Valmark Financial Group Launches NextGen Advisor Pathway™ to Help Financial Services Firms Develop and Retain the Next Generation of Advisors
New solution combines targeted recruiting, intensive training and ongoing development support to help independent financial firms build stronger talent pipelines
AKRON, Ohio, October 20, 2026--Valmark Financial Group today announced the launch of NextGen Advisor Pathway™, a new comprehensive recruiting and development solution designed to help independent financial services firms identify, hire, train and retain the next generation of financial advisors.
As firms across the financial services profession plan for continued growth and succession, developing emerging advisor talent has become increasingly important, and increasingly difficult. NextGen Advisor Pathway™ was created to help Valmark Member Firms address that challenge with the same structured approach Valmark has used to build its own advisor bench.
"Finding talented people is only one piece of the challenge," said Larry J. Rybka, JD, CFP®, Chairman & CEO of Valmark Financial Group. "The other side is giving them the training, mentorship and structure they need to build a long-term future with the firm. NextGen Advisor Pathway™ helps our members create that foundation from the very beginning."
NextGen Advisor Pathway™ builds directly on the success of Valmark's own internship program. Over the past 20+ years, Valmark has hosted close to 300 interns and hired approximately 100 in full-time roles. Key to that success was partnering early with the University of Akron, and subsequently other universities, to attract students pursuing financial planning degrees who are eligible to sit for the CFP® exam.
"This is the natural next step: helping the Member Firms we serve the same way we have benefited ourselves for the last 20 years," said Caleb Callahan, CFP®, President of Valmark Financial Group. "We are turning one of the most important strategic investments we ever made into something that now benefits the advisors we serve."
NextGen Advisor Pathway™ draws from Valmark's growing network of 17 university partnerships across nine states, including many with CFP® Board Registered Programs. These relationships expand Valmark's access to high-caliber candidates with specialized financial planning education, including graduates eligible to sit for the CFP® exam, who are interested in building long-term careers in the profession.
NextGen Advisor Pathway™ is essentially made up of targeted candidate sourcing with enhanced training and ongoing support for both the new advisor and the hiring firm. Through the program, participating Valmark Member Firms receive support throughout the development process, including: