R.J. Shook

R.J. Shook is the Chairman & Co-Founder, SHOOK Research and a Senior Forbes Contributor. SHOOK is the leading research organization dedicated to evaluating the quality and professionalism of financial advisors. Its rankings—based on extensive due diligence including data analysis, telephone interviews, and in-person meetings—are widely recognized as the industry’s most rigorous and are regularly featured in Forbes.

In 2025, R.J. and his wife and co-founder, Liz Shook, sold a majority stake in SHOOK to PPC Enterprises, a middle-market private equity firm. SHOOK’s leadership team and strategic vision remain intact.

R.J. previously founded Winner’s Circle in 2000, where he created the world’s first rankings of financial advisors. The rankings were published in Barron’s, and the business was acquired by Barron’s in 2008.

Beyond his work in advisor research, R.J.’s family and the initiatives connected to SHOOK have contributed more than $10 million to fund promising pediatric cancer treatments for children with no other options, $5 million to support breast cancer research, and $2 million to the Make-A-Wish Foundation. R.J.’s philanthropic research initiatives—also featured in Forbes—have helped raise over $300 million for charitable causes.

A graduate of Babson College, R.J. began his career on Wall Street at Prudential Securities, first as a financial advisor and later in research. He is the author of 11 books, including his latest, The Masters List: How 12 Wealth Management Teams Became the Best in the Business (2025).

R.J. lives in Boca Raton, Florida, with his wife and their three children.