scaling, and advising firms in wealth and asset management.
LEADERSHIP TEAM
Founders, partners,
and operators.
Thomas R. Titus
Co-Founder & Managing Partner
SMART Growth Partners | SMART Concepts Group
Tom believes a financial advisory practice is more than a book of business. It is an enterprise, and it deserves to be built with intention. For nearly four decades, he has worked alongside advisors and firm owners who want to think bigger about what their practice can become, and who want a clear, disciplined path to get there.
As Co-Founder and Managing Partner of SMART Growth Partners, Tom leads coaching and advisor development. SMART Solutions pairs integrated executive coaching and operational leadership with non-controlling permanent capital, helping advisory firm owners accelerate growth and compound enterprise value without giving up control of what they have built.
Tom is also Founder and Managing Partner of SMART Concepts Group, a consulting firm serving financial advisors on growth strategy, business structure, succession planning, and mergers and acquisitions. Under his leadership, SMART has helped advisory firms move from reactive operations to intentional, scalable enterprises, producing stronger leadership, sharper operating discipline, and meaningful gains in enterprise value.
Tom began his financial services career with IDS/American Express Financial Advisors, where he served in senior leadership roles as Field Vice President and Field Compliance Manager before becoming a franchise consultant to small business owners. He later channeled that experience into building SMART Concepts Group into a respected consulting practice serving the advisory community. His work centers on the convergence of strategy, leadership, and transition, particularly in founder-led advisory firms navigating growth, succession, and the pursuit of lasting enterprise value.
Tom is a graduate of Kent State University, where he earned his bachelor’s degree in education before beginning his professional career as a teacher and coach. When Tom is not working, you will find him with family or at a ballgame. He is a proud father of three and grandfather to eleven. A lifelong coach, he can still be found on the basketball court coaching his grandsons. Come fall, his Saturdays belong to Ohio State football and the pre- game tailgates he hosts for family and friends.
Sean Baenen
Co-Founder & Managing Partner
SMART Growth Partners
Sean is the Co-Founder & Managing Partner of SMART Growth Partners and leads capital strategy and partnership development for partner owner-operators across the wealth and asset management industry. He is focused on aligning SGP’s strategic advisory with a full suite of capital solutions — permanent, non-controlling equity and custom credit structures — to help our partners accelerate growth and compound long-term enterprise value without giving up control of what they’ve built.
Before starting SGP, Sean served as Group President of NorthRock Partners, scaling the firm from $2.3B to $6.2B in AUM ahead of its sale to Sammons Financial Group. He later built and led NorthRock’s principal investing and M&A practice, sourcing and executing transactions representing more than $500M of committed capital. During his tenure, NorthRock achieved 30% CAGR in both revenue and AUM.
Earlier in his career, Sean was a Silicon Valley entrepreneur across fintech and emerging technology, COO of Guthy|Renker’s front-end operations, and a retained advisor to KKR, TPG, and Friedman Fleischer & Lowe.
Sean is a Socrates Scholar at The Aspen Institute and has served in numerous board and advisory roles across consumer technology and financial services.
Pamela Elliott
Chief Operating Officer
SMART Growth Partners | SMART Concepts Group
As Chief Operating Officer of SMART Growth Partners and SMART Concepts Group, Pam leads the firm’s day-to-day operations and provides strategic support across operations, client engagement, and team leadership. She guides the client engagement process from start to finish, building thoughtful, high-touch experiences that set the tone for long-term partnerships. Pam has played a central role in shaping the operational infrastructure and client service standards that define SMART today. Her career began at Ameriprise Financial, where she started as a marketing coordinator and later moved into compliance, giving her a well-rounded perspective on the inner workings of advisory firms. With more than 25 years in the financial services industry, Pam brings deep expertise, a systems builder’s mindset, and a genuine commitment to the people she works with.
Pam holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Ohio University.
Outside of work, Pam enjoys cooking, traveling, and spending time with family and friends.