Brad Hearn: Why He’s Departing LPL

Earlier this year, the thought of shoveling winter snow was the furthest thing from Brad Hearn’s mind. Hearn, executive vice president of Business Consulting at LPL, was enjoying the perennial California sunshine from his home and office in San Diego County.

Recently, though, Hearn was surprised with an opportunity to take the next step in his career as President of Prudential Advisors, based in New Jersey, where there are four seasons, not one.

“I certainly wasn’t looking. LPL has its front foot forward and as part of the leadership team, I’m proud of our results to date,” said Hearn.

For a couple reasons, however, moving his family to New Jersey and braving the winter cold was appealing. “One piece of advice that has served me well is to not be afraid to try different things, take risks, and invest in yourself,” said Hearn. “I also saw an opportunity to leverage the knowledge and experience I’ve built at LPL. My exposure to the entire business helped me prepare for the job at Prudential, with my leadership role in Business Consulting for the past five years being the primary catalyst.”  

Hearn admits that leaving LPL was not an easy decision. “LPL has been my home away from home for the past nine years. I am truly humbled by the relationships I have built with many of the firm’s employees and advisors that we have been fortunate to serve. It is a noble mission.”

Plus, Hearn also believes that LPL is on an upward trajectory. “LPL is focused on service and providing value to advisors through innovation and investments in technology,” he said, adding one piece of advice for his leadership colleagues: “Stay the course. There is a lot of opportunity to drive great results with LPL’s size and scale.”