Profile
“Being true to who we are is key; we are purely a referral-based business. There is zero marketing or advertising”
Adam Rakowski,
Ortus Financial
Almost three decades in finance, Craig Gould has certainly created his own luck through hard work, grit, and determination, while identifying opportunities and seizing on them.
In 2024, Wentworth Management Services and Kingswood Acquisition merged and launched Binah Capital Group, a public company trading on the NASDAQ under the ticker symbol BCG.
Binah has approximately $30 billion in assets under management, approximately 2,000 financial professionals, and around 550 RIAs, including those from Wentworth’s four broker-dealers, which operate 535 offices across all 50 states.
Gould, formerly president of Wentworth, became Binah’s new CEO. He says, “We took Binah Capital Group public and were invited by NASDAQ to ring the morning bell on April 30. To have my partners, co-workers, family, and friends celebrating the occasion with me was certainly a highlight.”
In his role, he sees himself as a coach. “As a leader, you need to help direct strategy, make sure you have the right people in the right roles, empower them to be successful, and at the same time understand you are only as strong as your weakest link. Constant reassessment and improvement are essential,” he says.
“Scaling the business has unique challenges. You cannot be successful and not delegate responsibilities to others. Luckily, we have a really great team, so empowering others to do more has been successful.”
2024 has been a busy year for Gould, who believes Binah’s decision to go public will inspire others.
“Our ability to create a platform company like Binah Capital Group as the leader in the hybrid friendly space is quite unique. I also think several others will follow us in recognizing the advantage in going public,” he asserts. “For a number of reasons, I believe you will see more wealth management firms look to the public markets as a way to continue to build and grow their businesses.”
Binah’s commitment to go public was one borne out of a desire to keep everything above board.
“We believe, as a public company, that we are more transparent to our strategic partners and our nearly 2000 advisors appreciate our openness about our business. We believe in creating mutually beneficial solutions in relationships,” he says.
"In an industry where capital has been dominated by private equity, I am often asked about the process of going public and do I think if it is appropriate for them. For us it certainty was and I believe for few others it does as well, as it brings a whole host of benefits."
425 N Martingale Road, 12th Floor, Schaunburg, IL 60173
312 371 3740
Craig.gould@binahcap.com
linkedin.com/in/craig-gould-b938a51
binahcap.com
Craig Gould
Chief Executive Officer
Binah Capital Group
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“You can’t control the outcome, but you can always control what version of you turns up every day”
Adam Rakowski,
Ortus Financial
1989–2006
2013
2012–2023
2022–present
2015–present
Took Binah Capital Group public in March 2024
Nominated for Broker/Dealer CEO of the Year
2024–
present
Began advising and working with iCapital shortly after its 2013 founding, leading key strategic and business development initiatives
2013
Served as chairman and CEO at iCapital, leading the growth of iCapital – both organic and through acquisition – building it into a leading global fintech company
October 2024: iCapital surpassed US$200 billion in global platform assets
Included in The Wall Street Journal’s 2024 CEO Council list of the World’s Most Influential Decision Makers
Received the prestigious Industry Leadership Award from the Money Management Institute (MMI)
Under his leadership, iCapital has consistently been recognized for its outstanding innovation, fintech industry leadership, and performance, including CNBC World Top Fintech Companies for 2024, and Forbes Fintech 50 for seven consecutive years since 2018. For more information, visit icapital.com/awards-disclaimer.
2014–
2024
February 2022–present: Partner/Financial Advisor at ARC Wealth Management
June 2023–present: Partner/Financial Advisor, ARC Wealth Management at Stifel Independent Advisors
Forbes Best in State Wealth Management Teams 2023
Vogue Influential Women of Utah 2023
Barron’s Advisor Women’s Edition 2024
2022–
present
2015–present: Founding Board Member at DCALTA - Defined Contribution Alternatives Association
2019–present: Chief Executive Officer at StepStone Private Wealth
2015–
present
Milestones
Milestones
ELITE WOMEN 2024 JUDGE
Listings in InvestmentNews’ Hot List 2024, December 17, 2024, are based on nominations received online from wealth professionals between August 5 and 30, 2024. Nominations were open to plan sponsors, money managers, and executives with at least 10 years of experience. After receiving over 450 nominations, InvestmentNews narrowed the list down to 100 “movers and shakers” whose contributions helped shape the wealth industry over the previous 12 months. The rankings may not be representative of any one client’s experience and are not indicative of the financial advisor’s future performance. Compensation provided for using, not obtaining, the award.
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