We’re glad you’re here.

Empowering a life well-lived is about having a customized strategy designed to reflect your goals beyond just your finances. Selecting the right firm is not a decision to be taken lightly. Wealth is complex and all-encompassing and touches all facets of life, from family to career, hopes to fears, and goals to needs. This complexity requires careful treatment.

Versant Capital Management was founded in 2004 to help people and their families realize the potential of their wealth. We are held to the fiduciary standard, which means we advise and recommend solutions based on what is in your best interest for your situation to help you make wiser decisions.

Thomas Connelly launched Versant in 2004 because as he explored options for managing family wealth, he was struck by the limitations of existing family office approaches, including sophisticated investment advice and access to comprehensive wealth management services.

In 2010, Elizabeth Shabaker joined the firm after mutual clients brought Tom and her together. Under Liz’s supervision, the firm expanded to offer a more holistic service platform to meet client needs. In 2023, Royce Ramey joined Liz in acquiring Versant and became the firm’s co-CEO, while Tom remains the Chief Investment Officer.

Over the last two decades, we’ve steadily helped build our clients’ legacies while our principles remain deeply rooted in serving families, a disciplined investment approach, an entrepreneurial spirit, the freedom to excel, joy in work well done, and giving back to our community.

We look forward to speaking with you about your specific goals.

Purpose & Values

Performance & Perseverance

We commit to results-driven actions that create value. We view knowledge as a tool to be applied, not just possessed. Our team collaborates to deliver outcomes that benefit our clients.

Positive Firm Culture

We recognize that the employee experience is a key to success. We aim to cultivate an environment that provides professional and intellectual challenges, fosters diverse ideas, innovation, and creativity, and acknowledges success and teamwork. Our professional staff is characterized by their integrity, competence, and pursuit of excellence.

Versant Capital Management exists to help people flourish. We carefully pinpoint effective investments, wealth planning strategies, business systems, planning tools, and technologies we can identify. These resources are streamlined into an ecosystem that offers our clients ease and enjoyment of use.

Each of our clients represents a unique set of circumstances and aspirations, and we approach every relationship accordingly. Every member of our firm is dedicated to and defined by our client’s trust and the achievement of their goals.

.

Citizenship & Community Service

Whether contributing time, money, or resources, our community commitment is focused on:

• Women’s issues
• Children in need
• STEM Education
• Financial education

Our employee Matching Gifts and Dollars for Doers programs are designed to help Versant become better corporate citizens, advance the firm’s mission, and engage and connect our full-time employees with that mission. With matching monetary gifts, Versant doubles the impact of our employees’ charitable donations and volunteer time to eligible nonprofits per employee per calendar year.
 

Recent Awards & Accolades

Rankings & Recognition Disclosure

Neither rankings nor recognitions by unaffiliated rating services, publications, media, or other organizations, nor the achievement of any professional designation, certification, degree, or license, membership in any professional organization, or any amount of prior experience or success, should be construed by a client or prospective client as a guarantee that the client will experience a certain level of results if the investment professional or the investment professional’s firm is engaged, or continues to be engaged, to provide investment advisory services. Rankings are based on specific criteria and methodology determined by the awarding publication or organization. No ranking or recognition should be construed as an endorsement by any past or current client of the investment professional or Versant Capital Management, Inc.

Rankings and/or recognition by unaffiliated rating services and/or publications should not be construed by a client or prospective client as a guarantee that he/she will experience a certain level of results if Versant Capital Management, Inc. is engaged or continues to be engaged, to provide investment advisory services, nor should it be construed as a current or past endorsement of Versant Capital Management, Inc. by any of its clients.  Rankings published by magazines, and others, generally base their selections exclusively on information prepared and/or submitted by the recognized adviser.

Third-party rankings and recognition from rating services or publications are no guarantee of future investment success. Working with an advisor does not ensure that a client or prospective client will experience a higher level of performance. These ratings should not be construed as an endorsement of the advisor by any client. Investment performance is not an explicit criterion because clients’ investment goals differ. This recognition does not evaluate the quality of services provided to clients and is not indicative of the practice’s future performance. Portfolio performance is not a criterion due to varying client objectives and a lack of audited data. Neither Versant Capital Management, Inc. nor its employees pay a fee for inclusion in rankings.

Versant’s Chief Compliance Officer remains available to address any questions regarding rankings and/or recognitions, including the criteria used for any reflected ranking.

The Financial Times’ methodology for selecting the award recipients is quantifiable and objective. More than 2,000 advisors completed a lengthy application. Financial Times presents the selected advisors as an elite group, not a competitive ranking. The formula the Financial Times uses to evaluate advisors is based on six broad factors, including: Assets under management (signals experience managing money and client trust), assets under management growth rate (indication of asset retention and ability to attract new business), years in existence (demonstrates reliability and experience managing assets through different market environments), compliance record (evidence of past client disputes), industry certifications (CFA, CAIA, CFP, MsFS, ChFC – demonstrates company’s staff has technical and industry knowledge, and signals a professional commitment to investment skills), and online accessibility (indicates a desire to provide easy access and transparent contact information). To view full criteria and rules on which the award is based, click here.

AdvisoryHQ researches Registered Investment Advisors from the end consumer’s perspective.  The firms are not aware that they are being reviewed and ranked by AdvisoryHQ until after the analysis has been completed and published to the public. AdvisoryHQ evaluates firms based on many factors, some of which include fiduciary duty (fiduciary responsibility to act in clients’ best interest), fee structure (do not accept commissions or third-party referral payments), independence (no affiliation with a major bank or financial institution leading to reduced conflict of interest situation), scale of innovation (constantly improving their services and business practices). Advisory HQ takes the analysis a step further by evaluating firms on the following: Experience level (certifications), transparency (fees are completely transparent), customized services (provide services that are tailored toward their clients’ unique situations), quality of advisor’s website, open door policy (actively encourage clients to contact them before making major financial decisions or whenever the client has financial questions), and who they serve.

Phoenix Business Journal Book of Lists: Largest Phoenix Area Investment Advisers – Surveyed list ranked by assets under management locally. Other information points include assets under discretionary management, number of local, licensed investment advisers, number of offices in Maricopa County, top local executive, and year founded locally.

Financial Advisor Magazine is a monthly publication geared toward independent broker-dealer-affiliated registered investment advisors (RIAs). RIA firms applied for consideration, having met a minimum set of criteria. Applicants were then ranked on multiple factors, including: 1) assets under management (AUM), 2) AUM growth rate, 3) assets per client, 4) % of growth in assets per client, and 5) % of change in number of clients. There are no fees or other considerations required of RIAs that apply for the ranking. There is no application fee to participate. For more information, visit the FA website at www.fa-mag.com. We encourage you to contact Financial Advisor Magazine if you would like additional information regarding their process or methodology.

Five Star Professional conducts market research to identify service professionals and is the largest and most widely published award program in North America. Award winners do not pay a fee to be included in research or on the final list of award recipients.

Titan CEO is a program to recognize 100 CEOs and C-level executives in a region. Representing both the private and public sectors, these leaders are Titans of industry who demonstrate leadership, vision, passion, and influence in their field. 

The Women’s Choice Award The Women’s Choice Award® Financial Advisor program was created by WomenCertified Inc., the Voice of Women, to help women with their financial choices. The Women’s Choice Award Financial Program is based on 17 criteria associated with providing service to women clients, such as educational and professional credentials, experience, and a favorable regulatory history, among other factors, including letters of validation and background checks. Financial advisors do not pay a fee to qualify for the program. All qualified advisors are listed on womenschoiceaward.com. Once qualified, financial advisors may purchase additional marketing collateral such as seal usage, enhanced listing, or promotional products. The inclusion of a financial advisor within the WCA Financial Advisor network should not be construed as an endorsement of the financial advisor by WomenCertified Inc. or its partners and affiliates and is no guarantee of the quality of services provided to clients or future investment success.  Women’s Choice Award® Financial Advisors and Firms represent less than 1% of financial advisors in the U.S.

Az Business Leaders AZ Big Media publishes an annual magazine that profiles Arizona businesspeople whom the publication determined are qualified for inclusion based on their evaluation of people in industries such as healthcare, real estate, construction, education, banking, financial services, manufacturing, technology, and law. Neither Versant Capital Management nor its employees paid AZ Big Media a fee. No nomination was submitted for this recognition. Third-party rankings and recognition from rating services are no guarantee of future investment success.

Az Business Magazine Wealth Managers of the Year AZ Big Media publishes a monthly magazine that profiles Arizona businesspeople whom the publication determined are qualified for inclusion based on their evaluation of people in industries such as healthcare, real estate, construction, education, banking, financial services, manufacturing, technology, and law. Neither Versant Capital Management nor its employees paid AZ Big Media a fee. No nomination was submitted for this recognition. Third-party rankings and recognition from rating services are no guarantee of future investment success.

Phoenix Business Journal’s Outstanding Women in Business – The Outstanding Women in Business award recognizes women who are known for their professional achievements and personify leadership in their communities. The nomination process includes an application the nominee must complete, including a list of references, company information, and essays on areas such as professional accomplishments, community involvement, and advocacy for women. Nominees must be a female resident of Arizona, employed in the state as an owner, partner, president, chief executive officer, or board chair in a senior executive management-level position, or a woman with authority in decision-making in a business or company. Winners are selected by an independent panel of judges, and awardees are not eligible for nomination once they have been honored with this distinction. Neither Versant Capital Management, Inc. nor its employees paid  the Phoenix Business Journal a fee in exchange for inclusion in the rankings. Third-party rankings and recognition from rating services are no guarantee of future investment success.

Az Business Most Influential Women in Business in Arizona – AZ Big Media annually selected the “Most Influential Women” in the state of Arizona in areas of real estate, business, nonprofits, and other leadership roles. Each year more than 1,500 women under consideration are selected by an editorial board of 12 formally honored influential women. Women are selected across multiple industries based solely on achievements listed on their nomination form and any public information such as news articles that may have been published about them. Versant Capital Management submitted a nomination for the selection process. Neither Versant Capital Management nor its employees paid AZ Big Media a fee for being selected. Third-party rankings and recognition from rating services are no guarantee of future investment success.

Phoenix Business Journal’s Most Admired Leaders – The Phoenix Business Journal selects on a yearly basis “the most admired leaders in the Phoenix metro area.” Candidates are selected based on their “integrity, values, vision, and commitment to excellence by championing innovation through corporate-giving, board service, and volunteerism.” The PBJ considered candidates who are “established leaders with a record of innovation in their field, financial performance, vision, a commitment to diversity in the workplace, and contributions to the metro community.” Versant Capital Management submitted a nomination on behalf of the employee. Neither Versant Capital Management nor its employees paid a fee to Phoenix Business Journal for inclusion in its selection. Third-party rankings and recognition from rating services are no guarantee of future investment success.

Forbes – Kenneth Chavis, IV is a Forbes Advisor Investing and Retirement Advisory Board member who reviews and consults on Forbes Advisor articles about investing and retirement.  The Board is a panel of experienced, vetted financial professionals who review articles, advise on content and support Forbes Advisor’s mission to help consumers make smarter and less stressful decisions about investing and retirement.To learn more about Forbes Advisor or Kenneth’s role, visit his profile page on Forbes Advisor.

Investopedia – The annual Investopedia 100 list honors independent U.S.-based financial advisors who have demonstrated top-of-the-industry skills in the following critical areas: Reach: defined as the domain authority of their personal blog or website, followers across socials (LinkedIn, X, TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube), and podcasts (including appearances or ownership of a personal podcast). Commitment to financial literacy: measured by the advisor’s participation in workshops, programs, nonprofits, or collaboration with others in the community to spread financial education to those who need it most, as well as the creation of accessible content. Community support: measured through peer nominations by industry professionals outside of their firms, as well as the advisor’s presence and engagement with others in the financial planning industry. Each advisor CRD number was checked for validity, and each application was checked for accuracy and quality. Final scores were tabulated according to weights designated for each criterion above. Investopedia receives no compensation from placing advisors on our list, nor does an advisor’s appearance on our list constitute an individual endorsement by Investopedia of such advisor. Neither Versant Capital Management nor its employees paid a fee to Phoenix Business Journal for inclusion in its selection. Third-party rankings and recognition from rating services are no guarantee of future investment success.

Investment News – 40 Under 40 – Each year, the Investment News editorial team reviews more than 1,000 nominations to create a list of outstanding financial advisors, or industry professionals supporting advisors, who are 40 or younger. Honorees are judged on their accomplishments, contributions to the industry, leadership, and promise. Neither Versant Capital Management nor its employees paid a fee to Phoenix Business Journal for inclusion in its selection. Third-party rankings and recognition from rating services are no guarantee of future investment success.

.