Mercer Taps RIA Veteran for New Role, Cetera Promotes Exec: Recruiting Roundup
Martine Lellis has 18 years of experience in financial services business, while Connie Gregory has more than 25.
RIA Mercer Advisors has tapped Martine Lellis as its chief talent & business solutions officer. In this new role, the CFP and CPA will report to Mercer CEO Dave Welling.
Lellis, previously was COO for RIA Sullivan Bruyette, Speros and Blayney. She spent the past 18 years with the firm.
“Martine is one of the industry’s most respected leaders with first-hand experience in what it takes to build and run a wealth management firm that delivers a family office experience to its clients,” according to Welling
Mercer Advisors now has five senior female leaders on its senior management team, all of whom moved into the firm’s executive ranks over the past two years: Karen Lee, Chief Marketing and Strategy Officer, recently promoted to Managing Director; Laura Combs, Managing Director for the central U.S.; Kara Duckworth, Managing Director of Client Experience; and Samantha Elder, Director of Human Resources.
Close to half of Mercer Advisors’ client advising teams are made up of women, it says. The firm launched its InvestHERs women’s initiative in 2018.
“Having a diverse leadership team will be critical to success in the future of wealth management, particularly as demographics change and more and more women will be in charge of their family’s financial decisions,” said Welling, in a statement.
Mercer Advisors is the parent firm for RIA Mercer Global Advisors, majority owned by Oak Hill Capital and Genstar Capital. It has some $18 billion in client assets, 400 employees and 50 offices.
Cetera News
Cetera has named Connie Gregory as its senior vice president and head of Broker-Dealer Business Development, with a focus on Cetera Investment Services, its institutions broker-dealer. In this role, Gregory will oversee national recruiting efforts for banks and credit unions and business development for Cetera’s community institutions directors.
With over 25 years of experience in financial services, according to her LinkedIn profile, Gregory has worked on recruiting for bank and credit union programs and advisors; managing client relationships; and marketing of insurance and brokerage solutions in the industry.
She joined Cetera in August from CUSO Financial Services/Sorrento Pacific Financial, where she worked for about four years.
“Connie’s extensive industry and banking knowledge coupled with her proven track record of success in recruiting make a powerful addition to our team,” according to LeAnn Rummel, president and CEO of Cetera Investment Services.
“Cetera is adopting new technologies and supporting institutions at unprecedented levels,” Gregory said in a statement. “I’m thrilled to join the team at Cetera and extend our offering to program managers and those looking to add and innovate with a leading investment service offering at their bank or credit union.”