Who We Are

We believe that business success isn’t just about numbers — it’s about the people, relationships, and building a future with confidence. Our team is dedicated to providing expert guidance with a personal touch, making even the most complex decisions feel approachable.

With years of experience and a deep commitment to our clients, we take pride in creating tailored strategies that align with your goals and values. With clarity and alignment, you can move forward with confidence and operate at your highest potential.

Our Values

Our values are a reflection of the core belief that NORA Partners was founded upon: People Matter Most.

Be Curious.

Give Generously.

Speak Freely.

Laugh Often.

What We Do

  • Facilitate Firm Transitions: Mergers, Acquisitions, & Succession Arrangements.

  • Business Assessments and Growth Recommendations

  • Short-Term Operation- & Organization-Based Projects

  • Practice Management Coaching for
    CEOs and COOs

  • Workflow Process Reviews & Enhancements

  • Client Experience Consulting

  • Series 7 Training

Learn More about each of our engagement opportunities by reviewing the tabs along the top of the site!

Meet Gray and Josie, the faces behind NORA — long-time colleagues, trusted partners, and friends, they each bring a unique blend of expertise, vision, and genuine care to every relationship. With the help of one another (& AI, of course), we wrote up bios to help you get to know us a little better.

The Partners Behind NORA

Gray Rudd, CFP®

Managing Partner | Strategy

Gray began his career in the financial services industry in 2013 and has crafted an impressive resume. From financial advising to portfolio management to business operations, he's had his hand in everything. A natural teacher, Gray has a gift for simplifying complex ideas: making them clear, actionable, and impactful. Pairing extensive knowledge and engaging communication, you will never be bored with him around.

At NORA Partners, Gray is the big-picture guy, always thinking ten years down the road. If your business were a puzzle, Gray would be the one standing back, seeing how all the pieces fit together, and making sure the final picture isn’t just clear—it’s exciting.

Outside of work, Gray’s all about his people. He and his wife, Alex, stay busy keeping up with their two kids, Carter and Blair, and their two dogs, Malbee and Willow. North Carolina weather permitting, you will regularly catch the Rudd crew playing outside, walking the dogs, or at the pool. In his rare moments of solitude, Gray will almost certainly be on the nearest golf course, enjoying a glass of bourbon, or practicing his newest craps strategy.

A North Carolina native and die-hard NC State Wolfpack fan, he brings the same passion and energy to everything he does.

Josie Secola

Managing Partner | Operations

Josie has been immersed in the wealth management and financial planning world since 2016. With a background in training, client experience, and operations, her passion for people is second nature and evident in everything she does. She’s also the person you hear laughing three doors down because if she’s not having fun doing something, she’s not doing it at all. Her personality makes you feel like you’ve known her forever.

At NORA Partners, Josie is the queen of organization and follow-through, always two or three steps ahead. We believe in loving what we do and delivering excellence—Josie is the reason we can make that promise. A branding extraordinaire and organizational afficionado, she has a knack for understanding what you and your clients need in order to feel confident in the value you bring, knowing that those relationships go far beyond finance.

Josie lives in Raleigh, NC, with her husband, Pierce, and their black lab, Dixie. In the moments she’s not working, they prioritize family, friends, F45, food, and world travel.

With an eye for the fine print and a people-first business philosophy, she leads through creativity, thoughtfulness, and empathy in every interaction.

Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards Center for Financial Planning, Inc. owns and licenses the certification marks CFP®, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER®, and CFP® (with plaque design) in the United States to Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc., which authorizes individuals who successfully complete the organization’s initial and ongoing certification requirements to use the certification marks.