Clarkston Capital Partners

Michigan-based wealth and asset manager says of Ridgeline’s single platform, “there’s nothing better.”

Ridgeline and Clarkston logos over Lake Tahoe vista

No items found.

By Switching to Ridgeline:

Single platform replaced 5 siloed systems and numerous workflows

Trade settlement process saves the back office hours every day

Purpose-built tools support complex private client needs

Clarkston Capital Partners Streamlines Operations with Ridgeline: “The best experience I’ve ever had”

Moving Beyond Legacy Systems

For Clarkston Capital Partners, a wealth and asset management firm based in Michigan, legacy technology was a constant challenge. The fragmented nature of their previous systems made routine tasks cumbersome and unnecessarily complex, limiting efficiency and the potential for growth.

Quick wins with Ridgeline:

Replaced 5 siloed systems with one unified platform
Saved hours per day in trade settlement
Streamlined onboarding for new employees
Simplified complex householding and reporting workflows
Delivered personalized support with quick issue resolution

Phil Olsen, Senior Project Specialist at Clarkston, described the experience candidly: "You realize really quickly that all of the friction comes from moving between these siloed processes. With our previous tech, there wasn’t a way to get where we wanted to be."

Discovering a Single, Powerful Solution

Clarkston embraced Ridgeline’s single platform to bring consistency and clarity to their operations. The firm eliminated the constant toggling between disconnected systems, using Ridgeline to bring all core functions into one platform, including:

Portfolio management
Complex trading
CRM
Accounting

For the first time, their team could access what they needed in one place—without workarounds, without duplication, and without second-guessing their data.

"Ridgeline served all our needs. There’s nothing else like it.” – Phil Olsen, Senior Project Specialist

For Michael Rooney, Senior Director of Operations, one improvement stood out in particular: “Settlement of trading has saved our back office hours at the end of the day."

Expert Implementation and Smooth Transition

Clarkston’s move to Ridgeline came with more than new technology. The implementation, which “couldn’t have gone smoother” from Rooney’s perspective, was grounded in clear communication, expert guidance, and genuine collaboration between the Clarkston and Ridgeline teams.

"The solution is great, but the process is also great," said Olsen. "We were able to trust Ridgeline, and that allowed the whole project to be low stress. The product does what they say—it’s been the best experience I’ve ever had."

Rebecca Wagner, an investment counselor at Clarkston, praised Ridgeline’s ability to meet specific private client requirements: "They really built out the platform to take into account all of the complexities of private client needs.”

“Everything we’ve asked for has been a yes, which has been nice—we came from a place of 'no.'" – Rebecca Wagner, Investment Counselor

Empowering Future Growth

With Clarkston up and running on Ridgeline, their team has experienced newfound efficiency and a noticeable boost in morale. Tasks that once dominated their days are now handled effortlessly, freeing up valuable time to focus on strategic initiatives and enhanced client service.

"We’ll be a better firm because of it," said Olsen.

‍