Creative Planning has hired Ovi Vitas as chief marketing officer, according to WealthManagement.com, which reported the appointment on October 6, 2026. Vitas arrives from AmeriLife, an insurance and annuity provider where he held a similar marketing leadership role, the outlet reported.
Vitas announced the move himself on LinkedIn. WealthManagement.com reported that he called Creative Planning an incredible business with tremendous momentum. The outlet said his experience at Marriott, Reebok and EA Sports is expected to help the firm build its international presence.
Creative Planning CEO Peter Mallouk also commented on the hire, according to WealthManagement.com. He said Vitas has a strong track record of building brands and marketing organizations that support businesses through periods of significant growth and transformation.
The hire fills a seat vacated in August. WealthManagement.com reported that Nick Jacobson, the firm's previous chief marketing officer, left that month to explore other options. Jacobson had spent more than 25 years in financial services marketing, the outlet said, which contrasts with the consumer-brand profile of his successor.
Vitas's background, per a conference speaker biography and AmeriLife's leadership page, includes more than 25 years as an operating executive. He previously served as executive vice president and chief brand and digital officer at Marriott Vacations Worldwide, where the speaker biography says he oversaw brand, digital, marketing and customer experience across more than 120 resorts. AmeriLife's site lists a bachelor of science from Vanderbilt University and an MBA from Cornell University.
Creative Planning manages $780 billion in client assets across the U.S. and Europe, according to the WealthManagement.com coverage. Wikipedia lists the firm as founded in 1983 and headquartered in Overland Park, Kansas, with roughly 2,100 employees, and majority owned by Mallouk. InvestmentNews has reported that Mallouk is president and CEO and took ownership in 2004. Wikipedia also notes that General Atlantic bought a minority stake in February 2020.
The choice of a consumer-brand executive over another financial services marketer stands out in a business where firm identity increasingly drives client and advisor recruiting. The sources do not say how Vitas's role will be structured or what specific initiatives he will lead, and Creative Planning's plans for international expansion beyond the reported U.S. and European footprint were not detailed.