About Meridian
A Legacy of Trust Since 1998
For over 25 years, Meridian Wealth Management has been the trusted steward for families seeking personalized, fiduciary-grade financial guidance.
Our Story
Meridian was founded on a simple premise: that truly exceptional wealth management requires deep personal relationships, intellectual rigor, and an unwavering commitment to the client's best interest.
What began as a boutique advisory for New York families has grown into a national practice managing over $12.4 billion for 2,800+ families — without ever compromising the personalized service that defines us.
Every client is served by a dedicated advisory team with direct access to our investment committee, research desk, and estate planning specialists.
Our Journey
Founded in New York by William Ashford III with $50M in initial AUM.
Expanded to San Francisco. Crossed $500M in assets under management.
Navigated financial crisis with zero client losses through disciplined risk management.
Launched Family Office division. AUM surpassed $3 billion.
Introduced proprietary quantitative risk platform. Opened Miami office.
Crossed $10 billion AUM. Recognized as Top 50 RIA by Barron's.
Surpassed $12.4 billion AUM serving 2,800+ families nationwide.
Leadership Team
Collectively, our leadership brings over 150 years of financial services experience.
William Ashford III
Founder & CEO
CFA, CFP
30+ years in institutional asset management. Former Managing Director at Goldman Sachs Private Wealth.
Victoria Chen
Chief Investment Officer
CFA, CAIA
Leads our investment committee and research team. Previously PM at Bridgewater Associates.
James Harrington
Head of Estate Planning
JD, LLM Taxation
Former partner at Sullivan & Cromwell. Specializes in complex trust structures and cross-border estates.
Sarah Okonkwo
Chief Compliance Officer
JD, IACCP
Ensures regulatory compliance across all operations. 15 years with the SEC Division of Examinations.
Dr. Michael Torres
Head of Quantitative Research
PhD, CQF
Builds our proprietary risk models and factor analysis frameworks. Former quant researcher at Two Sigma.
Elizabeth Waverly
Director, Family Office
CFP, CPWA
Manages our ultra-high-net-worth family office practice. 20 years serving multigenerational wealth.
Security & Compliance
Your trust is protected by the industry's highest standards.
SEC Registered
Registered Investment Advisor (RIA) with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
SIPC Member
Client assets protected under the Securities Investor Protection Corporation.
SOC 2 Type II
Annual audit confirming our controls for security, availability, and confidentiality.
FINRA Compliant
Full compliance with Financial Industry Regulatory Authority standards.