Boutique Broker Dealers

Dan O’Brien

Senior Vice President, Head of Enterprise Sales
Contact Dan: (415) 987-3547
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Daniel O’Brien is responsible for LPL’s business development and mergers and acquisitions for institutions and broker/dealers that choose LPL as their new broker-dealer, custodian, and clearing firm. In this role, he oversees a high-performing sales team responsible for delivering a consultative sales experience.

Prior to joining LPL in 2021, Mr. O’Brien served as senior sales vice president at Fidelity Institutional (FI) introducing prospective broker-dealers, RIAs, banks, and trust organizations to FI’s products, services, and technologies. He joined Fidelity in 2007 after a 13-year career at Pershing LLC, where he held a variety of business analysis, consulting, sales, and relationship management roles.

He has extensive experience leading large, complex sales engagements, and his goal is to ensure that prospective clients realize the benefits of adopting new technologies, operating models, and workflows that help achieve better financial results, minimize risk, and improve the customer experience at scale.

Mr. O’Brien earned a Bachelor of Engineering from Stevens Institute of Technology and a Masters in Management from Stevens Institute of Technology. He holds FINRA 7, 63, and 24 licenses, is a commercial pilot, and is active in many youth sports programs.

Greg Gessert

Vice President, Enterprise Sales
Contact Greg: (858) 326-0321
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Greg Gessert is accountable for LPL’s business development and mergers and acquisitions of broker-dealers and RIAs who choose LPL as their new custodian, clearing firm, and provider of registered regulatory entities. In this role, he takes a consultative approach to helping firm owners understand their operating model options and how LPL can facilitate their goals as a strategic growth partner.

Mr. Gessert began his career at LPL in 2007 where he started as an analyst supporting LPL’s centrally managed account operations. While at LPL, he has served in a variety of positions including sales support, corporate finance, and practice management. Prior to joining enterprise sales in 2021, Mr. Gessert led LPL’s internal, advisor-facing merger and acquisition department. In this position he consulted on over 200 transactions per year for advisors buying, selling, or merging their practices.

Mr. Gessert earned a Bachelor of Business Administration from California Polytechnic University San Luis Obispo and a Master’s in Business Administration from the University of Southern California. He holds a FINRA series 7 license and enjoys bike riding, reading, and attending Padres baseball games.

Joseph Rizzo

Vice President, Business Development, Institutional & Enterprise Solutions
Contact Joe: (203) 470-4107
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Joseph Rizzo develops strategy and execution around the acquisitions of hybrid RIAs and broker-dealers. With the constant changes in the wealth management industry, many firms are looking for strategic partners to provide capital for growth, bolster their ability to scale, to reduce risk in their operations, or to simply monetize their legacy. Mr. Rizzo is dedicated to providing superior business solutions and flexible capital to advisors and wealth management firms who need a partner to professionalize their business.

Prior to joining LPL, Mr. Rizzo was vice president of Mergers & Acquisitions at Dynasty Financial Partners where he was responsible for managing the firm’s Corporate Deal Desk. His team provided capital, valuations, deal advisory, and integration services to buyers and sellers who wanted to create sustainable partnerships with significant economic benefits. Before Dynasty, he was president of Steward Partners Consulting Solutions, where heled a full-service consulting firm focused on the development and delivery of customized solutions for wealth management organizations. He’s also worked for Morgan Stanley and Smith Barney, and was a financial advisor for five years in the 1990s.