Hightower Advisors Appointed New President
The Chicago-based firm has tapped Marco De Freitas to scale operations and manage firm infrastructure.
Updated on Sept. 22, 2026 in People
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Hightower Advisors has named Marco De Freitas as its new president, where he will report directly to chief executive Larry Restieri. The appointment coincides with a broader leadership restructuring at the firm's Signature Wealth unit.
Why it matters
The firm is prioritizing infrastructure scaling and data integration to support its wealth management business. These leadership shifts reflect a strategy to streamline operations at the Chicago-based advisor network.
Signature Wealth manages more than $40 billion in assets as it marks its first anniversary. The unit is integrating new leadership, including a president with 10 years of experience at TD Ameritrade and 8 years at McKinsey & Company.
The players
Hightower Advisors
A Chicago-based wealth management firm that operates as an advisor network.
Marco De Freitas
Incoming president of Hightower with prior tenure at TD Ameritrade and McKinsey & Company.
Larry Restieri
Chief executive of Hightower Advisors.
Jennifer Frazier
The new president of Hightower Signature Wealth with 25 years of industry experience.
Dispatch
A fintech firm providing infrastructure solutions for wealth management data.
The details
Marco De Freitas will oversee day-to-day operations and infrastructure development, reporting to CEO Larry Restieri. Simultaneously, the firm is leveraging a new partnership with fintech firm Dispatch to unify client data across its platforms. Signature Wealth has also appointed Jennifer Frazier, who brings 25 years of industry experience, to serve as its president.
Timeline
June 30: Signature Wealth reached $40 billion in assets under management.
September 2026: Hightower partnered with Dispatch for data integration.
Q4 2026: Marco De Freitas is scheduled to begin his tenure as president.
Market Landscape
This leadership appointment follows the broader industry trend of wealth management firms investing in proprietary tech stacks to scale operations. It signals a move to unify data platforms as competition intensifies among major advisory networks.
Operators should monitor whether the partnership with Dispatch results in measurable efficiency gains for the firm's advisors. Firms looking to scale should watch how these infrastructure-focused executive roles impact the firm's growth rate in future quarters.
The takeaway
Large firms are increasingly prioritizing tech-focused leadership to manage data silos as they grow. Keep an eye on the integration of Dispatch into Hightower's stack as a case study for future platform consolidation projects.
Further reading
For more on industry leadership trends, visit the People section.
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