FSI Elects 2012 Board; Joe Russo Is First-Ever Advisor Named Chair

Reflecting a focus on including financial advisors in its membership and among its leadership, the Financial Services Institute announced Thursday that four advisors will serve on its board of directors in 2012, including Joe Russo as the first advisor ever elected chair of the independent broker-dealer organization, which was founded in 2004.

Overall, five new members were elected to FSI’s 2012 board:

• Adam Antoniades, CEO of First Allied Holdings, based in San Diego.
• John Moloney, chairman & CEO of Moloney Securities, based in Manchester, Mo.
• Jim Livingston, president & CEO, National Planning Holdings, based in Denver.
• Rick Carlson, founder of Carlson Advisors, based in Tomah, Wis., who is affiliated with Coordinated Capital Securities.
• Dean Harman, founder of Harman Wealth Management in The Woodlands, Texas, who is affiliated with Sagepoint Financial.
   

In addition to Russo (left), who is serving as vice chair of FSI in 2011 and who is the founder of Advantage Financial Group (AFG), which is an OSJ with 54 branch offices affiliated with National Planning Corp., FSI also announced the election of Larry Roth, the veteran BD executive who is CEO of Advisor Group, as vice chair of the organization, which places him in line to succeed Russo as FSI chair in 2013.