Bill Partin
Founder and Chief Encouragement Officer, The Leadership Bet LLC Bill Partin is the Founder and Chief Encouragement Officer of The Leadership Bet LLC and former President and CEO of Sharonview Federal Credit Union. He has 40+ years of experience in the financial services industry and a passion for developing leaders, driving results, and creating an energizing People 1st Culture. His passion for leadership led him to found The Leadership Bet, a consultancy that helps leaders become their best so their teams can also be their very best. Bill is the author of The Leadership Bet: Great Leadership Transforms Lives. In 2019, Bill was named one of Charlotte Business Journal’s Most Admired CEOs. He was also selected to The Business Journals’ 2019 Influencers in Finance national list, which spotlights 100 executives who are having an impact on business being done in communities across the nation. Bill led Sharonview Federal Credit Union to earn the distinction of being named South Carolina’s Best Credit Union by Forbes in 2018 and a Top Workplace in Charlotte in 2021 and 2022. In 2022, Sharonview was also recognized as a Top Workplace in the United States. Prior to Sharonview, the Southern California native was Senior Vice President and Chief Member Services Officer for Partners Federal Credit Union, the Walt Disney Company credit union. He also spent three years with Dean Witter and four years as President of Duerr Financial Corporation, a regional broker-dealer, and carried his FINRA registrations for 30 years. Bill earned his bachelor’s degree in finance from California State University at Long Beach and his MBA from the University of La Verne. He is a Six Sigma Green Belt and has completed the Leadership at the Peak program at the Center for Creative Leadership. He received his Certified Innovation Executive designation from CUES—via MIT and Stanford University—in 2017 and is a former board member of the Carolinas Credit Union Foundation. Bill lives in the Charlotte, North Carolina, area with his wife of 40+ years. He is the proud father of two children and the grandfather of five awesome grandchildren. In his free time, he enjoys being outdoors – walking, running, waterskiing, and gardening. He is also working on a follow-up to his first book. |
Peter Bielan
The Bielan Group Peter Bielan has been an active participant in the financial institution investment services industry since 1985. His roles have encompassed Advisor, Sales Manager and President of the Retail Broker/Dealer for two of the 15 largest U.S. Banks and a consultant for the past 12 years. Throughout his career, Peter has been dedicated to enhancing investment and wealth management endeavors within Banks and Credit Unions. Notable recent projects include comprehensive business performance evaluations, compensation analysis and recommendations, Third-Party Manager (TPM) selection, recruitment strategies, as well as the integration of wealth management services and the transition to an advisory model. Collaborating with a team of six partner firms, Peter ensures the delivery of a diverse range of capabilities, collectively contributing to the success of his clients. |
Eric Armstrong
Owner, Compass Consulting Eric grew up in rural Nebraska. He spent two years at the University of Nebraska before transferring to the University of California San Diego where he graduated in 1988 with an economics major and minor in history. After college, Eric married, spent five years serving in the Marine Corps which brought five overseas deployments, one combat tour, and one divorce. After the Marine Corps, Eric worked in corporate America for a few years before starting his own consulting firm in 1997. Eric has completed hundreds of projects working with banks, credit unions, law firms, capital markets firms, and wealth management firms. In 2019, Eric consolidated his consulting practice to solely serve community banks and credit unions, supporting their efforts in offering comprehensive private wealth, securities, insurance, trust, and other wealth management and advisory services. For 25+ years, Eric has been keenly aware of knowing “where the puck is headed” and making sure his audience, clients, and associates get this information and know how to stay in front of the change events. He has presented to dozens of associations, boards, and fortune 500 companies covering many topics of interest. He combines his life experiences with his passion for the work product he supports to deliver an unconventional message in a fun, engaging way to his audience. Eric remarried in 2000. His wife Beth owns a landscape design company. They have one daughter who is in college studying animal science. |
Patrick (Pat) Daxon, CFP®, CFA
Senior Vice President, Private Wealth, Raymond James Patrick (Pat) Daxon is a skilled financial professional with more than 30 years of financial services industry experience. He describes himself as a people-leader, strategic thinker, subject matter expert, project manager, collaborator, teacher, and mentor. Pat started his career in the financial services industry in 1991 as a Registered Representative with MetLife Insurance Company. In 1996, he joined Raymond James (RJ), where he would spend the next 27 years serving in a variety of positions and increasing his scope of responsibilities. In September of 2023 Pat assumed the responsibilities of SVP, Private Wealth Strategy. In this role he leads the firm’s strategy for the expansion and continued enhancement of resources, intellectual capital and solutions across the firm that support advisors in the HNW/UHNW client space. Pat received his Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) degree in finance from Stetson University in 1989 and his Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the University of South Florida in 1991. He earned his Certified Financial Planner (CFP) designation in 2000 and his Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) charter in 2002. He is a member of the CFP Board’s Business Model Council and Standards Resource Commission, the Financial Planning Association (FPA), SIFMA’s Wealth Strategies Roundtable, the CFA Institute and Tampa Bay Society of Financial Analysts. Pat resides in Tampa, FL with his wife, Kimberley, and three daughters, Claire, Grace, and Lilly. |
Sean George
SVP of Recruiting, Ameriprise Financial Marquette University, Bachelor of Arts - Law Studies Marquette University, MBA - Finance Sean has been in the financial services industry for 28 years. Prior to joining Ameriprise, he was a Divisional Vice President at Prudential Financial, leading third party distribution. Sean joined Ameriprise as the National Director of Insurance Advisor Recruiting in 2015. In 2019 he took his current role of Divisional Vice President, leading Experienced Advisor Recruiting for the firm in the Midwest and Western portions of the country for AAG, AIA, and AFIG distribution channels. Prior to his career in Financial Services, Sean served as an officer in the United States Marine Corps, successfully completing tours in Asia, Africa, and the Persian Gulf. Sean resides in Los Angeles, CA. and enjoys fitness, outdoor activities, diving, and traveling. |