Plancorp Names Callie Cox Director of Investment Strategy as Assets Reach $10.5 Billion

Plancorp’s appointment of Callie Cox as director of investment strategy adds a senior research voice with experience translating market developments for both financial professionals and the public. The St. Louis-based firm reported approximately $10.5 billion in assets under management as of September 30, 2026, and Cox will work with Chief Investment Officer Peter Lazaroff on portfolio direction, investment committee discussions and communication with advisors and clients.

The role puts market explanation alongside investment analysis. Cox is expected to help shape the firm’s portfolio approach and turn its market views into guidance that advisors can use in conversations with clients. For a growing wealth manager, that remit connects internal investment work with the way clients understand decisions affecting their portfolios.

“Callie brings a rare combination of investment expertise and the ability to make complex ideas relevant and accessible outside the bubble of financial services,” Plancorp CEO J. Christopher Kerckhoff said. “As the wealth management industry continues to evolve, that combination matters more than ever.”

Research and communication experience

Cox’s career has crossed financial journalism, market strategy and wealth management. After studying journalism at the University of North Carolina, she covered equity and options markets at Bloomberg. She then held investment strategy positions at LPL Financial, Ally, eToro and Ritholtz Wealth Management.

At Ritholtz, Cox served as chief market strategist in a newly created position, described as the firm’s first C-suite role of that kind. She also writes through OptimistiCallie, her newsletter and content platform, where she discusses markets and the economy in plain language. Plancorp has emphasized both her research background and her ability to reach people outside the usual professional audience.

That combination could matter as advisors face client questions that mix portfolio performance with fast-changing market news. Clear explanations can help clients understand the reasoning behind a portfolio approach and the uncertainties around it. Communication does not remove those uncertainties, but it can make the assumptions and trade-offs easier to discuss.

Lazaroff said Cox would contribute to the firm’s investment platform and its client-facing work. “She is thoughtful about markets, grounded in long-term investing principles and exceptionally good at connecting research and strategy to the questions advisors and clients are asking,” he said. “I'm excited to have her as a partner as we continue to evolve our investment platform, sharpen how we communicate our thinking and help our advisors navigate increasingly complex conversations with clients.”

Capacity alongside firm growth

The appointment comes as Plancorp builds on a period of expansion. Earlier in 2026, the firm completed its first major acquisition in more than 40 years, adding approximately $1 billion in client assets and an office in Fresno, California, through its purchase of Regency Investment Advisors. The firm was also named by InvestmentNews among the Top Independent High-Net-Worth Advisors 2025.

Those milestones provide context for the new position: growth increases the demands on a firm’s investment process and on how consistently it explains that process across its advisor and client base. A dedicated strategy leader can help connect portfolio deliberations to the questions clients raise, while a public-facing profile gives the firm another route for explaining its views.

For independent registered investment advisors, research credentials alone may not distinguish a service model when clients also expect understandable answers and consistent communication. Cox’s remit appears designed to join those functions. How the role develops will depend on the investment work she contributes and how effectively the firm carries its market thinking into advisor and client discussions.

Cox said Plancorp’s approach to investing and its focus on helping people make sense of difficult financial choices drew her to the firm. “Plancorp has a strong investment philosophy, an incredibly thoughtful team and a culture that values both rigor and clear communication,” she said.

Founded in 1983 and headquartered in St. Louis, Plancorp operates as a fee-only fiduciary and serves clients across 44 states. Cox’s appointment adds a named leader to its investment strategy function as the firm grows its scale and reach. The practical measure will be whether that added capacity helps advisors explain portfolio decisions with clarity as client questions and market conditions change.