In a recent AdvisorHub interview, John Amore, the newly appointed President of Kestra Financial, shared his perspective on the evolving wealth management landscape and Kestra's strategic direction. Speaking with AdvisorHub CEO Tony Sirianni, Amore reflected on his transition from UBS in New York to a leadership role at Kestra in Austin, Texas, where he has spent the past five years shaping the firm's wealth management platform.

Amore emphasized a consistent theme throughout his career: the best advisors are entrepreneurial by nature. He believes independent platforms offer the optimal environment for these advisors to thrive. "If they are truly entrepreneurial," he said, "they will be better suited in the independent space, where they can run as fast as they want, do it the way they want to do it."

Where such capabilities were once limited to large wirehouses, the independent space has now caught up.

"Technology has enabled a lot of this," Amore said, noting that banks and asset managers now look beyond wirehouses to serve high-performing advisors. Amore acknowledged Kestra's position in a consolidating market. Unlike competitors that mimic the scale of wirehouses, Kestra aims to remain nimble and selective.

Looking ahead, Amore predicts continued consolidation, particularly among firms that treat wealth management as a side business. At the core of Kestra's strategy is a commitment to culture. Amore, now in his first day as president, said his primary objective is to preserve and enhance the firm's collaborative and advisor-focused environment.

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