Robert S. Zuccaro will rejoin GAMCO Investors as executive vice president and chief financial officer. He is currently the chief financial officer of Commonwealth Management Partners. Previously, Zuccaro was executive vice president and chief accounting officer with National Financial Partners. Prior to joining GAMCO originally in 1998, Zuccaro was the vice president and treasurer of Cybex International, where he worked for 13 years. Before, that he was with Shearson Lehman, and began his career with Ernst & Young.
He is replacing Jeffrey M. Farber, who is leaving the firm. GAMCO did not indicate where Farber is going.
"We are pleased to have Bob Zuccaro rejoin us," said GAMCO Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Mario Gabelli. "Bob was with us when we went public, and we are fortunate to have Bob rejoin us nearly 12 years to the day of our IPO. Bob will work closely with David Goldman, who joined us on Jan. 3 to pursue acquisitions in the investment field as well as potential lift-outs of portfolio management teams."
Trust Company of America Recruits Industry Veterans
Trust Company of America has recruited a number of the industry's most recognized veterans as regional vice presidents to its sales team.
Joining the company and reporting to Bob Oros, national sales manager, is Jeffrey Speight, covering the central South territory. Oros, a 24-year veteran of the financial services industry, was previously with Charles Schwab Institutional for more than a decade. Before that, he was with Fidelity Investments.
Kathleen Asak, a 19-year veteran, also comes to the firm from Charles Schwab Institutional, where she served the RIA channel. Previously, she was vice president of sales and director of managed accounts at Fidelity Institutional Wealth Services. Asak will cover the Northeast territory.
Jim Collins, a 12-year veteran, hails from LPL Financial, where he was regional director of business development. He has also worked at Charles Schwab International, Morgan Stanley and UBS Paine Webber. Collins is responsible for the Great Lakes region.
Melissa Gaustad, in charge of the Heartland territory, is a 20-year veteran who was previously responsible for the LPL Financial relationship at New York Life Insurance Co. She has also worked at U.S. Bancorp Investments/U.S. Bancorp Insurance Services.
"Trust continues to attract the industry's best and brightest because of its cutting-edge platform that is driving economic impact for advisers," Oros said. ""What we offer to RIAs and how we deliver personalized service is the way of the future, and recruits are recognizing this. With their decades of sales-proven experience and expertise, the addition of these new members to our sales team sends a clear message to the industry that Trust means business."
Putnam Names Lundberg, Strzoda as Senior VPs
Putnam has appointed Anne Lundberg as senior vice president and consultant relations manager, Midwest region. She reports to Robert E. Alan, head of North America consultant relations. And Sonja R. Strzoda has joined as senior vice president and consultant relations manager, Western region.
Alan, who was recently promoted to his current position, retains responsibility for the Eastern region.
"Anne Lundberg and Sonja Strzoda are seasoned professionals who have extensive experience working with the institutional investment community-both plan sponsors and consultants-and can help the consultants better understand Putnam's innovative investment capabilities and the unique value proposition we offer," Alan said.
Lundberg, a 20-year financial services veteran, returns to Putnam after a year-long absence. Before joining Putnam, she was a senior relationship manager at William Blair & Co. and vice president of sales, client and consultant relationship manager at Capital Guardian Trust Co.
Strzoda has been with Putnam since 2008, and has 18 years of experience. She was previously vice president, consultant relations and sales at Robeco Investment Management, director of client services at Bradford & Marzec, a marketing associate at PIMCO and an account executive at Dean Witter Reynolds.
BoA Merrill Snags Morgan Exec to Head Consulting
BoA Merrill Lynch has hired Tom McAuliffe, the former director of consulting at Morgan Stanley's Graystone Consulting, to head institutional consulting, according to an internal memo. Andrew Sieg, BoA's head of retirement services, said McAuliffe will join the company in April to assume Kelly O'Dea's lead institutional consulting duties.
O'Dea will then take over as the director of global wealth and investment management product and platform supervision and control, a newly created post at BoA Merrill Lynch.
