BIP Wealth is proud to announce the recent promotion of Jenni Brown to the role of Chief Marketing Officer (CMO). In the CMO role, Jenni continues to spearhead all strategic marketing initiatives for the firm, adding to the groundwork she made as Marketing Director for the past two years, where she advanced BIP Wealth’s reputation as a national leader in the wealth management industry.
“Jenni’s immediate impact to our brand and culture cannot be overstated,” says Nate Smith, COO of BIP Wealth.“ Since she joined our team in 2021, she has worked tirelessly to drive our brand forward by elevating the client experience, improving the office environment, and providing crucial marketing insights. Jenni’s promotion recognizes her tremendous contributions to date and her daily leadership throughout the organization.”
Throughout a career that spans over 20 years, Jenni has spent countless hours building lasting relationships and pursuing meaningful work at organizations such as Passion City Church, The END IT Movement, and Leader Enterprises. Jenni plays a crucial role in planning BIP’s dozens of client events annually, fostering a sense of community within its client base, managing its agency relationship with Marketwake, and revamping all of BIP’s marketing collateral, digital properties—including website and social media presence, and physical environments.
“I am thrilled to have found a home on the team at BIP Wealth where I can continue to grow in my career while serving our team and incredible clients,” shares Jenni. “The emphasis we as a firm put on people first starts at the top and makes for a positive place to work. I feel so lucky and motivated to continue to push our brand forward. As Mark Buffington, Co-Founder of BIP Wealth and CEO of BIP Capital says, ‘BIP Wealth is the best-kept secret in wealth management’ and I want to let more people in on that secret!”.
As CMO, Jenni will leverage her extensive experience in marketing, design, communications, events, and PR to drive brand awareness, enhance engagement with clients, and cultivate meaningful relationships with stakeholders. Her incredible leadership abilities and visionary approach will play a pivotal role in advancing BIP Wealth’s growth objectives in the future and beyond.
The BIP Wealth team is honored to be named in Wealth Management IQ’s “RIA Edge 100” list. The list recognizes wealth management firms that have grown fast while always keeping the needs of their clients top-of-mind.
“We are delighted to be named to the RIA Edge 100 list. On top of recent honors from USA Today and the Atlanta Business Chronicle, seeing our firm’s name on Wealthmanagement.com’s list means everything to us,” Bill Harris, Co-Founder and CEO of BIP Wealth, said. “BIP Wealth’s top priority has and will always be serving our wonderful clients. Our firm’s continued growth is all thanks to the faith they have shown in us to manage their hard-earned wealth.”
Developed by Wealthmanagement.com’s research team in partnership with ISS MI, the list was created using data from the Discovery Data MarketPro platform.
To start, the RIA Edge 100 list is not a traditional award as RIAs cannot apply for this list. Additionally, they are not considered based on factors such as social media popularity or business relationships. The list comes down to the top 100 firms that display healthy growth and a true commitment to serving clients.
This means a lot to our team, as we did not submit anything to be considered for this honor.
“Knowing that BIP Wealth made the list because of our hard work is something to celebrate,” said Harris. “We hope to remain on the RIA Edge 100 list for years to come.”
So, how did BIP Wealth qualify for the honor?
The first metric the Wealth Management IQ research team used was whether the RIAs they analyzed were SEC-registered. Qualifying firms were also required to have high-net-worth individuals as part of their client base and manage at least $500 million in assets.
This metric is important for our team as it helps spotlight our firm’s growth. We’ve grown to $3.3B AUM at BIP Wealth, and are excited and honored to continue growing.
As the RIA Edge 100 list is data-backed, key metrics such as AUM (assets under management) growth over one and five-year periods, the ratio of employees to clients, and the average size of client portfolios were also considered. At BIP Wealth, we are also driven by data. Our wealth-creation engine leverages innovative technology and financial forecasting to help our clients personalize their wealth plans for future success.
At BIP Wealth, we combine precise financial science with the wisdom of industry experts to help our clients grow, manage, and protect what’s most important. For the past few years, we’ve been fortunate to have seen such growth in our assets under management, client base, and staff. From opening new offices in cities like Nashville to growing our BIP Wealth Baseball Division and acquiring a new RIA, we’re excited about what’s in store over the next few years.
“BIP Wealth would be nothing without our amazing clients and we cannot wait to continue serving them,” Harris said. “Making the RIA Edge 100 list will only motivate our team further.”
If you’d like to learn more about our firm or speak directly with an advisor, please reach out to connect with us. You can also check out our resources page to learn more about what’s new at BIP Wealth and in the financial industry.
Disclosure: The data for the ratings was as of 1/1/2024. BIP Wealth did not apply to be considered on the RIA Edge 100 list, nor did they provide any compensation in order to appear on the list.
BIP Wealth, recently named on wealthmanagement.com’s RIA Edge 100, as well as the top 3 on the Atlanta Business Chronicle’s 2023 Best Places to Work list for medium-sized companies, is proud to welcome the addition of former MLB outfielder Jeremy Hermida to its Baseball Division as Business Development Officer. Hermida joins former Pro Baseball players Kyle Schimdt, CFP®; John Hester, CFP®; and Chase Murray in the Baseball Division founded by former Major League Baseball pitcher Jim Poole.
Hermida was the Marlins’ No. 1 draft pick (11th overall) in the 2002 Major League Baseball draft and one of the highest-rated minor league players throughout his 3-year ascent to the MLB. He went on to play professionally for 14 years, 6 of which were in the majors for the Florida Marlins, Boston Red Sox, Oakland Athletics, Cincinnati Reds, and San Diego Padres. He ended his professional playing career in 2015 in Japan with the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters.
Having Jim Poole as one of his personal and professional mentors for 7+ years, Hermida knew he wanted to be more involved with the Baseball Division at BIP Wealth. With his deep admiration and firsthand knowledge of the importance of having exquisite financial advice and guidance, it was an easy ‘yes’ for Hermida to move from being a client of BIP to joining the team. He considers his current role both an honor and a calling.
BIP Wealth’s Baseball Division provides investment management and sophisticated planning solutions geared towards the goals and objectives of draft-eligible, current, and retired professional baseball players and their families. Hermida is uniquely positioned to help guide clients through their journey of life on and off the field.
“BIP is in a class of its own when it comes to client care and expertise, and I am thrilled to be a part of the team,” said Hermida. “Being mentored by Jim Poole helped lead me to where I am today on the team. I started with a few private investment deals as a hobby and became more and more interested after my playing days. I’m so ready for this second career and the chance to take a more hands-on approach to guiding current and former players and their families as they prepare for the future.”
“Jeremy has been a part of the BIP Wealth family for the past 7 years as a client. We’re excited that he’s decided to take this next step in his post-playing life by joining our Baseball Division,” shared Bill Harris, CFP®, Co-Founder & CEO of BIP Wealth. “Jeremy has played baseball all over the world, so he knows first-hand the ups and downs of a professional career. His extensive playing experience and financial aptitude will be a strong addition to our team. The future success of BIP Wealth’s Baseball Divison just took a big step forward.”
Hermida lives in the Dunwoody area with his wife of 12 years, Lindsey, and their son and two daughters. Born and raised in Marietta, Hermida went and married a northern Jersey girl, so you can find them splitting their summer vacations between the south and the north.
Contact Jeremy: Jeremy Hermida, BIP Wealth Baseball Division, Business Development Officer
Press Contact: Jenni Brown, Chief Marketing Officer
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COLUMBUS, GA — Our Team is thrilled to announce the expansion of the BIP Wealth brand to the Columbus, GA area through a strategic partnership with The Money Advisor Group, LLC (“TMAG”). As part of a new growth strategy, we have formed BIP Alliance, LLC, a Registered Investment Advisor (RIA) doing business as BIP Wealth, to identify like-minded, long-established and well-respected firms with which to partner.
TMAG was founded in 2001 by Tim Money with the mission to provide individual and corporate clients with unbiased financial advisory services, including retirement planning and comprehensive wealth management. Bill Harris, Mark Buffington and Tim have known one another for more than 10 years and have long respected each other as friends, colleagues, and now business partners. The partnership between TMAG and BIP strategically unites two firms that share a people-first approach and service ethos to clients and their local communities.
TMAG is an RIA specializing in investment management and retirement planning. Through this strategic acquisition, TMAG clients and new investors in West Central Georgia, East Alabama, and the surrounding region will gain expanded access to BIP’s top-tier wealth management platform, including its private market investment solutions and advanced planning capabilities.
“From the beginning, our focus has been on taking care of our beloved clients and team members,” said Money. “Our longstanding commitment to serving our clients in every way possible has been and continues to be our primary mission, even as we discussed how a partnership with BIP Wealth would take shape. Our earliest discussions made it clear that BIP aligns with our values and priorities.”
“The TMAG acquisition will enable BIP to extend our unique value proposition in partnership with people who share our values,” said Bill Harris, CEO of BIP Wealth. “BIP is thrilled to broaden our reach into the Columbus area and surrounding markets with Tim and his impressive team. They bring a shared commitment to excellence and lifetime service to their clients, and we are happy to welcome them to the BIP family.”
“We have decades of experience connecting our clients – particularly families and individual investors – to the best and most innovative segments of the American Economy. Our unique investment platform enables clients to earn significantly higher risk-adjusted returns through a sophisticated portfolio management and planning process,” said Mark Buffington, CEO of BIP Capital and Co-founder of BIP Wealth. “Simply put, very few investment advisors are capable of delivering the same quality of investment solutions to their clients and we are honored to extend those capabilities to Tim and his team.”
Learn more about BIP Alliance here.
BIP Wealth, one of the Southeast’s premiere wealth management firms, announced the addition of Chase Murray to its Baseball Division as Business Development Officer. Murray, who played professionally in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization, joins former Pro Ball Players Kyle Schimdt, CFP®, a former pitcher in the Orioles organization; and John Hester, CFP®, a former MLB catcher and professional scout; in the Baseball Division founded by former Major League Baseball relief pitcher Jim Poole.
BIP Wealth’s Baseball Division has extensive experience in wealth management geared towards the unique challenges and needs of ball players and their families. As a former player himself, Murray knows firsthand what his clients may face on and off the field.
Murray was previously a Global Enterprise Business Development Representative with Salesforce. He’s actively involved with his alma mater’s Alumni Association—Georgia Tech.
“We have a unique opportunity here at BIP Wealth’s Baseball Division to make a real impact in our clients’ lives from draft day to life after baseball,” said Murray. “Going through that transition myself to life off the field, I really enjoy being in a position to assist our current players and their familes as they make sound financial decisions for the future. I love being a resource to our clients, helping them in any way I can.”
“Adding Chase to our team has made an immediate impact,” said Kyle Schmidt, Personal Wealth Advisor, CFP® from the BIP Wealth Baseball Division. “As a fellow Yellow Jacket who played professional baseball, Chase, like few others, has walked this unique career path our clients are walking. He understands the opportunities, challenges, and complexities that come from playing the game we all love so much. We’re so excited to grow our team with the addition of Chase.”
Murray is based in Atlanta, GA, out of BIP’s Alpharetta office. Outside of work, he enjoys spending time with his family and friends, including his girlfriend Jenny, and lively boxer puppy Lola. He also enjoys watching sports—especially football—and trying desperately to turn his baseball swing into a decent golf swing. The BIP Wealth Baseball Division serves draft-eligible, current, and retired professional baseball players and their families.
Contact Chase: Chase Murray, BIP Wealth Baseball Division, Business Development Officer
Press Contact: Jenni Brown, Chief Marketing Officer
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Alpharetta, Georgia — The BIP Wealth team is excited to announce the expansion of our Alpharetta office within our current Northwinds III building at 2500 Northwinds Parkway. The move from Suite 150 to Suite 100 nearly doubles our footprint in Alpharetta and marks a significant milestone in our firm’s ongoing growth and commitment to serving our clients and their families.
Comprising nearly 9,000 square feet, our new office space is designed to foster an atmosphere of collaboration and innovation. As the needs of our clients and colleagues evolve, we’re confident this new suite gives us the space to grow and offer support at every step. We are looking forward to the possibilities that lie ahead and are grateful to our clients and team for being an integral part of the journey.
At BIP Wealth, we’re engineered to perform for you. This new space provides enhanced facilities, including more state-of-the-art meeting rooms and private offices; a newly designed client lounge; and a forthcoming golf simulator; all with the goal of creating a comfortable and welcoming environment as our team provides personalized support to improve the financial lives of our clients.
We look forward to welcoming you to our new space in 2024.
The BIP Wealth team is excited to announce that we have again been named by the Atlanta Business Chronicle as one of Atlanta’s Best Places to Work. Other honorees include Cox Enterprises, ParkMobile, Mark Spain Real Estate, and many more. We’re honored to rank in the top 3 for Medium-sized companies for fostering an environment that empowers our employees to grow and develop.
The companies were categorized by their size and nominated by their employees. Extra Large (500+ employees), Large (100-499 employees), Medium (50-99 employees), and Small (10-49 employees) companies were selected by the publication based on a number of factors, including employee engagement.
Last year, our team was honored as one of the top Small companies to work for. Backed by our incredible growth over the past year, we moved up into the Medium companies category. This is a huge deal for our team, to say the least.
“At the heart of every great company lies its people. We’re honored to once again be recognized by the Atlanta Business Chronicle as one of the best places not only to work but truly build a career. Our employees do so much for our clients, and we could not be more proud of the effort they put forth each and every day,” says Bill Harris, CFP®, Co-Founder and CEO of BIP Wealth. “It’s our collaborative spirit that guides our work. We challenge each other to be the best versions of ourselves each and every day and I’m so grateful to our team for always going the extra mile for our clients.”
While in the office, human connection is one of our guiding principles. In the same mindset as our client work, we want our colleagues to feel heard and be successful. To learn more about the award and why our team was recognized, be sure to check out our feature in the Atlanta Business Chronicle.
Founded in 2007 with offices in Atlanta, Alpharetta, and Nashville, we help our clients improve their financial lives through highly personalized and differentiated planning and investment strategies. Through comprehensive services which include wealth planning and management, estate planning, insurance planning, and more, we help our clients address their current needs and meet their future goals.
The following values guide our approach:
At BIP Wealth, we guide with humility and respect, committing ourselves to serving the needs and best interests of our many clients. It is through servant leadership that we provide holistic wealth management services that are formulated to help our clients fortify their financial well-being.
We leverage a team-centric mindset to foster an environment of open communication, combining our diverse expertise to create optimal financial strategies for our clients. Our collaborative approach also applies to our clients, where we create regular touchpoints to maintain a fully transparent wealth management process.
As part of our commitment to offer industry-leading services, we hold ourselves accountable to a relentless pursuit of excellence. Our team endeavors to not only guide clients through evidence-based investment strategies but also help them unlock opportunities in private equity, venture capital, and private credit that have historically been reserved for just the ultra-wealthy.
Within our team and among our clients, we do our best to foster a sense of belonging. We extend our family-first ethos to everyone who interacts with BIP Wealth, creating a strong and supportive community.
At BIP Wealth, we’re partners you can trust. To meet the experienced team of financial advisors that drive innovation and personal connections, head over to our Who We Are page. You can also contact us to connect with one of our advisors.
BIP Wealth Family,
As many of you know, our very own, Jim Poole, has been suffering from ALS over the last couple of years after being diagnosed in June 2021. It is with a heavy heart to let you know that Jim passed away last night.
His wife Kim was right next to him, holding him in her arms. She said he’s already organized a baseball game in heaven, so I can only imagine all the great players on both sides.
For those of you who didn’t have the pleasure of meeting or knowing Jim, he was one of the original investors in Buckhead Investment Partners, which became what you know today as BIP Wealth. He believed in the vision Mark Buffington and I shared and has continued to support us in so many ways over the years.
Jim came to work at BIP Wealth as a Portfolio Manager 14+ years ago with the idea to create a Baseball Division to reach current and former players like himself and their families. Over that time, he’s grown our Baseball Division to what it is today. Not only has he impacted the 100+ clients in our Baseball Division, but there’s another 150+ clients that showed up for the tailgate event we hosted last year, “ALS Night honoring Jim Poole” at the Georgia Tech baseball game.
His alma mater, Georgia Tech, wrote a beautiful tribute to Jim today on their website. You can read their post by clicking on the link below.
Kim and the rest of the Poole family appreciate all of the prayers and support over the last 2+ years, but we can’t stop now. Please continue to pray for the Poole family. Pray for peace, and pray for impact, as they continue to raise awareness about ALS.
If you would like to make a donation in Jim’s memory, Kim asked that contributions be made to the James R. “Jim” Poole Athletic Scholarship Endowment Fund. No amount is too small.
If you want to donate to ALS research, ALS Cure Project and ALS.org of GA are the two organizations that Jim and Kim were most closely aligned.
One more thing…several of us got to visit Jim in Hospice yesterday, which was great to see him before his passing. When I walked into the room, he was sporting a bright red, white, and blue PHILLIES shirt. As many of you know, Jim was a die-hard Philadelphia Phillies’ fan, so in Jim’s honor, even though it pains me to say, “Go Phillies!”
[The Braves play the Phillies tonight in the playoffs, so this game will have special meaning thinking about Jim.]
Thank you for being a part of our BIP Wealth family,
—Bill Harris, Co-Founder + CEO, BIP Wealth
We’ve also included below a note written by Mark Buffington, CEO of BIP Capital and Managing Partner of BIP Ventures. Both Mark and I were very close to Jim and will continue to think of ways we can honor Jim moving forward…
This morning, I received the sad news that Jim Poole passed away.
For those who don’t know, Jim was one of the first to invest in Bill Harris and me in 2007 when we started Buckhead Investment Partners (now BIP Wealth). He was one of 10 people who believed in our vision and wrote a check to help us get started.
Jim wasn’t just an investor; he was deeply involved in BIP’s success from the outset.
I will miss Jim. I have missed him over the last year as the effects of ALS limited his ability to interact. But I am somewhat comforted by the fact that he is no longer suffering.
To me, Jim Poole will always be royalty at BIP. He took a chance on us and then nurtured our success. We should all try to emulate the example he set.
Godspeed, Jim.
And to the Poole family, my sincerest condolences.
Mark Buffington
CEO, BIP Capital
Managing Partner, BIP Ventures
