LATEST PANEL: Indexing and Benchmark Innovation: The Next Phase of Growth

William “Bill” Hortz is a financial innovation writer, independent business consultant, and Founder/Dean of the financial services-focused Institute for Innovation Development.

Bill has over 40 years of experience in the financial services industry including creatively restructuring and developing internal/external sales and strategic account departments for 5 major financial firms; entrepreneurially pioneering new markets in the early days of the financial advisor RIA and fee-based movement and financial alliance programs in the US; and created many non-traditional and engaging advisor educational events with major financial firms while at OppenheimerFunds, Neuberger&Berman, Peregrine Asset Management (HK), and Templeton Funds Distributors.

The Institute for Innovation Development (IID) is an educational and business innovation platform, network, and collaboration catalyst for financial advisors, FinTech companies, and financial services executives determined to grow their businesses in a world of accelerating business and cultural change. Run as a social enterprise, the Institute will be dedicated to chronicling and promoting financial innovators and leaders with unique perspectives through thought leadership interviews and deep dive articles making innovation best practices and resources a vital cornerstone of members’ business growth, competitive differentiation, and client/community engagement strategies.


Bill is married, with two grown children (and 2 grandchildren!), living in the TampaBay area. He enjoys reading, engaged conversation, spelunking, and traveling with his family.

Little known facts: Bill worked on the last remaining docks on lower Manhattan NYC as an underage teen, worked for the man in Hong Kong that the book Tai-Pan was based on, and constantly seeks out off-off-off Broadway theatre, performance art, live music performances, and modern art museums.