Themes from The 2025 MMI Annual Conference
The 2025 MMI Annual Conference made one thing clear: the industry is in the middle of a transformation. From AI’s rapid commercialization to the political currents reshaping sentiment, to the race for platform and product dominance, every discussion reflected a shared urgency: how to convert complexity into advantage.
General Stanley McChrystal’s “Team of Teams” keynote reinforced that technology alone won’t win—adaptable, information-rich, and connected teams will.
Theme
Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Key Insight
AI moved from the periphery to the center. Dozens of tools showcased how advisors, wholesalers, and marketers can use AI to predict engagement, personalize outreach, and generate content at scale.
Jacobs & Company Take
Firms that systematize AI—rather than sample it—will gain materially significant advantage. The opportunity is in compounding value from selected tools and in orchestrating them to drive coordinated intelligence across sales, marketing, and product.
Theme
Political Climate
Key Insight
The approaching U.S. election and global instability have reintroduced uncertainty into capital flows and advisor sentiment.
Jacobs & Company Take
What role could technologies such as Polymarket and other real-time mechanisms play in turning uncertainty into strategic optionality? This could spread from investment management to sales, marketing, product development, and more.
Theme
Evolving Wealth Platforms
Key Insight
Wealth platforms are rapidly layering AI into every function—from client analytics to advisor enablement.
Jacobs & Company Take
Each layer of AI integration creates new friction, cost, and complexity for asset managers trying to distribute and innovate. Success will hinge on designing lightweight, interoperable systems that plug into—not fight—these platforms.
Theme
Product Evolution
Key Insight
SMAs, direct indexing, and private assets continue to dominate conversations, alongside next-generation model portfolios.
Jacobs & Company Take
The defining question ahead: who will deliver the first personalized product suite across vehicles? The firms that align personalization with operational scalability will redefine client experience.
Theme
Leadership & Culture
Key Insight
McChrystal reframed leadership around adaptability, shared purpose, and decentralized execution.
Jacobs & Company Take
The next frontier is AI-augmented teamwork—where insights flow instantly, decisions are data-informed, and teams are more agile because AI amplifies—not replaces—their judgment.
