About Lion Street

The Firm Behind the Firm

Our Story

In 2010, a visionary group of life insurance firms came together to form Lion Street. These firms shared the vision of industry veteran, Bob Carter — that elite, sophisticated life insurance professionals want to be part of a network of like-minded peers. Lion Street was created to give these highly successful professionals a peer group to share ideas and best practices — and to leverage a collective buying power with insurance companies on a national scale.

The Power of Ownership

In addition, a major part of the model was to provide ownership in the company we were building. Ownership helps align interests, develops a sense of camaraderie, and creates a collaborative culture which serves to build the strength of the company. Today, that shared ownership model continues through equity in our parent company, Integrity, an omnichannel insurtech leader in life, health, and wealth solutions.

Independent, Open, and Objective

Although we are a collaborative culture, independent ideas and advice is in our DNA. We have built a true open architecture model which allows our network freedom in carrier choice, access to all the major products and resources needed to design advanced solutions, and the ability to deliver objective information and guidance.

Through tireless execution and a dedication to helping our firms achieve unparalleled growth, Lion Street has fast become a leading national distribution network providing sophisticated life insurance and wealth planning solutions.

Executive Leadership

Bob Carter

Bob Carter

Founder & CEO

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Bob Carter

Bob Carter

Founder & CEO

Bob Carter is the Founder and CEO of Lion Street, launched in 2010. In 1976, Bob developed a significant insurance and benefits practice in Austin, Texas. He co-founded Partners Financial in 1987. In 1999, he was one of the three founders of National Financial Partners, which went public on the New York Stock Exchange in 2003. Bob served as an AALU Board member and President. He has also served on the Board of Forum 400 and was President of the Board of Trustees for Howard Payne University. He became a managing partner of Integrity following its 2022 acquisition of Lion Street.

Jim Cahill

Jim Cahill

President

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Jim Cahill

Jim Cahill

President

Jim Cahill serves as the President for Lion Street. Jim is responsible for the finance, accounting, wealth management, investor relations, technology, and legal functions of the company. He conceptualizes, builds, and executes strategies that maximize scale, efficiencies, and profitability across all enterprise functions. Jim brings three decades of leadership experience to Lion Street, previously serving as a founder and in executive roles with venture-backed companies. Jim holds a Juris Doctorate and BBA in finance from the University of Mississippi, where he graduated with the highest honors.

James Joyce

James Joyce

Chief Operating Officer

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James Joyce

James Joyce

Chief Operating Officer

James Joyce is the Chief Operating Officer for Lion Street, where he oversees the Life Insurance business including carrier management, life operations, and marketing teams, and was a founding employee of the company. Prior to Lion Street, James had leadership roles at a premium finance bank, worked in advanced sales at National Financial Partners, and started his career as a financial advisor with AXA Equitable. James currently sits on the Finseca Board of Directors (finseca.org), graduated from Baylor University, and is a Certified Financial Planner® (CFP).

John Burmeister

John Burmeister

President & CEO, Lion Street Financial, LLC

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John Burmeister

John Burmeister

President & CEO, Lion Street Financial, LLC

John Burmeister is the President and CEO for Lion Street Financial, LLC, the broker-dealer subsidiary of Lion Street. Prior to joining Lion Street, John served on the leadership team at a large independent broker dealer. During his 10-year tenure there, he held positions in support, transitions, operations, and developing advisory service operations. Earlier in his career, John was an investment advisor with Charles Schwab & Company. John holds a BBA in business management from Angelo State University. He is a registered representative holding the FINRA Series 7, 24, 63, and 66 licenses, in addition to having his Life, Health, and Variable Insurance licenses. He also holds the CMFC® designation from the College for Financial Planning. John is an active member of the Financial Services Institute in addition to serving on multiple councils in the financial services industry.

Headshot of Carie Heckler

Carie Heckler

Chief Compliance Officer

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Headshot of Carie Heckler

Carie Heckler

Chief Compliance Officer

Carie Heckler serves as Chief Compliance Officer for Lion Street Financial, LLC, a registered broker dealer and FINRA member (“LSF”), and Lion Street Advisors, LLC, an SEC registered investment adviser (“LSA”). In her role as Chief Compliance Officer, Carie is tasked with administering each of LSF’s and LSA’s compliance program. Carie has worked in the financial services industry since 2000. Prior to joining the Lion Street family, she served as Chief Compliance Officer of WFG Advisors, LP, an SEC registered investment adviser. She also spent seven years with AXA Advisors, managing and supervising 30 branch compliance professionals, supporting thousands of sales associates across 20 branches covering the western half of the United States. Carie began her career as an Investigator with the Texas State Securities Board Inspection and Compliance Division, where she participated in several onsite exams of registered broker-dealers within the state of Texas.

News & Events

Institute 2024: Sharing insights into the markets, products, & solutions for the year ahead

February 12, 2024

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Indaba 2023: Where Owner ideas become blueprints for growth

September 13, 2023

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26 Lion Street Advisors recognized in the 2023 Forbes Top Financial Security Professionals

July 26, 2023

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2023 Trusted Advisors Conference

May 8, 2023

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Lion Street Financial ranked #31 by Financial Advisor Magazine

April 1, 2023

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