Successor Pipeline & Acquisition Readiness Lead

Duties & Responsibilities

• Own and ensure application of the enterprise acquisition readiness standard, translating the Acquisition Readiness Framework into measurable capability development and demonstrated readiness across leadership, growth, and practice ownership.
• Design and scale structured successor development pathways aligned to the Acquisition Readiness Framework, including cohort-based, experiential, and graduated responsibility models that build capability toward full acquisition readiness.
• Integrate successor readiness into the Advisor Legacy Program, ensuring readiness is assessed early, developed intentionally, and aligned to transition timelines to improve transition outcomes and confidence.
• Establish and evolve team-based successor pathways, defining progression from supporting advisor roles into leadership positions across team maturity stages.
• Partner with Virtual Advice to build and operationalize an acquisition pathway, including readiness criteria, development milestones, and integration expectations for advisors transitioning into practice leadership.
• Create and maintain enterprise visibility into the successor-ready pipeline, including bench strength, capacity gaps, and forward-looking readiness trends.
• Establish and track successor readiness and transition performance metrics, using data to assess program effectiveness, inform decisions, and drive continuous improvement.
• Collaborate across enterprise stakeholders (Teaming, Transition Planning, Virtual Advice, Recruiting, and Field Leadership) to align on readiness standards, development expectations, and execution.
• Leverage and integrate external successor development frameworks into Thrivent-specific systems, accelerating capability while building internally sustainable models.

Qualifications & Skills

• Bachelor’s degree in finance, business administration, or a related field.
• A minimum of 7 years of experience in financial services, with significant experience in succession planning, mergers and acquisitions, teaming, or a related field.
• A minimum of 3 years of experience coaching and leading succession and acquisition plans, with a proven ability to develop talent and drive performance in a high-stakes environment.
• Demonstrated experience in practice management, succession, acquisition, and transition readiness expectations.
• Strategic mindset with the ability to build and maintain enterprise programs.
• Ability to identify and analyze trends in advisor succession and acquisition planning to drive data-informed strategies.
• In-depth knowledge of teaming and best practices in developing financial advisors to successfully acquire a practice and build the business post-acquisition.
• Familiarity with advisor business models, client retention strategies, and regulatory considerations affecting succession and teaming strategies.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills to engage and educate advisors, stakeholders, and cross-functional teams effectively.