Mesirow Names Shawn Beber as Next CEO

Advisors and fiduciary clients using Mesirow's platforms should watch how the new leader handles recent acquisitions.

Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in People

Mesirow has named Shawn Beber as its next chief executive, succeeding Richard S. Price, who will remain on as executive chairman. The firm's board voted unanimously for the appointment after an extensive search, and Chicago-based investment and advisory operators tracking leadership changes at major Midwest financial firms should note the transition.

Why it matters

The appointment brings in a CEO who spent more than two decades at Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce and most recently led CIBC Bank USA, signaling a leadership profile built around large-scale banking and wealth operations. Price's move to executive chairman lets the firm keep continuity on strategy and civic work while the new CEO takes over day-to-day management during a period of acquisitions.

Mesirow reported $410.3 billion in assets under supervision as of Sept. 30 and $164 billion in outsourced fiduciary platform assets as of June 30, supporting approximately 10,000 advisors nationwide. The firm's wealth management arm held about $14 billion in assets under management and advisement as of March 31, a scale comparison the source does not further benchmark.

The players

Mesirow

Chicago-based investment and wealth management firm with a 90-year history, $410.3 billion in assets under supervision, and fiduciary and advisory businesses serving advisors nationwide.

Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC)

Canadian bank that acquired The PrivateBank for $5 billion in 2017 and operates a U.S. banking footprint through CIBC Bank USA.

The details

Beber, who spent more than two decades at Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, most recently served as president and CEO of CIBC Bank USA, a unit that followed CIBC's 2017 $5 billion purchase of The PrivateBank. Mesirow is pursuing growth through strategic acquisitions, organic expansion and investment in specialist capabilities, and it closed its LeafHouse Financial Advisors acquisition in July, which now operates as Precision Fiduciary Partners. In August, Mesirow Fiduciary Solutions also agreed to buy the plan-level 3(38) business of flexPATH Strategies.

July: Mesirow closed its acquisition of LeafHouse Financial Advisors, now operating as Precision Fiduciary Partners.
August: Mesirow Fiduciary Solutions agreed to buy the plan-level 3(38) business of flexPATH Strategies.
Sept. 30: Mesirow reported $410.3 billion in assets under supervision.
Nov. 3, 2026: Mesirow announced Shawn Beber as its next CEO.

Market Landscape

The appointment links Mesirow's leadership to CIBC's 2017 $5 billion purchase of The PrivateBank, a major Chicago-area banking transaction that expanded a Canadian lender's U.S. presence. Mesirow's continued acquisitions, including LeafHouse and the flexPATH 3(38) business, reflect a broader consolidation pattern among wealth and fiduciary firms.

Operators working with wealth and fiduciary providers should watch whether Mesirow's new CEO changes service terms, pricing, or platform offerings as the firm integrates recent acquisitions. Businesses that rely on Mesirow's advisor-support or 3(38) fiduciary services should review contract terms with qualified counsel before any leadership-driven changes take effect.

The takeaway

Watch how Mesirow's new CEO handles the integration of LeafHouse and the flexPATH 3(38) business, since these deals will shape the firm's service mix. Operators should track the firm's next reported assets-under-supervision figure to see whether acquisitions are translating into growth.