Strengthens institutional investment management and advances a unified, intelligence-driven experience for independent Advisors
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – APRIL 28 — RFG Advisory (“RFG”), an innovator in the wealth management industry dedicated to helping independent financial Advisors build their business without compromise, today announced the appointment of Mark Gilbert, co-founder and CEO of Zocks Communications (“Zocks”), and Jim Patrick, a seasoned financial services executive, to its board of directors. These additions strengthen both sides of RFG’s platform, pairing deep investment experience with continued advancement of the firm’s technology and data infrastructure.
Together, the appointments reflect RFG’s continued focus on improving how Advisors operationalize and professionalize their business and maximize their independence. By strengthening both institutional investment management and the intelligence layer of the platform, Advisors gain a more connected experience that reduces complexity, surfaces growth opportunities faster, and creates more time to focus on clients and enterprise value creation.
The firm also announced a strategic investment in Zocks, a leader in AI-driven workflow automation and business intelligence for financial Advisors, marking a significant step forward in RFG’s strategy to build a fully integrated, AI-powered operating system for independent Advisors. RFG participated in Zocks’ Series B round, co-led by Lightspeed Venture Partners and QED Investors, alongside other new and existing investors.
RFG’s recent launch of ClickONE introduced a unified environment connecting data, workflows, and tools so Advisors can operate more efficiently from a single experience. Zocks helps power that environment by capturing and structuring data from client conversations and automating key workflows. RFG’s strategic investment in Zocks deepens that relationship, allowing the firm to play a more active role in how these capabilities are built and refined rather than simply integrating a third-party tool.
“RFG is not interested in building a collection of tools. We are laser-focused on building the operating system for the modern independent Advisor,” said Shannon Spotswood, CEO of RFG Advisory. “The future of this industry belongs to firms that can unify data, intelligence and execution into a single intuitive experience that elevates how Advisors operate. We’re building something that’s designed to help Advisors move faster, serve clients more effectively and be well positioned for generations to come.”
“The wave of innovation coming is greater than anything we’ve yet seen in the industry. We believe the “human in the loop” wins every time and Advisors armed with this tech will win. We’ve already built the foundation with ClickONE,” said Ed Swenson, President of RFG Advisory. “Our investment in Zocks accelerates that build, allowing us to embed AI into the core of how Advisors operate, giving time back and surfacing opportunities for organic growth. That’s where you start to unlock real scale and enterprise value.”
Gilbert’s role on RFG’s board reinforces that alignment. As co-founder and CEO of Zocks, he brings extensive experience building high-growth enterprise software platforms and designing widely adopted products across communications, CRM and developer ecosystems. His perspective will guide RFG’s continued innovation as it embeds AI more deeply into the Advisor experience.
“RFG has a clear vision for the future of the Advisor experience, one that is fully integrated, intelligent and built for how Advisors actually work,” said Gilbert. “We share a belief that AI should not sit on the sidelines, but should actively power workflows, decisions and outcomes. Together, we are building something fundamentally different from what exists in the market today.”
Patrick’s appointment adds complementary institutional and investment experience to the board. The former Envestnet executive has a distinguished career spanning investment management and financial services and brings a track record of strategic leadership and deep industry insight that will support the continued expansion of RFG’s Bluemonte platform and RFG’s ability to deliver institutional-quality investment solutions within a more connected platform.
“The industry has traditionally tried to solve problems through a product lens rather than a client engagement lens,” said Patrick. “That’s one of the reasons I’m excited to join RFG. The investment being made in the platform for Advisors is designed to create a flywheel, where greater adoption leads to deeper client engagement and, ultimately, better client outcomes.”
RFG delivers a fully integrated platform designed to eliminate operational friction and give Advisors a clear, scalable way to run their business. By combining institutional investment capabilities with a unified data and intelligence layer, the firm is creating an environment where Advisors can move faster, operate with greater clarity and scale with intention.