Zero Basis Points | Episode 13: Make WealthTech Open Again

Episode 13 of Zero Basis Points brings together Haik Sahakyan, George Guidotti, and our first guest, Craig Uhlenkott, for a candid conversation on the evolution, current challenges, and future of wealth management technology. With over 25 years in the industry, Craig is a seasoned product leader who’s seen it all in wealthtech, from server rooms and CDs to the cloud era and now the rise of AI. Drawing on his experience at the leading firms, he shares what it takes to build technology that truly empowers advisors — and how AI and data ownership are set to define the next era of the industry.

00:00 – Intro: First guest at Zero Basis Points
00:45 – Craig’s 25-year journey in WealthTech
03:00 – Inside TD Ameritrade’s approach to technology and innovation
08:10 – From server rooms to the cloud: the early days of advisor tech
11:00 – Open access, best-of-breed, and why TD Ameritrade stood out
14:00 – The power of proximity: building real partnerships with advisors
18:00 – Why TD sold Salesforce at a loss — and won bigger
21:00 – The CRM debate: still the center of the advisor tech stack?
27:00 – Data ownership, data lakes, and vendor risk
33:00 – Consolidation, founders, and staying close to the industry
38:00 – Best-of-breed vs. all-in-one: finding balance
42:30 – The rise of AI tools and the next wave of innovation
46:30 – What Craig loves and hates about the wealth management industry
52:00 – Closing thoughts & invite to future episodes

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🎙 Your hosts:
Haik Sahakyan & George Guidotti

Haik — LinkedIn:   / haikgsahakyan   | X: https://x.com/haik_sahakyan
George — LinkedIn:   / georgeguidotti   | X: https://x.com/georgeguidotti

Where can you find Craig Uhlenkott:

LinkedIn:   / craiguhlenkott  
X: https://x.com/Craiguhlen

📩 Contact us: [email protected]