Career moves

Headcount has dropped four out of the last five quarters as numerous scandals have hit the bank.

Jim Chahine spent the bulk of his 26-year career at Merrill Lynch and Credit Suisse.

Jodi Perry took over as national director of the independent contractor division as the firm seeks to keep up its strong momentum.

Richard Frick had overseen the wirehouse's Philadelphia operations since 2011.

The active manager plans to launch his new firm in June with former Franklin Templeton colleagues.

The team is the latest in a stream of advisors who are leaving the wirehouse for smaller rivals.

Move is the latest in a recruiting streak for the regional broker dealer.

One of the new hires has more than five decades of industry experience.

The advisor had been with Wells Fargo for only two years, having previously worked at Credit Suisse.

A massive acquisition also helped boost the No. 1 IBD’s headcount by 833 advisors year-over-year to 15,210.