Gary Bonner has earned a reputation as a dynamic and accomplished COO with expertise in leading company operations as a strategic partner, with notable expertise in the RIA sector. His progressive experience has led to resounding success across his 20+ year career, covering various C-level and Director roles. Easily able to move from high-level planning and visioning to face-to-face stakeholder engagement, he ensures that companies and shareholders enjoy the best possible results.Between 2001 and 2020, Gary delivered exceptional results at Avalon Advisors, LLC, where he worked variously as the Chief Operating Officer (2001 – 2020), Chief Technology Officer (2001 - 2020), Director of Finance (2001 – 2013), and the Chief Compliance Officer and CCO designee (2004 – 2012). As COO, he headed pacesetting growth in assets under management (AUM) from $450M/10 employees to $9B/72 employees, serving 550 client families and constantly ensuring smooth scaling and a strong client focus. In particular, he coordinated an impeccable transfer of $1.4B in assets and 1.1K client accounts from Merrill Lynch to Fidelity, overcoming complex problems through ingenuity and attention to detail. He also orchestrated the onboarding and post merger integration of two acquired firms. Among his peers, Gary is known for his innovative problem-solving, understanding of risk management, expertise with emerging technologies and IT concepts, cybersecurity and tireless work ethic.Bolstering these achievements is Gary’s reputation as a thought leader in the RIA community. This includes white papers, article contributions, and panelist roles, including 2 separate panelist efforts with the SS&C/Advent Deliver Conference.