Our Story

The problem was hiding in plain sight.

The founders of The Vested Network were having conversations across the industry and hearing the same thing:

"We posted on LinkedIn and got 200 applications — maybe four were qualified. Half were from overseas. We have no idea where to find real candidates."

Claire Vitale, Jill Barnett, and Shelby Nicholl had seen this from every angle. Firms drowning in applicant volume, starving for quality. Talented advisors and operations professionals quietly looking, quietly frustrated — invisible to the firms that needed them most. A recruiting market that was simultaneously overwhelming and underwhelming.

The platforms weren't broken. They just weren't built for our industry.

Wealth management is a relationship business. The people inside a firm aren't just employees. They're what makes it unique, compelling, and valuable. To clients. To the market. To the next generation of talent deciding where to build their career. A great hire doesn't just fill a role. It defines culture, deepens client relationships, and compounds in value over decades. A bad one does the opposite.

That kind of fit doesn't come from volume. It comes from understanding the industry, the firm, and the person sitting across the table.

The Vested Network was built for that understanding.

  • Exclusively for wealth management.
  • Designed for quality over volume.
  • Story over resume.
  • Fit over throughput.

The Vested Network is where firms show who they really are — not just what they need. And where candidates own their narrative instead of disappearing into a stack of applications.

We built this platform because we were seeing the problem and because this industry — and the people who've dedicated their careers to it — deserves something that actually works.

— Claire Vitale, Jill Barnett, and Shelby Nicholl Co-founders, The Vested Network

Meet the Founders

Claire Vitale

Claire Vitale is a co-founder of The Vested Network and the founder and CEO of Claire Myers Consulting, a recruiting and talent advisory firm specializing in the wealth management industry. Over the past several years, Claire and her team have helped place hundreds of professionals across RIAs, broker-dealers, family offices, and advisory firms nationwide, with a focus on relationship-driven recruiting and long-term team growth. Known for her deep network, market insight, and candid, human approach, Claire has become a trusted partner to firms navigating hiring, scaling, succession planning, and organizational growth. She co-founded The Vested Network to create a more connected, transparent, and relationship-focused ecosystem for talent and opportunity within wealth management.

Jill Barnett

Jill Barnett is the Founder and Principal of Valley Consulting Partners, LLC, bringing more than 18 years of experience with a strong focus on the wealth management industry. She built her early foundation in financial services through roles in community banking and remittance processing, gaining operational depth and a people‑centered approach to organizational growth. Jill later joined one of the nation’s largest independent broker‑dealers, where she became a trusted partner to executive leadership and led HR strategy for advisor‑facing businesses. Her work expanded to shaping enterprise employee experience and driving change management initiatives that supported thousands of independent financial professionals. Through Valley Consulting Partners, she now helps wealth management firms strengthen their teams, culture, and operational infrastructure to support sustainable growth and advisor success.  She co-founded The Vested Network because business is human and we all want to find our place of belonging to make an impact. 

Shelby Nicholl

Shelby Nicholl is a co-founder of The Vested Network and the founder and CEO of Muriel Consulting, a financial services consulting firm specializing in advisor transitions, RIA launches, and practice growth. She brings deep industry experience from senior roles at LPL Financial, Edward Jones, and A.G. Edwards, where she developed firsthand expertise in every channel wealth management operates across. Shelby is one of the industry's most trusted voices on firm transitions, talent strategy, and the forces reshaping how advisors build their practices. She co-founded The Vested Network because the right people and the right firms deserved a better way to find each other.

FAQs

Why wealth management only? Because specificity is the point. Wealth management is a relationship business where culture, philosophy, and fit matter as much as credentials. A platform built for everyone serves no one particularly well. We built exclusively for this industry so that every firm, every role, and every candidate is exactly where they belong.

What channels does The Vested Network serve? All of them. RIAs, independent broker-dealers, wirehouses, insurance-backed broker-dealers, family offices, and fintechs serving the wealth management industry are all welcome on the platform. If you serve clients in wealth management, you belong here.

Is The Vested Network affiliated with any broker-dealer, custodian, or wirehouse? No. The Vested Network is fully independent. We are not owned by, affiliated with, or sponsored by any broker-dealer, custodian, wirehouse, or financial services firm. Our only interest is connecting the right people with the right firms.

Does your independence mean you favor certain channels over others? It means the opposite. An independent RIA and a wirehouse team are equally welcome here. A candidate moving from a captive environment to independence will find the same depth of opportunity as one staying in their current channel. We serve the industry, not any corner of it.

Do you partner with industry organizations? Yes. We pursue partnerships with credentialing bodies and professional associations where those relationships expand access and add value for our members. Any partnership is disclosed clearly and will never influence the independence or integrity of the platform.

What makes The Vested Network different from a recruiter? The Vested Network isn't here to replace recruiters, consultants, or traditional hiring. It's here to complement them. To create more visibility, more connections, and more opportunities for both firms and candidates across the industry.

How do I get in touch with The Vested Network team? Reach us at info@thevestednetwork.com. Whether you have a question about the platform, want to explore a founding partner opportunity, or just want to talk through how The Vested Network can work for your firm, we'd love to hear from you.