The Deals and Dealmakers Summit Website Headline

Wednesday, August 27th - Thursday, August 28th, 2025

At the Ritz-Carlton Laguna Niguel



Experience the premier event for dealmaking in the wealth management industry.

Renowned leaders, professionals and experts in financial services attend and participate in ECHELON’s annual Deals & Dealmakers (DDM) Summit to experience in-depth conversations designed to educate and inform buyers, sellers, and investors on the most strategic and current M&A topics within the wealth and investment management industries.

This is an unparalleled opportunity to learn from 50+ industry experts, participate in enlightening and intellectually stimulating panel sessions, and network with the industry’s leading professionals.

2025 Featured Speakers

At DDM, we don’t skim the surface—we dive deep. Expect advanced, high-impact sessions enriched with worksheets, analysis, and visual tools. Our speakers are distinguished, often undiscovered voices offering fresh, non-recycled insights. Every session is tailored to our audience, forming a powerful trifecta of depth, relevance, and emotional resonance.

Mark Tibergien

Independent Board Member, Management Consultant & Speaker

Dan Seivert

CEO & Founder at ECHELON Partners

Peter Mallouk

President and CEO, Creative Planning, LLC

2025 Featured DDM Summit Experts

Our signature small-group format offers exclusive access to top-tier experts—M&A strategists, legal advisors, valuation professionals, and consultants. These curated conversations connect attendees with elite minds typically out of reach, creating high-value engagement that attracts sponsors and centers of influence eager to participate and contribute year-round.

David Mainzer

Partner at Buchalter

Kathy Freeman

CEO at Kathy Freeman Co.

Adam Farag

VP, Strategic Markets at Oak Street Funding

Megan Carpenter

CEO at Ficomm

Brett Mulder

SVP at ECHELON Partners

Tim Welsh

President at Nexus Strategy

Richard Lofgren

MD at Goldman Sachs Advisor Solution

Barnaby Audsley

SVP at ECHELON Partners

Pablo Bizjack

Senior Director at BNY Pershing

2025 DDM Summit 

Registration for the Deals & Dealmakers Summit is now live. Last year's turnout was incredible, with a record 200+ C-Suite executives, 25 speakers, and 50+ industry experts in attendance.

Laguna Golf Pic

Interactive Sessions. Innovative Networking. Applied Workshops. Real Deal Experience.

200+ C-SUITE EXECUTIVES IN ATTENDENCE
300+ DEALS CONSUMMATED BY DDM ATTENDEES OVER THE PAST FIVE YEARS
55+ M&A SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS PRESENT AT EACH SUMMIT