after leading the firm for nearly a decade and private equity firm Thomas H. Lee, HighTower’s majority owner, wanted to reshape the $50 billon RIA’s business strategy.

In this Lighting Round video, Oros discusses how M&A is central to that strategy and the role of a liquidity event in Thomas H. Lee’s business plan for HighTower.