In the WealthTech Talks interview series, we interview senior executives from leading wealth management firms, solution providers, and WealthTech influencers to learn more about them, their journey, their perspectives on the market, and how they see the future of wealth management.
For this issue of WealthTech Talks, we caught up with Blake Bjordahl, President of RIA Compliance Technology – the all-in-one compliance platform designed exclusively for Registered Investment Advisors (RIAs). Drawing on more than 35 years of experience in the financial services industry, including roles as Chief Compliance Officer, compliance specialist, and compliance consultant to dozens of RIA firms, Bjordahl brings a rare combination of deep regulatory expertise and practical, front-line experience to the compliance technology space.
In this interview, Bjordahl shared his insight into why RIA compliance has long been underserved by generic technology solutions, and how RIA Compliance Technology was built to change that. He also shared his views on the evolving regulatory landscape facing RIAs, the opportunities and challenges ahead for the industry, and why personability and human connection remain at the core of everything RIA Compliance Technology does — even as the platform continues to grow.
Could you provide a brief introduction to your business?
RIA Compliance Technology gives RIAs, compliance officers, and compliance consultants one platform to manage email archiving, trade monitoring, and compliance tasks so your platform stays organized and audit-ready without the manual hassle.
Being in the RIA industry for over 30 years, I had experienced enough wasted hours, missed deadlines, and outdated systems to know there had to be a better way. As someone who had spent decades working as a Chief Compliance Officer and compliance consultant for dozens of registered investment advisory firms, the frustrations were always familiar: compliance tasks procrastinated because they felt overwhelming, regulatory requirements falling through the cracks, no real system for collecting and storing critical data, email archives so difficult to manage that review simply never happened, and paper statements piling up from personal trade monitoring requirements.
The vision behind RIA Compliance Technology was straightforward: build the tools I wish existed through my career. Not generic project management software adapted for compliance, and not enterprise-level platforms priced for institutions ten times the size of the average RIA. Simply, purpose-built technology designed for the actual workflow of an RIA compliance program: organized, intuitive, customizable, and affordable.
Since launching in 2017, we have worked with hundreds of RIAs, compliance officers, and compliance consultants refining our platform based on real client feedback and regulatory experience. Our mission has never changed: eliminate friction at every stage of the compliance lifecycle, so compliance officers can focus on what matters most to them, helping clients and growing their firms.
2. In the wealth management sector, what types of clients do you primarily work with and target?
Our primary focus is the Registered Investment Advisor community. Within that space, we work with a wide range of firms – from solo practitioners who are building their compliance program from the ground up, to growing multi-advisor firms that have outgrown spreadsheets and disconnected tools, to established RIAs with dedicated compliance departments looking for a more organized and exam-ready infrastructure.
We also serve Chief Compliance Officers and compliance consultants who manage oversight across multiple advisory businesses. Our platform's centralized design and customizable workflows are particularly valuable – they can maintain consistent compliance processes across their entire client base from a single, organized system.
What unifies our client base is not firm size – it is the shared challenge of managing a rigorous compliance program with limited time, limited resources, and tools that were never quite designed for the job. RIA Compliance Technology was built for exactly that reality.
3. Why do your existing and target clients choose to work with you? What makes your solutions relevant and distinct from your competitors?
Our clients choose to work with us because we understand the RIA industry, we know what works, and we genuinely care to help other RIA compliance professionals simplify their compliance programs. We did not build a compliance platform by studying the market from the outside; it was informed by decades of hands-on experience as CCOs and compliance consultants.
Every feature, every workflow, and every design decision reflects how RIA compliance actually works in practice, not how it looks in a textbook. Clients stay with RIA Compliance Technology through SEC and state examinations, regulatory changes, and significant firm growth because the platform evolves with their compliance program rather than requiring them to adapt around it.
We believe that three things consistently bring clients to RIA Compliance Technology and keep them here.
Customization: every task, deadline, workflow, and reporting requirement in our platform can be configured to match a firm's specific compliance program and schedule. It is not one-size-fits-all, because compliance never is.
Simplicity: our tools are genuinely easy to use, easy to explain to a regulator, and easy to maintain as a firm grows and its compliance program evolves.
Value: we offer enterprise-grade compliance infrastructure at a price point designed for the RIA market – because we believe every registered advisor deserves access to great compliance technology.
We pride ourselves on offering something you cannot find in most software companies: real human support. Our network is made up of compliance professionals, in all areas of the industry. When clients have questions, they get answers from people who understand the regulatory environment they are navigating. That combination of strong technology and genuine expertise is what makes the difference.
4. What's next for your business? Can you share the firm's current focus and future plans, such as product development, market expansion, and strategic goals?
As the market continues to recognize the need for purpose-built RIA compliance technology, our goal is to remain the most trusted, most capable, and most client-centered platform available. Continuously improving, but never losing sight of the simplicity and focus that make us who we are.
Our focus is always on making the platform better — more powerful, more flexible, and even easier to use. We are actively expanding customization capabilities, adding integrations that connect our platform with the other tools RIAs rely on, and enhancing search functionality so compliance officers can find what they need faster and present their documentation more confidently during exams.
At the same time, we are deeply committed to maintaining what has always set us apart: real human connection. As we grow, we are not moving toward an automated, faceless support model. Our clients will be able to reach a real compliance professional who understands their world. That is a deliberate choice, and one we will not compromise on.
5. Based on your experience in the wealth management sector, what key opportunities and challenges do you foresee for firms today and in the next three years?
Firms that invest in structured, technology-driven compliance programs now are positioning themselves for sustainable, confident growth. When your compliance program is organized, documented, and exam-ready by design, you are not simply reducing regulatory risk; you are freeing up your team to focus on serving clients and building your business.
The regulatory environment for RIAs is only becoming more demanding. Regulators are placing greater scrutiny on recordkeeping, off-channel communications, and evidence of ongoing supervision. For firms that are still managing compliance through spreadsheets and shared drives, that pressure is going to intensify and the risk of being underprepared for an exam is growing.
The broader challenge I see is the continuous emergence of generic compliance tools that are marketed to RIAs but are not built for them. Firms are spending time and money on platforms that require constant workarounds, that do not reflect how RIA compliance actually functions, and that create more administrative burden than they relieve.
For the next three years, I expect to see continued growth in demand for compliance technology that is accessible, customizable, and built for the RIA market. That is exactly where RIA Compliance Technology maintains its focus, and we are well-positioned to continue serving that need.
About RIA Compliance Technology
RIA Compliance Technology is an all-in-one compliance platform built exclusively for Registered Investment Advisors. Founded in 2017 by experienced RIA compliance professionals, RIA Compliance Technology consolidates compliance calendars, task workflows, communications archiving, and personal trading oversight into one secure, intuitive, and customizable platform.
With over 400 RIAs and broker-dealers served, RIA Compliance Technology's mission is to make compliance simple, structured, and organized – so advisors can focus on serving clients and growing their businesses with confidence. For more information, visit riacomptech.com.
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About the WealthTech Talks Interview Series
In the WealthTech Talks interview series, we interview senior executives from leading wealth management firms, solution providers, and WealthTech influencers to learn more about them, their journey, their perspectives on the market, and how they see the future of wealth management.
Read the latest editions in the series below!
- Tom Williams, Co-Founder of Point – click here to read the interview
- Sharon Clapp, Operations Director of Investor in Customers – click here to read the interview
- Robert O’Boyle, Chief Revenue Officer of PureFacts Financial Solutions – click here to read the interview
