Profile
“I am 100 percent motivated by growth: growth in my business, my skills, and myself”
RJ Cunningham,
Summit Global Private Wealth
RJ Cunningham is a financial advisor–senior partner at Summit Global Private Wealth.
As a seasoned wealth advisor, he oversees around $500 million in client assets and serves more than 500 households, but his motivation has always been simple: put clients first and let everything else follow.
“But by the grace of God I am what I am,” he says, reflecting on a career that he insists was about doing the right thing repeatedly. Early on, Cunningham set an audacious goal of becoming a $1 billion AUM advisor – a figure that felt like an impossible number to reach at the time.
But he is on course thanks to a set of principles. “You keep clients for two reasons, making them money and service.” On the investment side, he credits a strong internal team. On the service side, he’s built out an infrastructure designed to preserve the high‑touch approach that fueled his rise.
1111 Draper Pkwy #310, Draper, UT 84020
385 509 0901
rj@sgipw.com
linkedin.com/in/rjcunninghamcfp
sgipw.com
RJ Cunningham
Financial Advisor–Senior Partner Summit Global Private Wealth
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Milestones
“When you personally have had successes, the real fulfillment comes from helping others get what they want”
RJ Cunningham,
Summit Global Private Wealth
2022–2023
2024
Present
2024
2025
Forbes’ Best-in-State Top Financial Security Professional
2022–2023
Forbes’ Best-in-State Next-Gen Wealth Advisor
2024
Financial Advisor since 2009
InvestmentNews’ 5-Star Financial Planner
Present
Led the firm’s transition to independence as a Registered Investment Advisor (RIA), modernizing operations and expanding a planning-first wealth management model
2024
Launched Drucker Tax, integrating tax planning and tax preparation directly into the firm’s wealth management offering to better serve high-income clients
2025
Milestones
As a founding member of WOW! (Women. Opportunity. Winning.), an employee resource group created for all women of Ryan Specialty, Phillips Topping has long championed for women in the industry.
“It’s very important to set an example and to not only inspire but mentor other females,” she adds.
In addition to her sharp marketing eye, the key to Phillips Topping’s success lies in her high-energy approach and positive attitude.
“As the leader of a team, it’s important to motivate and encourage your team members. People work very hard and do their best and it’s important to recognize these efforts. For my career overall, my attitude has been one of curiosity. The more you can learn, the better you’ll understand the business, and then the deeper your knowledge will become, making you a better team member.”
Chief underwriting officer of executive risk at Chubb
President of financial insurance solutions at Kemper
Chief underwriting officer at Axis Capital
CEO of global Insurance at Endurance
CEO of global Insurance at Sompo International
Cunningham works closely with clients as a retirement planning advisor, supported by a dedicated team handling account setup and back-office operations. He also leans on a junior advisor and a family office team for higher-net-worth families and refers to the hiring of a client service representative as “most important” in meeting his standards.
Still, when asked about his proudest professional achievement, he points to his client base. “For me, the biggest achievement is the steady flow of referrals I receive each month,” he says. “Not because growth is my number one goal, but because a referral is the single greatest sign of how well you are helping your clients.”
That creates an environment where prospects feel no pressure. “Whether someone says yes or no to me will not change a single thing I do the next day,” he adds.
His professionalism underscores an evident enthusiasm for the work itself. “I am not motivated by money,” he says. “I am 100 percent motivated by growth: growth in my business, my skills, and myself.”
Cunningham downplays credentials for their own sake but is always “studying for something.” Currently, that means pursuing the CFA curriculum, not because he wants the added status; he already has his CFP, but because he wants to grow in that area of expertise.
Even his business development strategy reflects a reliance on relationship capital. With an estimated client retention rate near 99 percent over 17 years, he sees persistence as another tangible marker of integrity and dedication.
Cunningham attributes much of his recent acceleration to his move to Summit Global three years ago. Since joining, he says his AUM has quintupled, and his income has doubled, thanks to a system that keeps him “in front of current clients and new clients” while teams handle everything else.
Looking ahead, the $1 billion AUM target remains firmly in view, but the journey now has a different flavor. “What has changed in the past 17 years is that I want a team of people with me to get there together,” he says. “When you personally have had successes, the real fulfillment comes from helping others get what they want.”