At Envestnet’s Elevate 2025 conference in Las Vegas, CEO Chris Todd makes one message unmistakably clear: the company is entering a transformative new era—focused, energized, and poised for growth.
“I’m very new to Envestnet, but it’s been fantastic, fantastic onboarding,” Todd exclaims during an exclusive interview with The Wealth Advisor’s Scott Martin at the event. “It’s been a big year of transition for the company. Envestnet went private in November. I joined in January, so we’re getting going. This is a new era for Envestnet, and we’re getting started on who we’re going to be.”
That enthusiasm mirrors the outlook of the financial advisors and fintech leaders gathered at Elevate, a flagship event that brings more than 2,000 industry professionals together to explore the innovations reshaping financial advice.
Tech Expertise Meets Wealth Management Scale
The fresh start comes with a distinctly entrepreneurial mindset. Todd, known for scaling enterprise software firms such as UKG and Blackbaud, brings a deep technology pedigree to Envestnet—a company that straddles the line between fintech innovation and wealth management’s utilitarian emphasis on scale.
“I have deep experience in the systems and the processes that are required to run that at scale and to grow that,” says Todd. “And I think as we marry that experience with the wealth knowledge that Envestnet has as a firm, the assets under management that we already have, the presence that we have in this marketplace, we’re going to really see this business accelerate going forward.”
With more than $6.5 trillion in platform assets and a client base upwards of 20 million accounts, Envestnet’s dual identity as both a financial technology platform and a wealth management partner presents a unique challenge—and opportunity. Todd addresses that duality head-on.
“They absolutely can be navigated, and we’re both, but we have to have fantastic technology to continue to win,” he says. “We don’t get to have and keep and grow the manager side of the business without the fantastic technology.”
Modernization Through AI and Platform Innovation
The company is already putting that mission into motion through significant platform enhancements showcased at Elevate. New advisor-traded unified managed account (UMA) sleeves, AI-powered dashboard agents, and expanded integrations for alternative investments are among the many technology updates set to debut in 2025. The innovations reflect a wider effort to modernize the advisor experience and deliver more dynamic, data-driven insights at scale.
“You’re never done,” says Todd. “We always need a new feature. You always need a better user experience. You’re never done with that, but continuing to go on that never-ending journey, making it better for the people who use the technology chassis, enables the other parts of the business which continue to propel us forward.”
With artificial intelligence now a foundational component of the Envestnet platform, the company is also advancing capabilities through its Insights Engine, which delivers 25 million unique daily insights across more than 100 categories. The data-driven intelligence, combined with new planning and portfolio tools, reinforces Envestnet’s role as a central pillar of the advisor tech ecosystem.
Looking ahead, Todd focuses on internal alignment and external clarity. His primary goal for the first year is straightforward but foundational.
“At the end of the year, if the market can articulate who Envestnet is and where we’re going, all the employees can articulate who Envestnet is and where we’re going, then we’ll be off to the races,” he says. “I’ve promised hundreds of people here that we’re going to share this with our partners. We’re going to share this with our customers. We’re going to share this with our clients so that they know where we’re going and we can go on the journey together.”
It’s evident that Todd’s presence signals more than a leadership change. It marks a strategic reset for a company already central to the financial services industry—and one now determined to lead its future.
