When former Merrill Lynch executive John Thiel
launched his own RIA, Indivisible Partners, earlier this year, it was the culmination of a yearslong process. Staffed by a slew of former Merrill and Fidelity execs, the firm began the year by luring in its first advisory team: a $640m ex-Merrill duo, along with two client associates.
Thiel served as the head of Merrill Lynch Wealth Management for five years, stepping down at the end of 2016 after working there for nearly three decades. The end of his tenure was marked by his support for the Department of Labor’s then-proposed fiduciary rule and his proposal for Merrill to collaborate with the agency on the policy rather than oppose it.
Now, as the first quarter of 2025 fades in the rearview, Citywire sat down with Thiel, who is based in Clearwater, Fla., for a conversation about how he sees Indivisible Partners finding its place in the wealth management landscape.
The below conversation has been edited for clarity and length.
What has Indivisible’s...