Commonwealth to Bolster Wealth Management Advisor Support with Incoming Senior Vice President

Positions firm to expand capabilities in financial planning and fee-based service support for affiliated advisors

WALTHAM, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Commonwealth Financial Network^®, a national firm dedicated to providing advisor-focused business solutions, announces the hiring of Karen McColl, CFA^®, SVP, wealth management. The role will be central to shaping the next evolution of Commonwealth’s advisor support model across Advanced Planning, Insurance, Annuity Research, Investment Consulting Services, and Retirement Consulting Services as the firm continues to respond to advisors’ dynamic financial planning business needs.

“With wealth management and holistic financial planning as the cornerstone of our and our advisors’ business for the foreseeable future, Commonwealth is heavily invested in setting up our infrastructure and teams to meet the moment,” says Greg Gohr, Commonwealth’s managing principal, wealth management. “Karen’s invaluable experience and strategic vision puts us in a position to enable the transformation of corporate initiatives into programs that will accelerate the adoption of financial planning across our network of advisors.”

In partnership with senior leadership, McColl will identify and solve some of the biggest challenges facing the wealth management industry. In this role, she will be instrumental in designing and planning multiyear business plans for the Investment Consulting Services, Retirement Consulting Services, Advanced Planning, and Insurance and Annuities teams, which will involve developing models for launching new products and services. Prior to joining Commonwealth, McColl was head of defined benefit within MassMutual’s Institutional Solutions group—and was previously head of investment management for MassMutual’s broker/dealer. McColl also held roles in senior management and product management and development at Fidelity, Evergreen, Columbia, and Wellington Management. McColl graduated from Boston University, earned her MBA from MIT Sloan School of Management, is a CFA^® charterholder, and currently holds her FINRA Series 7, 24, 26, and 63 securities registrations.

“I have seen the power and impact that solid financial advice and sound financial decisions have had on people’s lives,” said McColl. “Being a part of shaping Commonwealth advisors’ growth and ability to make their clients’ dreams come true and anticipating how our industry will grow in the future is thrilling personally and professionally. I’m delighted to join a firm whose culture of community is resilient and forward thinking.”

McColl will report to Gohr, who oversees Commonwealth’s Wealth Management department.

About Commonwealth Financial Network^®

Commonwealth Financial Network, Member FINRA/SIPC, a Registered Investment Adviser, provides a suite of business solutions that empowers more than 2,000 independent financial advisors nationwide. J.D. Power ranks Commonwealth “#1 in Independent Advisor Satisfaction Among Financial Investment Firms, Seven Times in a Row.” Privately held since 1979, the firm has headquarters in Waltham, Massachusetts, and San Diego, California. Learn more about Commonwealth by visiting www.commonwealth.com.

Commonwealth received the highest score in the independent advisor segment of the J.D. Power 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2018, 2019, and 2020 Financial Advisor Satisfaction Studies of customers’ satisfaction among financial advisors. Visit jdpower.com/awards.