Merit Financial Advisors Names John Rajes Chief Technology Officer as Firm Builds Infrastructure for Next Phase of Growth
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Merit Financial Advisors
Sep 01, 2026, 09:00 ET
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Veteran Wealth Management Executive Will Lead Technology Strategy Focused on Integration, AI and Creating a Unified Advisor Experience
ATLANTA, Sept. 1, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Merit Financial Advisors ("Merit"), a Georgia-based financial advisory firm specializing in financial planning and wealth management solutions for high-net-worth individuals and families and those navigating life transitions, today announced the appointment of John Rajes as Chief Technology Officer, further strengthening the firm's executive leadership team as Merit continues to invest in the people, technology and infrastructure needed to support its rapid national expansion.
With more than $30.1 billion in assets across more than 55 offices nationwide, Merit has become one of the wealth management industry's most active growth firms, completing 61 acquisitions to date, including nine partnerships in 2026. Rajes' appointment reflects Merit's broader strategy of building the leadership structure and enterprise capabilities necessary to support that growth while continuing to enhance the experience for its advisors and clients.
Rajes, who joined Merit on July 13, will oversee the firm's enterprise technology strategy, including technology architecture, integrations, data, artificial intelligence and the continued development of a more unified digital experience for Merit's advisors and employees.
"Merit has experienced tremendous growth, and we have been very intentional about making sure our leadership structure and infrastructure evolve along with the organization," said Chrissy Lee, Chief Operating Officer of Merit Financial Advisors. "Technology is now central to virtually every aspect of how we support our advisors, integrate new teams and create scale across the firm. John brings the wealth management experience, technology expertise and strategic perspective we need to connect the investments we are making today with a much broader roadmap for where Merit is going."
Rajes' appointment is the latest in a series of strategic leadership investments by Merit designed to build greater specialization and executive capacity ahead of continued growth.
Earlier this year, Merit appointed Doug Moore as Chief Financial Officer to oversee the strategic financial operations and infrastructure supporting the firm's organic and acquisition growth and named Sarah Mouser, CFP®, Executive Vice President of Financial Planning, a newly dedicated leadership role focused on centralizing and scaling financial planning capabilities across Merit's growing national footprint. Merit has also added Alex Hansen as Chief Advisor Success Officer, another newly created role designed to strengthen the connection between the firm's advisors and executive leadership and help advisors more fully leverage Merit's resources, technology and platform.
Together, the hires reflect a deliberate strategy of adding experienced, specialized leaders in areas Merit believes will be critical to building what the firm describes as the wealth management firm of the future.
Rajes brings extensive financial services and wealth management experience to Merit, having held leadership positions at firms including LPL Financial, UBS, Barclays and Goldman Sachs. Most recently, he operated an independent consulting practice. Previously, as Head of Strategic Partnerships at LPL Financial, Rajes was responsible for the firm's fintech partnership ecosystem of approximately 90 providers, as well as investment product partnerships spanning asset managers, insurance companies and separately managed account providers.
At Merit, one of Rajes' early priorities is developing a technology roadmap designed around greater integration, scalability and simplicity. That includes bringing together the data and capabilities residing across Merit's technology ecosystem so advisors can spend less time moving among individual systems and more time serving clients.
"Technology becomes more important as an organization grows, but simply adding more technology isn't the answer," said Rajes. "The opportunity is to bring the pieces together in a way that creates a dramatically better experience and allows the organization to scale. Merit already has a strong foundation. Now we can build on it by connecting our data, integrations and AI capabilities in ways that make information more useful, accessible and actionable for advisors and employees."
Rajes describes his approach as innovating both "at the core and at the edges." At the core are data and integrations, ensuring information can move effectively throughout the organization and that Merit captures greater value from the technology it already uses. At the edges are the advisor and employee experiences, including emerging AI capabilities, that can make those underlying investments more powerful.
The strategy takes on added importance as Merit continues to grow both organically and through acquisitions. Each new partnership brings additional advisors, clients, workflows and, in some cases, technology platforms into the organization. Creating a more integrated enterprise technology environment is therefore an important component of Merit's ability to onboard firms efficiently, deliver a consistent advisor experience and create scale without adding unnecessary complexity.
"Our growth strategy has always been about much more than completing transactions," Lee said. "We want to make sure that when great firms choose Merit, we have the leadership, technology, resources and support infrastructure to help them become even stronger. Building that foundation ahead of where we expect the business to go is a critical part of our long-term strategy."
That philosophy mirrors what Merit's newest partner firms have said they are seeking. In announcing its recent acquisition of the $900 million Bridgeway Group in Southern California, Merit highlighted the importance of providing growing advisory firms with greater technology, operational, marketing and growth resources while enabling advisors to spend more time serving clients. The Bridgeway transaction marked Merit's 61st acquisition and its ninth partnership of 2026.
Rajes' role will also create greater specialization within Merit's technology and product organization. He will focus on the firm's overall technology strategy, infrastructure and implementation, working alongside Chief Product Officer Brian Green, whose responsibilities center on product strategy and development. Both report to Lee.
"As Merit has grown, technology and product have each become significant enough to require dedicated leadership," Lee said. "Having strong leaders focused on each area gives us the ability to move faster while being much more intentional about how everything works together. It is the right structure for the size of Merit today and, even more importantly, for the organization we intend to become."
Advisor adoption will also be central to the strategy. Merit plans to involve advisors throughout the development process, gathering feedback and incorporating advisor needs into technology initiatives rather than introducing solutions only after they have been built.
Rajes said that collaborative approach and Merit's culture was a significant factor in his decision to join the firm.
"The opportunity to have an outsized impact at a firm growing as quickly as Merit was incredibly compelling," said Rajes. "But equally important to me was the culture. There are many firms growing in wealth management. The question is where you believe you can thrive and who you want to thrive with. I saw in Merit a culture, leadership team and ambition that made this a particularly exciting opportunity."
Rajes is based in Charlotte, North Carolina, and will also spend significant time at Merit's Alpharetta, Georgia headquarters.
About Merit Financial Advisors
Merit Financial Group, LLC, doing business as Merit Financial Advisors ("Merit"), is a national wealth management firm that supports both the independent broker-dealer and RIA models. Merit exists to enrich the lives of those they serve, and its mission is to revolutionize the client experience by building the wealth management firm of the future. Based in Atlanta, Georgia, Merit has over 55 offices throughout the U.S. and manages approximately $30.1 billion in assets as of July 20, 2026, including $22.982 billion in advisory assets, $3.32 billion in brokerage assets, $2.65 billion in employer plans, and $1.8 billion in ESOP assets. For more information, please visit www.meritfinancialadvisors.com
Investment advice offered through Merit Financial Group, LLC, an SEC-registered investment adviser.
About Constellation Wealth Capital
Constellation Wealth Capital (CWC) is an alternative asset management platform dedicated to the wealth management sector. CWC provides flexible, long-term capital solutions and strategic advisory support to scaled wealth management platforms, leveraging deep industry expertise and an extensive network of relationships to help partner firms accelerate growth and create long-term value. Learn more at www.constellationwealthcapital.com.
SOURCE Merit Financial Advisors
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