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Ascend Advisory's Next Chapter: Addition of $1.3B AUM & Growing Through the Right Advisor Relationships
Updated: 2 hours ago
DUBLIN, OHIO — October 15, 2026 — Ascend Advisory Group continues its growth following the addition of The Cullman/Holt Group, a seven-person advisory team that joined Ascend with approximately $1.3 billion in assets under management.
The addition represents a significant expansion for Ascend, which previously reported approximately $2.5 billion in assets under management as of December 31, 2025. It also reflects Ascend's strategy of building relationships with established advisors who want to maintain their entrepreneurial identity while gaining broader resources and capabilities.
Growth Through the Right Advisor Relationships
“The growth is meaningful, but the people behind that growth matters more,” said
Tony Reilly, CEO of Ascend Advisory. “We are looking for advisors who care deeply about their clients, enjoy this business and want to be around other professionals who are constantly learning and challenging one another.”
The Cullman/Holt addition generated national coverage from Wealth Management, AdvisorHub, InvestmentNews, FA Magazine and ThinkAdvisor, highlighting the $1.3 billion AUM move from UBS.
Recent coverage:
Expanding Capabilities Without Losing the Entrepreneurial Spirit
The Cullman/Holt transition illustrates Ascend's model: established practices can maintain their identity and client relationships while gaining access to broader resources and capabilities.
“From the onset, Tony Reilly and his team at Ascend made our transition smooth,” said Jeff Cullman, Managing Director. “Being at Ascend provides us with the opportunity to put a greater focus on the client experience.”
For Bruce Holt, Senior Vice President, the broader Ascend culture was equally important.
“The more we learned about Ascend, the more we saw a culture of collaboration, educational events and regularly hosting nationally known speakers,” Holt said. “Best of all, these events allow clients to explore what is important to them.”
A Multigenerational Approach
The addition also strengthens Ascend's focus on serving families across generations.
Cullman spent 27 years working alongside his father in wealth management and has seen firsthand how the needs of business-owner families evolve as younger generations become involved.
“Clients' children don't always want to talk to someone the same age as their parents,” Cullman said. “They want to talk to someone closer to their age.”
“With my son, Conor, joining the team, we have the next generation serving the next generation,” Holt said. “That's just awesome.”
Positioned for Continued Growth
Ascend announced on September 29, 2026, the addition of The Cullman/Holt Group with approximately $1.3B of assets under management (as of 7/8/2026).
“We’re not interested in growth for growth sake. At Ascend we want to build out an enterprise that allows our advisors to behave in an entrepreneurial spirit serving their clients’ nationally,” said Reilly.
For Cullman, that came down to trust. “When we met Tony and heard his stories, we saw the compassion and care he brings to the business,” Cullman said. “We knew this was the group we wanted to work with.”
About Ascend Advisory Group
Ascend Advisory Group (“Ascend”), headquartered in Dublin, Ohio, is a national financial advisory serving clients across 44 states with approximately $2.5 billion in assets under management (as of 12/31/25). Founded in 2001, Ascend combines the scale and resources of a larger financial organization with the personal relationships and accessibility of a boutique advisory.
Built on independent thinking and an open-architecture approach, Ascend gives advisors the flexibility to pursue investment planning and strategies designed around each client's individual goals and evolving needs.
Ascend's culture is grounded in collaboration and continuing education, creating an environment where advisors and team members learn from one another and continually challenge themselves to think about how they can serve clients better.
Media Contact
Samantha Mooney
Marketing Director
Investment products and services are offered through Wells Fargo Advisors Financial Network, LLC (WFAFN), Member SIPC, a registered broker-dealer and non-bank affiliate of Wells Fargo & Company. Ascend Advisory Group, LLC is a separate entity from WFAFN.
Wells Fargo Advisors Financial Network does not provide legal or tax advice.
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