Merchant, a global operating company providing growth capital, strategic resources, and support to independent financial services firms, today announced the appointment of Candice Carlton as Managing Director. In this role, she will lead the strategy and execution of initiatives designed to deepen connectivity, drive partner collaboration and accelerate innovation across Merchant’s ecosystem of partner firms.

Carlton brings extensive industry experience and a proven track record of leveraging digital platforms to foster connections, accelerate brand development and drive growth. Her career includes leadership roles at United Capital and Mercer Advisors, where she led transformational initiatives at scale. Most recently, as Executive Vice President and Head of Strategy at Ficomm, she led the development of scalable growth programs and award-winning digital campaigns that enabled wealth management firms to drive growth at both the brand and advisor levels.

At Merchant, Carlton will design and scale programs that connect firm leaders and their teams to the insights, experts, and peer relationships that unlock performance and growth. This includes the development of peer strategy groups, leadership forums, and digital engagement initiatives that deliver actionable intelligence and collaborative advantage. Her work will focus on turning connection into a growth engine, activating shared learning and strategic alignment to accelerate firm-level outcomes across the network.

Her hire reinforces Merchant’s ongoing evolution from a minority investor to a Lifecycle Equity Partner, offering flexible capital solutions and long-term strategic support to help firms grow at every stage of their journey. Carlton will help bring Merchant’s commitment to shared success to life.

“Candice brings the right mix of vision, execution, and deep industry insight to what we’re building,” said Matt Brinker, a Managing Partner at Merchant. “Candice and the team will activate the full potential of our network by building an environment and resources that drive engagement, shared knowledge, and meaningful community across our global ecosystem. Her forward-thinking approach is a natural extension of our role as lifecycle partners, amplifying the innovation and growth already taking place across the firms.”

“What drew me to Merchant is its commitment to build a connected, modern ecosystem where innovation, collaboration, and strategic growth go hand in hand,” added Carlton. “I’m excited to help activate the collective intelligence across Merchant’s ecosystem in ways that accelerate real business results.”

About Merchant:

Merchant is a private partnership that provides life cycle growth capital and strategic guidance to independent financial services companies, particularly those focused on wealth and asset management. Merchant’s ecosystem comprises over 115 partner firms and RIA practices in six countries, collectively managing more than $250 billion in assets. For additional information, please visit merchantim.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250716625759/en/

Carlton's hire reinforces Merchant’s ongoing evolution as a Lifecycle Equity Partner, offering flexible capital solutions and long-term strategic support to help firms grow at every stage of their journey.