Raymond James says it has hired Ronice Barlow to take on the newly created role of chief operating officer for its Independent Contractor Division. Barlow, a 30-year sales veteran of Franklin Templeton, is now focused on supporting the regional leaders of this group, which included 4,961 independent advisors as of Sept. 30.

“Ronice is an exciting addition to our ICD leadership team, where I’m confident she will leverage her extensive experience and proven track record to refine business strategies, enable more dynamic independent advisor support and streamline internal processes,” according to Shannon Reid, president of the firm’s Independent Contractor Division.

Last week, J.D. Power announced that Raymond James ranked highest in overall satisfaction among advised investors, with a score of 748 (on a 1000-point scale).

“I’m honored to join Raymond James, where the firm is preceded by its sterling industry reputation as a place where advisors can find their own unique combination of independence and support to thrive,” said Barlow in a statement.

Total assets under administration for the firm’s Private Client Group — which also includes about 3,825 employee advisors — rose 14% from a year ago to $1.49 trillion as of Dec. 30; net new assets for U.S. advisors in the past quarter stood at $14 billion for the final three months of 2024.

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