WealthVest’s Kevin Beard Honored with 2026 WSR Pathfinder Award Recognizing Top Black Industry Leaders
Bozeman, MT – February 24, 2026 – WealthVest is proud to announce that Kevin Beard, Chief Strategy Officer, has been named a recipient of the 2026 Wealth Solutions Report (WSR) Pathfinder Award as one of the Top Black Industry Leaders of 2026. This marks the second time Beard has received this honor, the first being in 2022.
The WSR Pathfinder Awards, presented during Black History Month, honor leaders from underrepresented communities who demonstrate excellence in wealth management, industry influence, and a commitment to advancing diversity, equity and inclusion
Winners are selected based on their dedication to the industry, career achievements, strong reputations and ability to serve as role models for the next generation of financial professionals.
Beard serves as Chief Strategy Officer at WealthVest, where he leads national accounts and oversees relationship management and acquisition efforts for WealthVest Investment Services. He is responsible for long-term strategic growth initiatives, platform expansion, and collaboration with investment banks, private equity firms and strategic partners
With three decades of experience in the independent broker-dealer and wealth management space, Beard has built a career focused on growth, advisor empowerment and enterprise strategy. Prior to joining WealthVest, he served as Chief Growth Officer and Founding Partner at Atria Wealth Solutions, led recruiting and acquisition strategy at AIG Advisor Group (now Osaic), and held leadership roles at Rehmann. He also co-founded Innovative Advanced Resources and Beard Management, firms dedicated to advisor growth and business strategy. Beard holds a bachelor’s degree in finance from Kent State University.
Beyond his corporate leadership, Beard is active in industry and nonprofit initiatives, including service with the Financial Services Institute Marketing Council and the Bank Insurance & Securities Association’s Diversity and Inclusion Committee
“We are incredibly proud of Kevin and the leadership he brings to WealthVest and the financial services industry,” said Wade Dokken, President of WealthVest. “His strategic vision, integrity, leadership, and commitment to expanding opportunity within our industry embody the spirit of the Pathfinder Award.”
The full list of 2026 WSR Pathfinder Award honorees was published on February 24, 2026, by Wealth Solutions Report WSR Pathfinder Awards – Top Black Industry Leaders Of 2026
About WealthVest:
WealthVest was founded in 2009 and is one of the leading distributors of fixed, indexed, and registered index-linked annuities to banks and broker-dealers. Financial institutions value WealthVest's insightful thought leadership, product design expertise, marketing strategies, technology, and specialization in field and hybrid-based sales and advisor marketing training.