Preparing for a senior business development role at Wilshire Advisors requires a strategic mindset. You must be ready to demonstrate not only your sales track record but also your deep understanding of the wealth management industry's shifting dynamics.

To stand out, align your preparation with the key evaluation criteria that the hiring team uses to assess candidates:

• Technical & Product Expertise – You must demonstrate a sophisticated understanding of investment concepts, including modern portfolio theory, alternative investments, tax-loss harvesting, and OCIO frameworks. Interviewers will evaluate how clearly you translate complex financial mechanisms into business outcomes for advisors.
• Consultative Selling Skills – You must show that you can ask deep, diagnostic questions to uncover an advisor's operational pain points, rather than just delivering a generic product pitch. Your ability to tailor solutions to a firm's unique business model is critical.
• Territory & Pipeline Management – Be prepared to demonstrate a structured, data-driven approach to managing your geographic region. You should have a clear methodology for identifying, qualifying, and moving prospects through a multi-stage sales cycle.
• Collaboration & Cultural Fit – Wilshire Advisors operates with a high degree of teamwork. You will be evaluated on your ability to partner effectively with internal investment teams, client service professionals, and executive leadership to deliver a seamless client experience.

The interview process for the Account Executive (VP, Wealth Business Development) position at Wilshire Advisors is rigorous, thorough, and highly focused on practical demonstration. The firm aims to evaluate both your immediate sales capability and your long-term strategic fit within the wealth organization. The process typically spans several weeks and moves from initial qualitative screens to deep-dive technical and practical evaluations.

You can expect a highly professional candidate experience characterized by direct access to senior decision-makers. The hiring team values transparency and expects you to ask insightful questions about the firm’s strategic direction, product pipeline, and support infrastructure. This process is designed to ensure mutual alignment, as the firm invests heavily in the success and enablement of its business development professionals.

The typical progression of the interview loop is structured to evaluate different facets of your professional profile at each stage, culminating in a practical presentation that simulates a real client interaction.

The visual timeline above outlines the standard progression of stages you will navigate during the recruitment process. Each phase is designed to test specific skills, starting with foundational alignment and progressing to highly practical, scenario-based evaluations. Candidates should budget ample time between rounds to refine their product knowledge and practice their presentation delivery.

To succeed in the Wilshire Advisors interview process, you must master the core areas where candidates are most closely evaluated. The following sections detail what the interviewers are looking for, the specific topics you must be prepared to discuss, and the scenarios you are likely to face.

Consultative Sales & Pitch Delivery

This is the cornerstone of the evaluation process. The hiring team wants to see how you command a room, handle pressure, and guide an advisor through a complex decision-making process. You must show that you can lead with empathy, diagnose problems, and present Wilshire Advisors' solutions as a strategic growth driver for the client's business.

Be ready to go over:

• The Discovery Process – How you structure an initial meeting to uncover an advisor's current investment process, operational bottlenecks, and business growth goals.
• Value Proposition Articulation – Delivering a clear, compelling explanation of why an advisor should partner with Wilshire Advisors instead of building portfolios in-house or using a competitor.
• Objection Handling – Techniques for addressing common concerns around cost, loss of investment control, client communication, and transition logistics.
• Advanced concepts (less common) – Integrating custom liquid alternatives into traditional 60/40 portfolios; structuring sub-advisory agreements for larger RIAs.

Example questions or scenarios:

• "We are in a pitch meeting with an RIA managing $500M in AUM. They are proud of their investment committee and hesitant to outsource. How do you open the conversation?"
• "The prospect argues that adding our model portfolios will increase the total cost to their end client by 25 basis points, making them uncompetitive. How do you counter this objection?"

Investment Solution Acumen

As a senior representative of Wilshire Advisors, you must possess the intellectual credibility to speak peer-to-peer with chief investment officers and portfolio managers. You need to demonstrate a strong grasp of asset allocation, investment vehicles, and portfolio construction methodologies.

Be ready to go over:

• OCIO vs. TAMP Models – Understanding the operational and fiduciary differences between a Turnkey Asset Management Program (TAMP) and a bespoke Outsourced CIO relationship.
• Asset Allocation Theory – The strategic and tactical integration of equities, fixed income, real assets, and alternatives to optimize risk-adjusted returns.
• Market Dynamics – Conversational fluency regarding current macroeconomic trends, interest rate environments, and their impact on different investment strategies.
• Advanced concepts (less common) – Fiduciary duty shifts under ERISA; regulatory considerations for model delivery versus discretionary management.

Example questions or scenarios:

• "Explain how our alternative investment platform can help an advisor differentiate their offering in a crowded market."
• "How would you explain the performance of a diversified multi-asset portfolio during a period of rising interest rates and high inflation?"

Territory & Pipeline Management

This area evaluates your business acumen and operational discipline. The hiring team wants to ensure you can run your territory like an independent business, maximizing efficiency and consistently hitting asset-raising targets.

Be ready to go over:

• Territory Segmentation – How you categorize prospects by AUM, business model (RIA, broker-dealer, family office), and propensity to outsource.
• Campaign Execution – Designing and executing targeted outreach campaigns to re-engage cold leads and accelerate active opportunities.
• CRM Discipline – Utilizing sales technology (e.g., Salesforce) to track activity, forecast asset flows, and manage client follow-ups systematically.
• Advanced concepts (less common) – Leveraging centers of influence (COIs) such as custodians, technology platforms, and compliance consultants to generate warm introductions.

Example questions or scenarios:

• "You are taking over a territory where regional asset growth has been flat for two years. Walk me through your first 90 days to turn it around."
• "How do you decide which RIAs in your database deserve a high-touch, in-person visit versus those that should be managed digitally or virtually?"