The latest moves and appointments in the North American wealth management sector.

Verdence Capital Advisors
A former NFL and collegiate All-American athlete has been appointed as a director and private wealth advisor at Verdence Capital Advisors, the wealth advisory firm and multi-family office.

Billy McMullen has spent the past decade working with and for student and professional athletes, with a particular emphasis on helping them build essential mental health and self-awareness tools needed to navigate their personal journeys. 

With Verdence, McMullen will focus primarily on the Verdence/PRO arm of the firm, which provides bespoke wealth planning, investment and advisory services to professional athletes and entertainers, Verdence said in a statement yesterday.

“Financial health is often a carbon copy of mental health, but athletes and entertainers, with the dramatically accelerated pace at which their careers unfold, face a very different set of challenges than most. Maximizing mental health and building a strong base of self-awareness are key to helping these professionals plan for both the short and the long term,” said McMullen. 

McMullen will work closely with the Verdence/PRO leadership team, including Verdence chief executive Leo Kelly, partner Rich Rosa and director Noel LaMontagne, himself a former NCAA and NFL player.

Verdence is based in Hunt Valley, Maryland, with an office in Northern Virginia.

BNY Mellon Wealth Management
BNY Mellon Wealth Management has named David Heck as senior client strategist. In this role, he works with ultra-high net worth families, business owners, corporate executives, private equity and hedge fund principals and their family offices, as well as foundations and endowments serving their comprehensive wealth needs. Heck is based in Philadelphia and reports to Scott Lillis, regional president, Mid-Atlantic.

Heck previously worked at WHYY, Philadelphia’s local, member-supported NPR and PBS station, where he served as the director of philanthropy. Prior to joining WHYY, he was the director of philanthropy at Virtua Health. Heck also served in various leadership roles at American Cancer Society and worked as the director of development for multiple congressional and judicial campaigns.

“During the course of David’s two-decade career, he has demonstrated a talent for fundraising across professional sectors, including political fundraising, global nonprofits, private consulting, healthcare and public media,” said Lillis.