November 2017 – Valley National Financial Advisors today announced that its President & Founder Thomas Riddle has appointed Matthew Petrozelli as Chief Executive Officer effective January 1, 2018. Riddle will take on title of Founder & Chairman of the Board, and will continue to work with clients as a Financial Advisor.
“This is the perfect time for Matt to become CEO. He is a very strong leader at a time when Valley National is experiencing very strong growth,” said Riddle. “Matt is an experienced financial professional. He has and will continue to move the company forward in the best interest of our clients. He is a champion of the Valley National ‘client-first’ culture, and an active and influential member of our Lehigh Valley community. Matt’s vision, strategy and strong track record is exactly what Valley National needs as we embark on our next 30 years in business.”
Petrozelli joined Valley National Financial Advisors in 2011, and became EVP & COO soon after in 2012. Since then, he has been managing daily operations as well as assisting in creating and executing Valley National’s strategic planning goals. Under his leadership the firm has increased assets carried or managed from $495 to $925 million as of October 2017, and the firm has grown to 37 employees across four offices. In 2013, he created Valley National’s Entry-Level Professional (ELP) program, through which he has brought on and mentored nine young professionals, integrating them into the Valley National team.
Petrozelli was among the 2015 Lehigh Valley Business “Forty under 40” award, and a graduate of the 2015 Charles Schwab Executive Management Program – a prestigious national program for industry leading executives. He currently serves on the Victory House of the LV’s Board of Directors, and is a founding advisory board member of the Center for Financial Services at Lehigh University. He is also a graduate of Leadership Lehigh Valley.
“This transition is the culmination of five years of careful planning for ownership and operational succession to ensure that the firm could perpetuate past the tenure of its founder,” said Petrozelli. “We have worked hard to elevate the Valley National brand in our community, to enhance technology and infrastructure, to better the integration between all of our services, and to develop the next generation of financial advisors, all to ensure that Valley National will continue to offer the same core services and provide the same value for our clients in the future. Our mission remains focused on helping our clients achieve their financial goals, and our corporate structure is such that the firm will be able to remain local and independent.”
Riddle will transition full operational control of the financial firm to Petrozelli but he will not be retiring. His role as a Senior Financial Advisor in the firm will not change. He will continue to contribute to the Valley National’s internal Investment Committee, and Senior Leadership Team.
“Tom is one of our top advisors and an important part of our team,” said Petrozelli. “The ideals and values on which he founded this company are shared by everyone here, and thanks to his foresight and planning, he will have the unique opportunity to be an active participant in his own legacy.”