49 Financial Hires Ex-Ameriprise Exec to Lead Firm’s Growth Efforts
The team at 49 Financial has hired Scott Neils as executive vice president, growth and head of field. With nearly 20 years of experience in the wealth management industry, the former Ameriprise Financial executive will focus on both developing, implementing, and evaluating organic growth strategies for the firm’s more than 150 financial advisers and evaluating opportunities to partner advisers with 49 Financial’s next generation adviser planning model.
“Scott’s resume as a successful executive leader of a complex field sales management operation told me that he’s already been where we’re headed,” said Travis Penfield, founder and chief executive officer of 49 Financial. “After meeting with him, his character, humility, and values made me feel like we’d already worked together for years.”
Luke Winskowski, president of 49 Financial, added, “The future of our industry depends on developing a new generation of advisers who are deeply aligned with purpose and people. That’s a tall order, which is why we’re excited to bring on Scott to lead our growth efforts.”
49 Financial is an independent registered investment adviser with $1.5 billion in assets under advisement. It is headquartered in Austin, Texas, with 10 offices nationwide.
In the newly created EVP role, Growth, Neils will lead 49 Financial’s expanding sales team and business development efforts. The firm said he’ll focus on developing new advisers’ skills in relationship management, product knowledge, and sales, while also sourcing and integrating experienced advisers who align with its values and value proposition.
“Bringing [Scott] on to run our organic growth initiatives with advisers and attract experienced advisers who share our values was an easy decision. He gets what we’re building, and he knows how to scale it with excellence,” added Penfield.
Before joining 49 Financial, Neils spent 16 years at Ameriprise Financial, where he held roles of increasing responsibility in business development, practice management, and field sales, helping advisers drive growth and execute more effectively. Most recently, he served as senior field vice president in the Minnesota Twin Cities metro area from 2019 to 2025, where he led a team that supported 350 advisers with $40 billion in client assets. Prior to Ameriprise, Neils spent time at Merrill Lynch and Wachovia.
“Everyone talks about the coming adviser shortage, but few firms are doing much to successfully attract and enable young talent to grow in the industry,” said Neils. “49 Financial has created a terrific platform that specializes in attracting, training, retaining, and growing next-generation financial advisers by hiring graduates straight out of college and teaming them with seasoned professionals. It’s an exciting approach that appeals to advisers at all stages of their careers. I’m looking forward to leveraging my experience to help these young professionals begin their financial advice careers with confidence, success, and a strong foundation for their future.”
Neils joins recent hires Jay Morrison, a Morgan Stanley veteran, Elizabeth Odegaard from Thrivent, and Kylie Allen from Deloitte on 49 Financial’s expanding executive team. Together, these leaders are working with 49 Financial’s existing team to accelerate its growth momentum, enhance its platform offerings, and become recognized as a destination for both advisers and clients.
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