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Enters the investment industry after a successful career in financial services PR

2000

Tim Holland on US resilience and advisor strategies

“The US is sitting with, in my opinion, the strongest hand,” says Tim Holland, chief investment officer at Orion. “The world’s largest economy, arguably the most resilient economy right now and also an economy that’s incredibly consumption-driven, makes us more insulated from external factors.” Holland’s observation underscores a critical perspective in the post-election investment environment. The strengths of the US economy are key factors influencing strategies for financial advisors and their clients. Holland’s perspective reflects a balanced view of the current investment environment –recognizing the opportunities within domestic markets while remaining clear-eyed about challenges such as political transitions and evolving global dynamics. With over 20 years of investment experience, Holland brings a wealth of expertise to his role. He has held leadership positions that bridge strategic thinking and practical solutions. After joining Brinker Capital as global investment strategist in 2017, Holland became chief investment officer following Orion’s merger with Brinker in 2020. Now, as CIO, he oversees investment management solutions and strategies for Orion OCIO, Orion Portfolio Solutions, and Brinker Capital Investments. His deep understanding of the markets, combined with a forward-looking approach, equip him to guide financial advisors.

While geopolitical uncertainties persist, advisors can turn to innovative tools like Orion’s services to ensure they remain client-focused amid the noise. These tools are designed to help advisors manage uncertainty while still delivering consistent, meaningful value to their clients. Orion’s dual focus on advanced technology and comprehensive investment management solutions ensures advisors have the tools they need to address evolving client needs. On the advisor side, direct indexing has emerged as a powerful tool for delivering client-centric solutions. Through Orion Custom Indexing, advisors can offer personalized portfolios tailored to individual values and goals, while optimizing for tax efficiency. “Direct indexing is revolutionizing the way advisors build portfolios,” Holland says. “It allows for customization at scale, enabling advisors to align investments with client priorities while achieving meaningful tax advantages.” Orion operates across two primary areas. The first is its robust technology platform, designed for advisors who want to run their businesses independently. “Think financial planning, reporting, billing, compliance, and risk analytics,” Holland says. It’s a robust tech stack built to meet the complex needs of modern advisors. Direct indexing, or Orion Custom Indexing (OCI), allows advisors to create highly customized portfolios by “unpacking” broad indices like the S&P 500. Advisors can optimize portfolios for tax efficiency, align investments with client values, and address specific goals.

“It’s a neat tool,” Holland says, describing it as “mass customization” at an attractive price point. OCI allows advisors to build portfolios tailored to individual client priorities, optimizing for taxes and values-based investing. With $6 billion in assets under management, Orion’s Custom Indexing solution is gaining significant traction, helping advisors deliver personalized value that can incrementally improve long-term client outcomes. The second pillar is investment management, which includes proprietary strategies, open architecture platforms, and Outsourced Chief Investment Officer (OCIO) services. These offerings enable advisors to access best-in-class solutions tailored to their clients’ unique needs. Under Holland’s leadership, the investment team oversees more than $90 billion in wealth management platform assets, ensuring that advisors have the tools to navigate today’s challenging environment.

“Everything we do at Orion is with, through, and for the financial advisor,” Holland explains. “We don’t go direct to the end investor.  We have a deep appreciation of the value that advisors create for their clients and want to serve and meet advisors where they are.” By taking over operational and administrative burdens, OCIO frees advisors to focus on deepening client relationships and growing their businesses. “Most advisors want to spend more time with clients, especially during turbulent periods,” Holland notes. “But to do that, they need to create time. OCIO provides a single point of contact for trading, billing, portfolio audits, and more. It’s a comprehensive solution that allows advisors to compete effectively, even against larger firms. “By integrating innovations like OCI and leveraging AI-driven productivity gains, Orion ensures that advisors are not only adapting to changes in the market but also delivering client-specific solutions that stand out,” Holland notes.

Advisors today face two primary challenges: geopolitical instability and the sustainability of the current bull market. From the war in Ukraine to US-China relations, global tensions remain a source of volatility. However, Holland emphasizes that such events often have limited long-term impact. “Geopolitical events may add short-term volatility, but they rarely affect the economy or markets in a lasting way,” he says. As for the bull market, Holland acknowledges concerns about high valuations but remains cautiously optimistic. “Bull markets typically run three to five years, and we’re still in the early stages of this one,” he notes. Factors like the AI-driven productivity boom, strong corporate profits, and potential Federal Reserve rate cuts suggest that the rally could persist. Holland also stresses the importance of perspective. “There’s a fair amount of cash on the sidelines, and the structural tailwinds supporting this market remain intact,” he explains. “The key is to stay focused on the fundamentals.” “The durability of the current bull market, combined with the opportunities presented by technological advancements, position us to deliver meaningful value,” Holland concludes. “By focusing on the fundamentals and embracing innovation, advisors can successfully guide their clients through these complex times.”

Spotlight

Holland emphasizes the importance of paying attention to the priorities of the new administration. “Post-November 5, I take any president, any president-elect, at their word,” he explains. Donald Trump’s pro-growth policies, while expected to boost economic and market performance, also present questions and risks around their potential impact on inflation and interest rates. Trade relationships with China, Mexico, and Canada remain central to President Trump’s agenda. However, Holland is quick to point out that enacting these policies is far from straightforward. Existing tariffs with China provide an established framework for further action, but renegotiating agreements under the USMCA (NAFTA 2.0) is far more complex. “It’s a long road between here and there,” he notes, adding that some of the rhetoric could serve as a bargaining tactic. Despite potential volatility, Holland believes US equities are well-positioned for continued growth. He points to a strong post-election rally in small-cap and large-cap stocks, driven by factors such as robust economic fundamentals and market resilience. “US equities may appear expensive by some traditional metrics; the structural advantages of the US economy, combined with ongoing tailwinds, could sustain growth in the years ahead,” he explains.

Orion is a premier provider of the tech-enabled fiduciary process that transforms the advisor-client relationship by enabling financial advisors to Prospect, Plan, Invest, and Achieve within a single, connected, technology-driven experience. Combined, our brand entities, Orion Advisor Tech, Orion Portfolio Solutions, Brinker Capital Investments, Redtail Technology, and Orion OCIO create a complete offering that empowers firms to attract new clients seamlessly, connect goals more meaningfully to investment strategies and outcomes, and ultimately track progress toward each investor’s unique definition of financial success. Orion services $4.9 trillion in assets under administration and $97.5 billion of wealth management platform assets (as of December 31, 2024) and supports over seven million technology accounts and thousands of independent advisory firms. Today, 17 out of the Top 20 Barron's RIA firms1 rely on Orion's technoogy to power their businesses and win for investors. Learn more at Orion.com.

Company Profile

17 of the Top 20

FIRMS THAT RELY ON ORION'S TECHNOLOGY

$4.9T

VALUE OF AUMSERVICED BY ORION

2,400+

NUMBER OF ADVISORY FIRMS SERVED BY ORION

$97.5B

VALUE OF WEALTH MANAGEMENT PLATFORM ASSETS SERVICED BY ORION

52,000

NUMBER OF ADVISORY REPS SERVED BY ORION

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Tim Holland

Chief Investment Officer

How Orion’s tools and strategies empower advisors through geopolitical and market complexities

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“US equities may appear expensive by some traditional metrics; the structural advantages of the US economy, combined with ongoing tailwinds, could sustain growth in the years ahead”

tim holland, orion

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Before becoming CEO of Fundserv, Karen Adams held a variety of leadership roles around the world – and she learned that listening and understanding are key to both providing service and developing talent

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Enters the investment industry after a successful career in financial services PR

2000

Earns the CFA Charter

2003

Co-manager on a Morningstar-rated 5-Star Mutual Fund

2010

Joins Brinker Capital as Global Investment Strategist

2017

Named Chief Investment Officer of Orion OCIO

2023

Named Chief Investment Officer of Orion

2024

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The resilience of the US economy and post-election realities

Orion’s dual mission: technology and investment solutions for modern advisors

Published January 27, 2025

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Source: 2024 Top 100 RIA Firms, Barron's, 2024