Team | Fispoke

Jim Hays

Jim Hays is one of the most respected and accomplished executives in the financial services industry, bringing decades of high-level leadership and innovation across wealth management, private banking, and financial advisory platforms.

Jim most recently served as CEO and President of Wells Fargo Advisors, where he also oversaw Wealth Brokerage Services, Private Bank President, and the Private Client Group, leading thousands of financial advisors and driving performance across a comprehensive national platform. His leadership was instrumental in modernizing the advisor-client experience, enhancing productivity, and strengthening the firm’s competitive positioning.

Prior to his role at Wells Fargo, Jim was the Head of the Private Banking & Investment Group at Merrill Lynch, where he helped shape the firm’s high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth strategy, emphasizing customized advice, elite advisor development, and integrated banking solutions for sophisticated clients.

Beyond his role at Fispoke, Jim continues to play a prominent role in shaping the future of wealth management. He serves as a Board Member at Commonwealth Financial Network and Executive Chairman of IFC Advisors. He also advises several innovative fintech and wealth platforms, including SMArtX, BridgeFT, and VRGL Wealth Management, reflecting his ongoing commitment to advancing the industry through technology, transparency, and client-centric innovation.

Leadership Team

Nathan Berk

Board Member, Chief Technology Officer, and Co-Founder

Nathan Berk is a seasoned technology executive with over two decades of experience in FinTech, financial services, and Technology consulting. As the Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer at Fispoke, he is developing an innovative wealth management banking platform. His expertise includes leading digital transformations, building SaaS companies, cybersecurity, and aligning technology strategies with business goals.

At Lincoln Investment, Nathan served as Chief Technology Officer, implementing cloud technologies, leading cybersecurity initiatives, and driving digital transformation strategies. His leadership launched platforms that empowered financial advisors and streamlined operations. As Chief Information Officer at Hanlon Investment Management, Nathan led the development of the Hanlon Wealth Platform, a comprehensive SaaS for financial advisors. His strategic vision facilitated the platform's successful sale to Lincoln Investment. Nathan began his technology leadership journey at Omicron Consulting, excelling as General Manager and Vice President of Sales & Marketing. His efforts led to significant revenue growth and the company's successful sale.

With an MBA in Finance from Rutgers University and a BS in Electrical Engineering from Drexel University, Nathan combines technical acumen with business insights. He is known for fostering organizational culture, building strategic partnerships, and navigating complex digital landscapes.

Terry Mullen

Chief Revenue Officer

Terry Mullen is a distinguished business executive, entrepreneur, and board member with extensive expertise in the financial services industry. Terry's professional journey is defined by his strategic vision and unwavering commitment to excellence. He has adeptly navigated the complexities of the financial services landscape, leveraging his expertise to offer strategic guidance and foster robust relationships with Financial Advisors. His profound market understanding, combined with his entrepreneurial spirit, has enabled him to spearhead initiatives that align with industry trends and client needs.

Throughout his illustrious career, Terry has held several prominent roles that demonstrate his ability to manage and expand business operations. He was the co-founder and CEO of Truelytics, a SaaS platform for financial advisors designed to benchmark and accurately value their practices. Truelytics was later acquired by Envestnet to enhance their platform. Additionally, Terry served as the President and CEO of Lincoln Financial Distributors and the Senior Vice President of US Distribution at Sun Life Financial, where he played a pivotal role in elevating both companies within the financial services sector.

Terry is a highly respected figure in his field, continually influencing and shaping the industry with his innovative approach and entrepreneurial spirit.

Corporate Board Members

Wade Waller III

Chief Product Officer

Wade Waller III brings over two decades of experience in financial services technology and product leadership. As Chief Product Officer, Wade plays a pivotal role in driving innovation, improving operational efficiency, and aligning product strategy with client and business needs.

Wade’s career spans executive roles at firms including Lincoln Investment, Hanlon Investment Management and Interactive Advisory Software. At Lincoln, he led the development and implementation of a GIPS compliant model performance reporting platform covering over $9 billion dollars in assets as well as reinventing the investors experience by streamlining the investor portal, eliminating over a half million dollars in annual operational costs. At Hanlon, he facilitated the successful acquisition of its SaaS platform and led the Agile transformation that substantially increased software development lifecycle efficiency.

He holds an Executive MBA from the Quantic School of Business and Technology and a B.B.A. from Georgia Southern University. He is a Certified Financial Planner™ (CFP®), as well as a Chartered Financial Consultant® (ChFC®) and Chartered Life Underwriter® (CLU®). Wade is also certified in multiple Agile frameworks, including SAFe® Product Owner/Product Manager and Scrum Master.

Wade combines deep financial industry knowledge with a passion for building scalable, user-focused technology solutions that deliver measurable business results.

Advisory Board Members

Reid Buerger

Reid Buerger is Chief Executive Officer of Coventry. As an accomplished senior executive with more than twenty years in the life settlement industry, Mr. Buerger has been at the forefront of the industry, guiding the company in the creation of innovative life insurance products and services. Mr. Buerger drives the strategic vision of the company and the next phase of its growth, including its technological transformation.

Mr. Buerger served on the Investment Board and the Board of Trustees of The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. He is a graduate of the John M. Olin School of Business at Washington University in St. Louis.

Whit Magruder

Whit is an experienced creator of new businesses that serve financial advisors and their clients. His success has been a function of strategically identifying market opportunities and effectively implementing the plan. As a leader, he has built strong relationships with important clients, and strong teams that deliver results.

Working 23 years at Goldman Sachs, he started two new businesses that each reached ~$100+ million in annual revenues. Most recently, he led a digital private bank serving the independent advisor, which in five years profitably generated multiple billions in credit lines and deposits. Before that he was one of three leaders that started and ran the Private Bank, serving the lending and cash needs of clients on a global basis across bank and brokerage platforms.

Previously, Whit built new businesses across a range of financial products and firms.

Whit earned a Master of Business Administration from the Yale School of Management and holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Williams College.

Marc Butler

Marc Butler is a financial planner with Anthony Petsis & Associates and the founder and CEO of Marc Butler Consulting and Wealth Management GPT. Marc has extensive experience in wealth management and wealthtech as a leader, operator, innovator, and board member. He previously held leadership roles with firms including Albridge, BNY Mellon|Pershing, and Skience. He currently serves on the board of directors of Future Capital and SIGNiX and is an advisory board member with FiSpoke. He also recently co-authored Funding a New Business for Dummies, published by Wiley.

Marc is passionate about helping and leading people, driving strategy + execution, working with awesome teams, delivering great client experiences, and making wealth management easier. Marc is a graduate of Syracuse University with a BS in Finance and has also completed the Securities Industry Institute (SII) at the University of Pennsylvania. Marc also holds FINRA SIE, Series 7, and Series 66 licenses and is registered as a producer with the State of Pennsylvania Insurance Department.

When he is not working, Marc can be found with his wife, two sons, and two dogs at home in Pennsylvania and Massachusetts or participating in various athletic pursuits.

Robert Clare

Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive Officer, and Founder

Robert Clare is the Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive Officer, and Founder of Fispoke. He has over three decades of leadership experience across banking, wealth management, and digital technology transformation. Robert started his technology career at IBM. He then began his banking career at Bank of America and served in leadership roles across Bank of America Merrill Lynch for nearly 25 years. Robert’s leadership experience at Bank of America included Chief Operating Officer in Global Technology & Operations, Chief Operating Officer in Global Risk Management, Chief Operating Officer in Legacy Assets & Servicing, Director in Merrill Lynch Wealth Management, Senior Vice President in Premier Banking & Investments, and Senior Vice President in Global Consumer & Small Business Banking. Robert also served as Managing Director and Strategic Business Unit Head at Cognizant, a global technology services firm, where he led global partnerships and digital technology transformation at Fortune 100 companies.

Robert’s leadership experience across banking, wealth management, digital technology transformation, AI, operations, and FinTech was the driving force to create Fispoke.

Robert earned his MBA in International Business & Finance from Georgetown University and his BA degree from Georgetown, where he was recognized as a Baker Scholar.