Company: Kestra Holdings, Austin, TX
Company Description: Kestra Holdings is a multi-channel, nationwide wealth management ecosystem committed to delivering an end-to-end suite of solutions to independent financial advisors. Value adds include investment solutions, technology services, succession and monetization, trust services, and middle/back-office support.
Nomination Category: Thought Leadership Categories
Nomination Sub Category: Achievement in Thought Leadership
 Nomination Title: Tying Pop Culture to Investment Strategies with Kestra & Kara Murphy
- Which will you submit for your nomination in this category, a video of up to five (5) minutes in length about the achievements of the nominated organization since January 1 2023, OR written answers to the questions for this category? (Choose one):
Written answers to the questions
- If you are submitting a video of up to five (5) minutes in length, provide the URL of the nominated video here, OR attach it to your entry via the "Add Attachments, Videos, or Links to This Entry" link above, through which you may also upload a copy of your video.
- If you are providing written answers for your submission, you must provide an answer to this first question: Briefly describe the nominated organization: its history and past performance (up to 200 words):
Total 199 words used.
Kestra Investment Management (KIM) outsources investment capabilities and its Chief Investment Officer (CIO) to support the businesses that comprise Kestra Holdings, which competes in the crowded wealth management space alongside companies like Ameriprise and Raymond James, providing services to help financial advisors grow their business. Kestra is highly selective, with 1,300 registered reps, and is ranked #6 in terms of Gross Revenue Per Rep and #12 in terms of overall Gross Revenue.
KIM helps Kestra advisors deepen their investment capabilities to better serve their clients. With an extensive team of researchers, portfolio managers and traders who bring over 100 years of collective experience, KIM is dedicated to sharing market insights and investment solutions that help enrich lives.
KIM’s multi-manager model portfolios are uniquely designed to help investors capture the power of direct equity investing in a more diversified, strategic and cost-effective way. KIM offers 13 models designed as comprehensive solutions to meet the full range of an advisor’s clients’ goals. KIM’s initial offerings surpassed $150M in AUM within eight months and reached approximately $540M as of March 31, 2023, just one year after launch. Today, KIM oversees $2.6B in AUM across 48 models, supporting over 200 advisors.
- If you are providing written answers for your submission, you must provide an answer to this second question: Outline the organization's thought leadership achievements since the beginning of January 2023 that you wish to bring to the judges' attention (up to 250 words):
Total 248 words used.
Since 2023, KIM has supercharged its thought leadership efforts, primarily driven by KIM’s CIO, Kara Murphy. Kara brings to Kestra 20 years’ experience from an impressive career in financial services, reinforcing the expertise of her team and strengthening its influence in wealth management and investing.
Across her career, Kara has steadily assumed increasing responsibility, growing from analyst to seasoned CIO, frequently appearing on Bloomberg, CNBC, and other broadcast programs, as well as within top-tier print business media to share markets-related insights. In 2023 we secured a 23% increase in media mentions from 2022 across all businesses, with Kara alone appearing in 64 unique placements in top-tier outlets like The Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg and CNN Business, as well as outlets that matter to our target audiences like Barron’s Advisor, Citywire and ThinkAdvisor.
Advisors within Kestra and beyond can also access Kara and the team’s weekly commentary—known as “Money with Murphy” in video form or “Markets in a Minute” in quick-hit written form. By sharing content on a weekly basis, KIM keeps insights timely for advisors and their clients, keeping them up-to-speed on an ever-changing market.
These thought leadership pieces are showcased on KIM’s LinkedIn page, netting an average engagement rate of 9.6% in 2024, compared to the average 1-4% engagement rate for all LinkedIn users. Content is also shared as a weekly newsletter with Kestra-affiliated advisors, routinely maintaining a 31.5% average open rate, above what’s considered a “good” rate of 15-25% according to email marketing experts.
- If you are providing written answers for your submission, you must provide an answer to this third question: Explain why the achievements you have highlighted are unique or significant. If possible compare the achievements to the performance of other players in your industry and/or to the organization's past performance (up to 250 words):
Total 249 words used.
Under Kara’s leadership, KIM runs model portfolios designed to broaden the range of investment solutions available for advisors and their clients, surpassing $2B in assets under management across 48 models. All of this was created, launched and ramped up in just 18 months, compared to the 7-15-year timeline many RIAs, private equity funds and hedge funds take to hit similar thresholds.
Thought leadership is a cornerstone of KIM’s model, as it entices advisors to bring their hard-earned client assets onto KIM’s platform. Kara’s and her team’s approach to sharing market insights – typically tied to key pop culture topics – is unique when compared to other CIOs or investment management businesses. In addition to sharp insights and practical strategies, she always brings the fun. For example, at Kestra’s annual Ascend Conference, Kara wrote, produced and performed a presentation comparing Willie Nelson’s career to the market in recent years (particularly relevant to Willie’s affiliation with Austin, Texas and Austin’s roots as the “Music Capitol of the World”). Similarly, Kara’s 2024 Ascend conference presentation, titled “What Would Wall Street Barbie Do?,” explored market trends through the eyes of the Barbie franchise.
All of this has led to widespread recognition, including an award from industry publication WealthManagement.com in the “Thought Leadership Advisor Education” category for KIM’s “Markets in a Minute” newsletter for providing clear, jargon-free and client-ready insights as well as a “CIO of the Year” designation for Kara from the Women in Finance Awards by Markets Media Choice Awards.
- You have the option to answer this final question: Reference any attachments of supporting materials throughout this nomination and how they provide evidence of the claims you have made in this nomination (up to 250 words):
Total 167 words used.
Kara’s Money with Murphy and Markets in a Minute weekly commentary series is a resource for market information: https://www.kestraim.com/market-insights
Kestra advisors receive a regular newsletter comprised of recent thought leadership content from Kara and other KIM experts. The team frequently conducts advisor-centric webinars readily available to Kestra advisors.
Kara’s frequent broadcast appearances are proof points of her expertise in the investment space and solidify KIM as a thought leader. A few of her recent broadcast segments are below:
You can also see links to all of Kara’s and KIM’s thought leadership initiatives across their respective LinkedIn profiles:
Also, following are links to Kara’s most recent Ascend presentations:
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