Bob Thornton Joins Summit Partners as Executive-in-Residence

Summit Partners is delighted to welcome Bob Thornton as the newest addition to the firm’s Executive-in-Residence (“EIR”) program. In this role, Bob will work closely with Summit’s Growth Products & Services team to identify new investment opportunities with a specific focus on building a comprehensive wealth management platform in collaboration with leading wirehouse teams serving the high-net-worth customer.

For more on Bob’s background and this partnership with Summit, please listen to his conversation with the Diamond Podcast for Financial Advisors here.

Previously, Bob served as President of the Private Wealth Management business of First Republic Bank, where he led the growth of that business from approximately $10 billion in assets to more than $250 billion.  In his role with First Republic, Bob placed a premium on supporting the investment advisor as “wealth manager” to meet clients’ full wealth management needs. Along with his team, Bob developed a series of high-value programs including integrated planning resources, a white glove insurance product and an internal referral construct that contributed to significant growth in the client and asset base of the wealth managers at First Republic. During his tenure, he and his colleagues were able to recruit over 150 high caliber financial advisors from across the industry.

Prior to joining First Republic, Bob had a successful twenty-year career in investment banking, principally focused on mergers & acquisitions and financings. He began his career at Goldman Sachs, followed by leadership roles at both Credit Suisse and Deutsche Bank.

Bob holds a B.A. in Political Science from Duke University and a J.D. from Columbia Law School.

Summit has been active in the payments, financial technology and business services sectors for nearly four decades. Since the firm’s founding in 1984, Summit has partnered with more than 125 companies across the financial technology and services, and business and information services sectors.

Summit’s EIR program is an established element of the firm’s growth-oriented investing strategy. Since its inception, the program has facilitated collaboration between seasoned industry executives and Summit’s investment professionals, working to identify sector-specific opportunities in which EIRs may support companies in an ongoing capacity through board or executive leadership roles.

For more on Bob’s background and this partnership with Summit, please listen to his conversation with the Diamond Podcast for Financial Advisors here.