Meet Our Team

Chris Cocores, President & CEO

Chris began his career as a financial advisor after graduating from Dickinson College and quickly became one of the agency’s top producers. He moved into leadership to scale what he believed from day one — that great advisors deserve a place that supports them as whole people. He’s since served as Managing Partner (2011), co-General Agent (2017), and now President & CEO.

Under his leadership, The Divergent Group and uFinancial Group has grown to 120+ advisors, 100+ staff, and 52,000+ clients nationwide, earning recognition as one of MassMutual’s top-performing firms. Chris’s own accolades include MassMutual’s Sales Manager of the Year* (2014) and Central PA’s Forty Under 40 (2019), though he’ll tell you his greatest honor is earning the trust of the advisors he works for.

Outside the office, Chris is a devoted husband and dad. He and his wife, Emily, live on a Mechanicsburg farm with their three kids — Sophia, Sebastian, and Teddy — along with a rotating cast of animals that currently includes chocolate labs, cats, horses, goats, and chickens.

*Recognized by Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company (MassMutual) based on prior calendar year sales. Recipients are sales managers of MassMutual.

Austin Wolf, Vice President & Managing Partner

Austin Wolf serves as Vice President and Managing Partner, working closely with firm leadership to guide second-line leaders and help drive Divergent’s culture and growth. He also continues to serve his own clients, specializing in financial planning for physicians.

Austin blends leadership with hands-on advising. He speaks at teaching hospitals nationwide, oversees the Philadelphia office, and founded W Financial Partners to deliver comprehensive wealth management through MML Investors Services, LLC platform . A Certified Financial Planner Professional™ (CFP®), he is committed to the fiduciary standard of care and always putting clients first.

A Lancaster County native and Villanova graduate, Austin now lives in the Philadelphia suburbs with his wife, Spencer, their toddler son, and their dog, Hollie. They enjoy traveling, concerts, and cheering on their favorite sports teams.

Nikki Cassidy, Chief Operating Officer

Nikki serves as Chief Operating Officer, bringing 15+ years of financial services operations to support advisors and teams across the firm. She focuses on building the structure, resources, and systems that help advisors grow their practices and better serve clients.

A Central PA native, Nikki spent most of her career on Firms Management Support Team in Mechanicsburg, becoming a trusted partner to advisors navigating growth and change. She holds FINRA securities, allowing her to deliver practical, advisor-focused operational solutions.

Outside the office, Nikki loves spending time with her daughter, son-in-law, and granddaughter in Florida—and she’s often on a plane heading south. Their shared love of sports has made football Sunday “fun days” a favorite family tradition.

Dr. Julia West, Vice President, Coaching & Teaming Development

Dr. Julia West is Divergent’s Vice President of Coaching & Teaming Development, leading the firm’s efforts to strengthen advisor growth, leadership, and collaboration. A clinical psychologist with 15+ years of experience, she specializes in executive coaching, organizational dynamics, and high-performance team strategy.

She supports advisors and leaders through team formation, practice transitions, succession planning, and leadership development, using tools like Predictive Index and AI to help drive clarity and performance.

Julia lives in Mechanicsburg, PA, with her husband, Paul, and their sons, Jack and Max. She’s known as the family “cake lady,” loves a good glass of champagne, and can usually be found enthusiastically cheering at her boys’ soccer games.