Evaluating M&A Opportunities: Essential Questions for Advisors

RMMOD_1000x1000_TitleCard_Stan-Milovancev

The Rainmaker Multiplier On-Demand Podcast

Evaluating M&A Opportunities: Essential Questions for Advisors

In This Episode

Discover how to approach mergers and acquisitions (M&A) and succession planning decisions with clarity and strategic focus beyond deal valuations. Join host Dave Alison as he sits down with Stan Milovancev, CPA, QKA, co-CEO of Prosperity Capital Advisors and C2P, to explore the critical questions advisors should address before entering any M&A process.

Stan has over 30 years of leadership experience across Ernst & Young, Charles Schwab, and CBZ Investment Advisory Services, where he oversaw a $70 billion RIA platform. He shares insights on distinguishing between opportunistic growth strategies and defensive succession planning while addressing the emotional and operational challenges that frequently derail transactions. Dave also shares his recent experience integrating Alison Wealth Management with Prosperity Capital Advisors, providing practical insights into the M&A process from an advisor’s perspective.

Key Topics Covered:

Motivation Assessment: Identifying genuine business reasons versus Fear of Missing Out (FOMO)-driven decisions
Skills Analysis: Understanding capabilities needed for future growth versus current strengths
The “Muddy Middle” Challenge: Why firms that grow beyond boutique size without achieving scale face significant risks
Emotional Readiness: Managing identity, control, and uncertainty during transitions
Client-Focused Decision Making: Using fiduciary responsibility as the primary decision framework
Delegation and Partnership: Developing essential skills before they become critical
Long-Term Vision: Creating sustainable practices that serve clients across generations

Resources:

Organization referenced: Entrepreneurs’ Organization (EO) Forum

Evaluating M&A Opportunities: Essential Questions for Advisors

About the Host:

Dave Alison is an accomplished financial planner and business leader committed to helping advisors expand their reach and improve the quality of their service to clients. In addition to being the President and a Founding Partner of C2P and the Founder and CEO of Alison Wealth Management — his own financial services firm — he is also the President and Founding Partner of Prosperity Capital Advisors, an acclaimed planning-first RIA. Dave leverages his expertise in all things financial planning, particularly taxes and solutions for high-net-worth clients, to educate financial professionals on best practices and ways to raise the bar in their own practices.

Follow Dave on LinkedIn

About the Guest:

Stan Milovancev, CPA, QKA, serves as co-CEO of Prosperity Capital Advisors and C2P. A CPA with over 30 years of experience across financial services, his career spans Ernst & Young, Charles Schwab, ValMark Securities, Sequoia Financial Group, and most recently CBIZ Investment Advisory Services, where he served as President overseeing a $70 billion RIA platform. Stan specializes in operational transformation, growth strategies, and building people-first cultures while scaling organizations. His leadership approach focuses on integrative thinking – balancing entrepreneurial agility with enterprise discipline to deliver sustainable growth and exceptional client outcomes.

Follow Stan on LinkedIn