Private Ocean, a Marin County wealth management firm, has expanded its equity ownership to include four of the firm's leaders. The new equity owners are advisors Sarah Wotherspoon, MS, CFP®, Alex Gangl, CFP®, CFA®, Charles Pyfer, JD, CFP®, CIMA®, and Justin Hult, MBA, Director of Investment Operations and Chief Compliance Officer.

Expanding ownership to facilitate internal succession and provide stability and continuity to clients is a primary goal of Private Ocean. To become an owner, candidates must meet specific criteria and participate in a rigorous application and interview process. The four new LLC members join Dr. Frank Jones, investment chair, and Dr. Susan Dickson, chief operating officer, who became members of the firm in 2011. Additional members are Theo Gallier, CIO, and founding owners Richard Stone, CLU, CFP® and Gregory Friedman, MS, CFP®.

"It's important to us that our clients and their families receive the same service excellence delivered to them now in perpetuity," explained Dr. Dickson. "Internal succession ensures that employees who were fostered in our culture over many years continue to embody the same mission and passion for excellence on which our company was founded."

About Private Ocean

Private Ocean is a wealth management firm deliberately structured to give clients the intimate experience of a small firm, while harnessing the power, depth and discipline of a much larger one. The 23-person Private Ocean team seamlessly integrates personal financial planning and institutional-class investing. Private Ocean clients interact directly with a tight-knit team of specialists led by recognized industry leaders and pioneers in planning, investing, ethics and technology.

In 2013, Private Ocean was named Best Wealth Management firm by North Bay Biz and one of the Best Places to Work by The North Bay Business Journal. CEO Richard Stone was honored with the Schwab IMPACT® Leadership Award at the 2011 Schwab IMPACT® conference. Last year, President Greg Friedman made Investment Advisor's 25 Most Influential list. In 2011, Friedman received the Investment News Industry Influencer Award. He received the Schwab IMPACT® Best in Tech Award in 2007.

Formed in 2009, Private Ocean (www.privateocean.com) combined two of the oldest privately-held wealth management firms in the San Francisco Bay Area - Salient Wealth Management and Friedman & Associates. Founded by Richard Stone and Greg Friedman, the firm has nearly $750 million in assets under management. Private Ocean works with senior executives, business owners and other affluent individuals with a minimum of $2 million to invest.

Photos of Private Ocean executives available on request. Email susan@privateocean.com or call 415-526-2904.

Private Ocean
Susan Dickson, 415-526-2900
susan@privateocean.com