Chris Chakford brings nearly 30 years of leadership in the financial sector, with a strong track record in alternative assets, private offerings, and high-net-worth wealth strategies. He is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Divergent Capital Asset Management, an independent Registered Investment Advisor (RIA) that offers advanced portfolio solutions and white-glove investment services. Under his guidance, the firm delivers customized financial strategies focusing on private equity, private credit, and structured products traditionally available only to institutional investors. Divergent Capital is recognized for its Outsourced Chief Investment Officer (OCIO) services. Chakford and his team help RIAs and family offices, typically managing $2.5 Billion assets. He helps them enhance their client offerings through bespoke, back-end alternative investment solutions. This allows partners to grow assets while Divergent Capital manages the portfolio architecture and execution.
Beyond finance, Chakford is an active philanthropist, supporting causes like St. Jude, Goodwill, and the Veterans in Need Foundation. He’s passionate about giving back and fostering community impact. When away from work, he enjoys golf, cornhole, and poker nights and is a proud husband and father. With a career built on innovation and integrity, Chakford continues to lead purposefully, helping clients and partners achieve meaningful, lasting success.
What market needs or gaps prompted this transition, and how does Divergent Capital fill them?
We saw a growing number of mid-sized RIAs and family offices struggling to offer genuinely differentiated investment solutions, particularly in alternatives. Most lacked the internal bandwidth or expertise to source, evaluate, and manage private market investments. Divergent Capital stepped in to fill that gap. We design fully customized, institutional-caliber alternative portfolios, including private equity, private credit, and structured products. We also manage everything behind the scenes. This lets our partners expand their value proposition without adding overhead or operational complexity. It’s about empowering them to scale smarter, compete at a higher level, and deliver more meaningful results to their clients.
How are custom alternative portfolios becoming a strategic advantage in today’s wealth management landscape?
Clients today want more than a 60/40 portfolio. They want access, exclusivity, and performance. Custom alternative portfolios provide precisely that. They differentiate advisors in an increasingly commoditized landscape, allowing them to offer private investments typically reserved for institutions. These strategies not only enhance returns and diversification but also create stickier relationships. Our OCIO partners can position themselves as thought leaders by offering bespoke solutions that address market volatility, inflation concerns, and low-yield environments. We handle the complexity so they can focus on client relationships and growth. It’s a powerful combination that builds both credibility and competitive advantage.
What trends drive the increased demand for outsourced CIO services among mid-sized institutions?
Several trends are converging. First, the complexity of the investment universe, primarily in alternatives, makes it increasingly tricky for mid-sized firms to go it alone. Second, clients are asking for access to differentiated strategies, and RIAs want to meet those demands without hiring in-house experts or building infrastructure. Third, fee compression is real, so efficiency matters. Our outsourced CIO service addresses all three: we deliver high-level investment acumen, institutional access, and operational scale, all behind the scenes. It’s a turnkey solution for RIAs and family offices managing $2.5 Billion who want to elevate their offering without reinventing the wheel.
How does Divergent Capital’s OCIO model allow RIAs and family offices to scale while maintaining a high-touch client experience?
Our model is purpose-built for scalability without sacrificing the human element. We provide fully managed portfolios and investment infrastructure, sourcing, due diligence, and performance reporting so our partners can focus on what they do best: nurturing client relationships. They do not need to hire new teams or build internal platforms. Everything we do is white-labeled, meaning their clients experience a seamless, branded engagement. It’s a plug-and-play solution that unlocks scale without friction. Our partners fully control the client experience while leveraging our institutional capabilities in the background. It’s operational leverage with a personal touch.
What sets your back-end portfolio design apart from other OCIO providers in the alternatives space?
We don’t offer cookie-cutter models. Every portfolio we build is bespoke, tailored to the client’s goals, risk tolerance, and existing exposures. We combine private equity, private credit, tangible assets, and structured notes to reflect a firm’s unique philosophy. Our access is institutional-grade, and our underwriting process is rigorous. We also handle ongoing rebalancing, reporting, and manager communication end-to-end. What truly differentiates us is our agility and transparency. We work collaboratively with our partners, offering real-time insights and strategy calls. We’re not just executing portfolios. We’re helping firms sharpen their edge and tell a compelling investment story.
What should firms consider when choosing an OCIO partner like Divergent Capital?
Start with alignment. Is the OCIO acting in your best interest, or do they have hidden agendas? Transparency, access, and customization are critical. You want a partner who listens to your investment philosophy and builds portfolios accordingly, not someone who forces you into a model. Track record and access also matter; can they get you into opportunities typically reserved for institutions? Finally, ask about support. Do they truly integrate with your firm, or are they just a vendor? At Divergent, we become an extension of your team. We win when our partners win, the relationship we strive for.
How does partnering with Divergent Capital help RIAs and family offices grow their AUM?
We help our partners offer something their competitors can’t access, and that’s a curated suite of institutional alternatives with full back-office support. This allows them to attract new clients, deepen relationships with existing ones, and increase wallet share. Our portfolios drive results, and our infrastructure will enable firms to scale without adding internal costs. In a marketplace where differentiation is key, RIA’s saying “We offer bespoke, custom alternative funds and direct co-investment opportunities,” is a game-changer. It signals sophistication and trust. That’s a powerful growth lever, and we’re proud to help our partners pull it.
What lessons have you learned from building the institutional OCIO arm?
One big lesson is that firms are hungry for support, but not at the cost of control. They want to preserve their brand and client relationships while accessing expertise they can’t build internally. So, our role has evolved to become both collaborative and invisible. We’ve also learned that flexibility is key; some partners want complete discretion, and others prefer joint governance. And lastly, relationships matter. This isn’t just about numbers; it’s about building long-term trust. Every engagement is a partnership. The more we embed ourselves in their success, the more everyone wins. That’s been a core takeaway as we’ve grown.
How do your values influence institutional relationships and the direction of your OCIO work?
Integrity, transparency, and humility guide everything we do. In the institutional space, trust is paramount. Our partners need to know we’re not just managing money, aligning with their vision, protecting their brand, and putting their clients first. We don’t push products; we provide solutions that fit. I also believe in leading purposefully, philanthropy, and community involvement, which are essential to me, and I think that resonates with like-minded firms. When values align, the partnership is stronger. Our OCIO offering isn’t just a technical service; it’s an extension of who we are, and we’re proud to stand behind it.
What’s your vision for the next phase of Divergent Capital?
Our vision is to become the go-to institutional OCIO partner for firms seeking customized alternative exposure without the operational burden. We want to help RIAs and family offices punch above their weight by delivering institutional access, infrastructure, and execution at scale. We’re investing in technology, expanding our deal flow, and deepening our white-label capabilities to make the experience seamless for our partners. At the core, we’ll continue doing what we do best, quietly driving performance in the background so our partners can shine in the spotlight. It’s about scale, service, and staying true to our mission.
About The Author
