Spotlight On: Leila Evans, Regional President & Senior Managing Director, MAI Capital

Key points:

• • Charlotte’s growth is driving demand for personalized, relationship-focused wealth management.
• • Clients are prioritizing long-term planning and stability over short-term market movements.
• • MAI’s strategy centers on scaling nationally while maintaining a boutique, community-driven approach.

May 2026 — In an interview with Invest:, Leila Evans, regional president and senior managing director of MAI Capital, discussed the evolution of wealth management in the region and the firm’s focus on personalized service, financial education, and community engagement. “We want to be part of Charlotte in every sense, not just as a firm serving clients here but as a team contributing to the city’s future,” Evans said.

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What changes in the economy, markets, or business environment over the past year have had the biggest impact on MAI Capital’s business and the region?

I have been in Charlotte since the late 1980s, so I have had the opportunity to watch the city evolve in a personal way. When I first arrived, Charlotte looked completely different. Over the years, it has grown into one of the most dynamic places in the country to live and work, but what has always stood out to me is that it has managed to keep a real sense of community despite that growth. That is unusual.

Like many people who came here at that time, I started in banking. Charlotte was already emerging as a financial center, and then wealth management began to take shape in the late 1980s and early 1990s. I feel fortunate to have grown up professionally alongside both the city and the industry.

We started our own wealth management firm in 2009, and that gave us the opportunity to build a business around personalized advice and long-term relationships. By 2021, though, we saw that if we wanted to keep growing and serving clients at a high level, we needed a partner that could take a number of operational responsibilities off our plate. We evaluated around 30 firms and ultimately chose MAI Capital.

We partnered with MAI in December of 2021, and that’s been the best thing we’ve done in the history of our firm. It allowed us to keep the boutique feel that our clients value while gaining access to a broader set of services, products, and expertise. It also freed us from spending so much time on centralized functions like compliance, technology, HR, and other back-office responsibilities, so we could focus more directly on clients.

That has made a real difference. Charlotte continues to grow, and the partnership has positioned us to grow more efficiently along with it. MAI itself has expanded significantly — we were MAI’s 10th acquisition, and now the firm has expanded to 41 offices across the U.S., 700+ team members, and approximately $74.9 billion in assets under management and advisement — but it has done so while continuing to build the infrastructure needed to support that growth. That has helped us feel like we are part of something larger without losing what made our local practice special in the first place.

What are your clients most focused on today, and have you seen shifts in risk tolerance?

We try not to begin with what the markets did today. We start with the client’s financial plan. That plan is the roadmap, and it should guide decisions much more than daily market movements do. Our goal is not only to help clients build wealth but to help them preserve it and stay confident throughout retirement and beyond.

We review each client’s plan regularly to make sure it seems to be working under current market conditions. That helps keep people focused on the bigger picture. If the plan remains solid, they are less likely to get distracted by day-to-day volatility.

Risk tolerance is also important. We spend a great deal of time making sure clients are invested in a way that aligns with their actual comfort level. In some cases, volatility reveals whether that alignment is appropriate. If I get a lot of calls from a client when the markets get rough, that usually tells me that the client may not be in the right investment model. If I do not hear from them, that often means we have positioned them appropriately.

A big part of our work is hand-holding through uncertainty. That has become more important again as volatility has come back into the conversation.

Who are the clients you serve, and is there a particular community or cause you’re especially passionate about in Charlotte?

We work with a broad range of clients — individuals, families, business owners, athletes, and people in various stages of life and career. That diversity keeps the work interesting, and every client relationship is different.

One of the things I’m most passionate about is helping women take an active role in their financial lives. Historically, a lot of women — especially in older generations — left the investment decisions and long-term financial planning to their partners. And that can leave people really vulnerable, particularly when life changes. Women statistically live longer than men, so the reality is that at some point, many women may be managing their finances on their own. We want to make sure they feel confident and prepared long before that moment arrives.

A big part of what we do is encouraging couples to come to financial meetings together, so both partners understand what they own, why they own it, and how it connects to their goals. And when someone is going through a transition — a divorce, the loss of a spouse — we’re there to help them rebuild and move forward.

We also invest in financial education more broadly. That means workshops, webinars, and resources designed to help women as well as the next generation at every stage—whether you’re just starting out and using budgeting apps, or you’re further along and thinking about estate planning and generational wealth. The practical stuff matters too: documenting your goals, tracking your spending, reviewing your investments regularly, and keeping your beneficiaries updated. These aren’t complicated steps, but they can make a real difference.

Charlotte is a younger, growing city, and I love that. Younger women here tend to be independent and financially engaged in ways that previous generations weren’t. But even for someone who feels confident day-to-day, having a long-term plan and a trusted advisor in your corner is still essential. That’s what we’re here for.

How are you approaching talent development and recruitment in Charlotte’s competitive market?

Talent is probably our biggest challenge. Charlotte is a competitive market for financial services professionals, and there are a lot of firms recruiting from the same pool.

MAI’s internal recruiting team has been helpful, and the company has invested more in getting its name out there through platforms like LinkedIn and other recruiting channels. That visibility matters. It helps us attract people who may not have known the firm before.

What has helped most in recruiting is being able to tell candidates they can be part of a growing company with a national vision. That is exciting for young professionals. MAI is also putting more structure around training and career development, which gives younger advisors a clearer path for growth than they might have had in a smaller independent firm years ago.

We also rely on our broader professional network. Relationships with estate planning attorneys, CPAs, and other centers of influence are important not just for client referrals but also for talent leads. Those relationships remain a valuable part of how we build the team.

What priorities will guide the Charlotte office in the years ahead?

Charlotte’s growth shows no signs of slowing down, and we want to continue growing with it. That means expanding the firm thoughtfully, continuing to find and develop younger talent, and making sure we are serving both our current clients and the next generation well.

We also want to preserve the boutique feeling that has always been important to us. Clients want strong resources behind their advisor, but they also want a high-touch experience that feels personal and seamless. That balance is central to what we do.

We will continue investing in our women’s initiatives and in financial literacy more broadly. Those efforts have been meaningful for the community and valuable for the long-term health of the business. We also want to keep identifying the right marketing opportunities and partnerships that help tell our story more effectively in Charlotte.

Just as important, we want to remain active in the community. At MAI, we talk about three core pillars: taking care of our clients, taking care of each other, and taking care of our communities. That last piece matters a great deal to our team. We encourage everyone to be involved in nonprofit work, and our Charlotte office is engaged with several organizations In particular, we partner with Roof Above, which serves the area’s homeless population; the Umbrella Center, a family justice center providing services to victims of domestic violence and sexual assault; and Country Acres Rescue, which focuses on rescuing, rehabilitating, and rehoming dogs—along with supporting a range of other important causes. 

We want to be part of Charlotte in every sense, not just as a firm serving clients here but as a team contributing to the city’s future.

Want more? Read the Invest: Charlotte report.