About Rachel Liao, Fractional COO for RIAs
The founder
Rachel Liao
Fractional COO
Executive-level structure, paired with a genuine understanding of high-touch private wealth.
Over 20 years across fund operations at BNY Mellon, institutional client solutions and hedge fund operations at Wilshire, and operational leadership in private wealth. I don't hand you a generic playbook and walk away — I step into your leadership team, bringing institutional operating rigor customized for your people, your clients, and your culture.
Connect on LinkedInOperating track record
Stepped in to help an independent hybrid RIA navigate post-acquisition operational friction, establishing structured workflows and reporting that supported 3x growth in total client assets without adding internal headcount, helping to position the firm for future acquisitions.
Read the firm case study →- Embedded
- Strategic leadership behind the scenes
- Capacity
- Structure before headcount
- Selective
- A small number of firms at a time
- End-to-end
- Assessment through implementation
Track record
Scaling through acquisition: institutionalizing operations for long-term growth.
The context
Following an acquisition, an established hybrid wealth management firm reached a natural operational inflection point. With client assets expanding rapidly, legacy processes and manual reporting were stretched, while leadership navigated the dual regulatory oversight of both an independent RIA and a broker-dealer framework.
What I built
Vendor vetting and implementation
I vetted vendors and platforms against how the team actually worked, then implemented and integrated the ones we chose, including AI tools.
Hybrid broker-dealer and RIA structure
I worked within the oversight structure and its compliance requirements and coordinated with the custodian, so changes fit the rules without disrupting client service.
Advisor styles and relationships
I worked across very different advisor styles and client relationships, so processes fit how each advisor served their clients.
Team adoption
I set clear roles and routines that worked for staff with different comfort levels with technology.
Reporting and automation
I built tools and automated processes that replaced manual spreadsheet tracking in onboarding and reporting.
Decision support
I gave leadership data-backed recommendations on operations and growth priorities.
The impact
The firm established a repeatable operating foundation and supported more than 3x growth in total client assets without adding internal headcount. By replacing legacy manual workflows with documented SOPs, automated tools, and healthy team adoption, the business protected its margins, expanded operational capacity, and helped to position the firm for future acquisitions.
The Cedarbluff standard
Every workflow and governance framework was built to run reliably on its own, without relying on any single person. That same inside-out discipline is what Cedarbluff delivers to founder-led RIAs ready for sustainable scale.
Let's talk about your firm.
A working conversation about how your firm runs today. No deck, no pitch.