Tom Haught

Tom Haught founded Sequoia Financial Group in 1991 and today serves as its Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. From the outset his vision was a team-based advisory model in which clients benefit from the collective talents of an integrated planning team rather than a single advisor. Over more than three decades he has personally advised individuals, families, entrepreneurs, and family businesses on strategic growth, retirement, investment management, estate planning, and philanthropy. In his current role he concentrates on the firm's long-term enterprise strategy, growth partnerships, and capital allocation and formation while retaining select client relationships.

Before founding Sequoia, Haught was General Manager and Chief Operating Officer of Lexi-Comp, an innovation-driven healthcare information technology (HIT) provider. He earned a Bachelor of Science in business/finance from Kent State University and holds the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® (CFP®) and Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC®) designations. Earlier in his career he also taught as a financial planning professor.

Under Haught's leadership, Sequoia Financial Group has grown into one of the largest independent RIAs in the country — recognized by Barron's as one of "America's Best RIA Firms" — with well over 110 employees and AUM that has climbed from roughly $7 billion to more than $21 billion following successive acquisitions. He sits on the Charles Schwab National Advisory Board and serves on the boards of Buckeye Corrugated, Inc. and The Davey Tree Expert Company. His community involvement includes the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank, Breakthrough Schools, a YMCA Endowment Board of Trustees, and the Spinal Cord Society.

Haught frames his measure of success in non-financial terms: "I measure success not by dollars and cents. I measure success by the impact that the organization I helped to create has had, and will have on our team, our clients, our stakeholders, and the community for generations to come."

• Growth through RIA acquisition, not startup investing. Haught has described Sequoia's M&A pipeline as "robust," saying he expects to add roughly two firms per year and to keep growing revenue by about 25% annually through acquisitions.
• Targets scaled, established wealth managers. Acquisitions have repeatedly targeted RIAs with $1B+ in assets under management (e.g., NCA Financial Planners, Wealthstone Advisors, Carlson Capital Management).
• Capital-backed consolidation strategy. In fall 2022 Sequoia accepted a $200 million minority equity commitment from San Francisco PE firm Valeas Capital Partners, explicitly to fund acquisitions and invest in employees and technology.
• Client-level focus on business owners and HNW/UHNW families. Sequoia serves entrepreneurs and family businesses and launched "Sequoia Sentinel" for ultra-high-net-worth clients.
• Team-based, integrated advice is the founding differentiator — planning, investment management, estate, and philanthropic services delivered by a coordinated team.