Meira Wealth's Jorge Padilla describes intern-to-owner succession

Jorge Padilla went from intern to owner of Meira Wealth, a Coral Gables, Florida advisory firm with $318 million in regulatory assets, according to WAD's records. A WealthManagement.com article published Oct. 21 summarizes a Focused on the Future episode in which host Suzanne Siracuse speaks with Padilla. The article describes the firm as independent, employee-owned and fee-only.

The episode description says internal succession means more than an equity transfer: difficult conversations, a founder's trust and preparation to lead before ownership changes hands.

Padilla's background runs from Spain to a U.S. tennis scholarship and into financial planning. He started at Meira as an intern and spent more than two decades across client service, investment management, leadership and business operations before becoming the firm's owner.

WAD's records show 782 accounts and six employees as of Oct. 17, or about $53 million in regulatory assets per employee.

The episode also covers bilingual advisors and cultural understanding with families from different backgrounds, and financial literacy and community involvement as parts of Meira's long-term direction.