At the Nexus
of Opportunity
& Experience

Constellation Wealth Capital

A Seasoned and Strategic Partner Providing Compelling Capital Solutions and Advisory Services for the Wealth Management Industry

About

Constellation Wealth Capital specializes in making tailored investments in industry-leading wealth management firms who want to add to their success and independence.

We are committed to serving as a value-add and solutions-oriented partner to leading wealth management firms while also addressing a significant capital need.

Market Opportunity

$7T
AUM across nearly 18k RIAs in the US
19%
5yr AUM CAGR
for $5B+ AUM firms
2x
Projected increase
in $1B+ AUM RIAs
over the next 5 years
$18.3T
Estimated alternative
investment AUM by 2027

Approach

CWC functions as a knowledgeable and collaborative extension of the platforms in which we invest. Our approach begins with a thorough understanding of your businesses mission, values, challenges, and long-term goals. We seek to add value and foster institutionalization over the life of our investment without disrupting the fundamentals of what has made these businesses successful.

Our differentiated approach combines a flexible capital solution and ongoing advisory services. The capital solution allows for less leverage, a longer time horizon, and increased compounding. The Advisory team has extensive experience within the wealth management sector and a track record of results-driven consulting.

Why Constellation?

Experience

Strategic Advisory Services

CWC offers strategic advisory services to support partner firms in executing their strategic priorities. We leverage our deep sector knowledge, experience, and data to deliver tailored advisory services.

Growth Initiatives

Whether it’s through traditional marketing, events, or M&A we work alongside our partner firms to seek consistent, profitable, and measurable growth.

Business Management

Our business consulting process is designed to meet firms where they are, identify the challenge or opportunity, and create a disciplined approach to address the challenge.

Technology & Operations

Our technology & operations consulting process assesses the firm’s current state, then determines a path forward that strives to help firms improve efficiencies, experiences, and profitability of your business.

Investment Platform Expansion

Our advisory team is here to enhance your firm’s product diversification through reducing reliance on public market strategies, increasing access to private capital alternatives, and providing access to differentiated funds and products.

Team

Our deeply experienced and meaningfully connected team is positioned to capitalize on this exceptional market opportunity and is well-qualified to provide expert advisory services tailored to help our partners grow their businesses in alignment with their mission, values, and objectives.

Karl Heckenberg
President & Managing Partner

Karl serves as the President and Managing Partner of Constellation Wealth Capital. Before founding CWC, Karl was the CEO of Emigrant Partners and its affiliated company, Fiduciary Network. His career in the financial services has taken him to renowned institutions like Merrill Lynch, A.G. Edwards & Sons, Wells Fargo, and Charles Schwab. Karl has also contributed his expertise to several boards, including Sarasota Private Trust Company, New York Private Trust Company, and Cleveland Private Trust Company, and is currently on the board at Alternative Fund Advisors. He also held the position of Vice Chairman at Emigrant Bank and chairs the CWC Investment Committee.

A Washington, D.C. native, Karl is an alumnus of Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia.

Lisa Crafford
Managing Director, Head of Advisory

Lisa serves as the Head of Advisory at Constellation Wealth Capital. Her previous role as Director and Head of Business Consulting at BNY Mellon | Pershing was focused on working with wealth management and advisory firms to help them grow and strengthen their businesses. In addition to her consulting work, Lisa founded the INSITE University Student Experience, The Next Leadership Forum, and led the Pershing research efforts with industry media partners. Earlier in her career, Lisa was the Director of Business Management for an RIA in the DC Metro area.  

Lisa earned a B.A. in Business Management and French from the University of Technology, Sydney Australia and her MBA from the College of William and Mary, Williamsburg VA. She is a recipient of the InvestmentNews 40 Under 40 award (2019) and is a member of the CWC Investment Committee.

Greg Lawton
Partner & Managing Director, Head of Capital Formation & Investor Relations

Greg serves as the Head of Capital Formation and Investor Relations for Constellation Wealth Capital. His focus at CWC is on capital raising, strategic partnerships, and delivering top-tier investor services across the firm. Greg is a member of the CWC Investment Committee. Prior to this, he was the Co-Head of Investor Relations at Strategic Value Partners, where he was responsible for developing institutional relationships across North America. Greg was the Head of Investor Relations at Crescent Capital Group, where he led capital development and fundraising activities while managing strategic relationships with global institutional investors, primarily focused on financial institutions. Previously, Greg gained valuable experience at Wells Fargo Bank, particularly within the capital markets and asset management sectors.  

Greg is a graduate of Wilfrid Laurier University in Ontario, Canada, and earned an MBA from Pepperdine University.

Pat McHugh
Managing Director, Head of Investments

Pat serves as the Head of Investments at Constellation Wealth Capital. In this role, he concentrates on sourcing, evaluating, and executing investments in exceptional wealth management firms, while also partnering with their executive management teams to achieve their strategic goals. Prior to this, he was a Managing Director at Emigrant Partners, leading the firm’s investment function, during which he focused primarily on investing in scaled wealth management platforms and providing strategic advice to management teams across the portfolio. Earlier in his career, he was at Wafra, a private equity and alternative investment management firm, where he focused on GP stakes and seeding private equity strategies. His experience also includes time as a Management Consultant at Casey Quirk – Deloitte, leading consulting engagements for various asset and wealth management firms.  Pat is a member of the CWC Investment Committee.

Pat holds a B.A. in Economics from Yale University. 

Guiding Principles

As we continue to grow the CWC team, our guiding principles ensure consistency and cohesion in how we execute on our founding purpose.
Trust
Experience
Partnership
Execution