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November 07, 2019 at 09:48 AM
(Photo: Shutterstock)
Recruiters at Raymond James and Steward Partners, an RIA associated with Raymond James’ independent channel, have brought on financial advisors from Merrill Lynch with a total of more than $1 billion in client assets.
Raymond James recruited advisor Ariel Bobroff to its employee channel from Merrill, where he managed about $600 million in client assets. He will now work in Raymond James & Associates’ Beverly Hills, California.
“The decreased bureaucracy, promotion of autonomy, and the non-existence of a bank pressuring me to cross-sell their products were all attractive features of how Raymond James does business,” according to Bobroff.
The advisor will be part of Global Wealth Solutions Group. He spent the past decade at Merrill Lynch and earlier was with UBS for seven years.
Also, Raymond James’ independent channel has recruited Jimmy “J.R.” Blackburn and Reed Potter, Jr. — in Pikeville, Kentucky. Earlier, they were with Merrill Lynch and managed about $241 million in client assets.
Team members moving with them include Cheryl Robinette, CFP, advisor Brianna LeRae Blackburn and advisor Zachary Lukins, as well as staff members Evelyn Bear and Misty R. Potter. They do business as operate as Legacy Financial Investment Services.
“When reviewing firms, we were looking for somewhere we could really get a fresh start,” said Blackburn, in a statement. “Raymond James felt like the right place to do that … “
Blackburn has been in financial services for over 26 years. Potter has 22 years of experience in the business.
Steward Partners says two advisors moved to its office in Manchester, New Hampshire, from Merrill, where they managed $160 million in assets: Kevin Taube and Ashley Berberian.
“Through years of hard work and dedication to their clients, Kevin and Ashley have distinguished themselves as one of the top advisory teams in New Hampshire,” said Jim Connors, divisional president at Steward Partners, in an office.
Taube has 12 years of industry experience at Merrill, while Berbian spent seven years with the wirehouse.
“The independence and added flexibility Steward Partners provides will allow us to better service our clients on almost every level,” Taube said in a statement.
Meanwhile, Raymond James’ employee channel welcomed Erik Weiss, CFP, in Greenwood, Indiana. He made the move from JP Morgan Securities, where he previously managed about $200 million.
“I was initially attracted to the firm’s client-first values and vision … ,” according to Weiss. “Additionally, while many firms have strong technology and support offerings, Raymond James has a larger breadth and depth of resources to support my practice as it grows.”
Weiss has over 15 years of industry experience and began his career with Charles Schwab.
Kestra, KMS News
Kestra Private Wealth Services, an RIA subsidiary of Kestra Financial, says advisor Kim Hodges has moved to its platform and has affiliated with White Cap Wealth Management (White Cap), which has been with Kestra PWS since 2017.
Based in Provo, Utah, Hodges has about four decades of industry experience. He used to be with Wedbush Morgan Securities.
