M&I Institutional Trust Services is a secret success story for the Milwaukee-based bank that is tired of being a secret.
According to Gary Jackson, the unit’s head of sales: “We aren’t part of the who’s who, we are still part of the ‘Who?’”
Jackson was hired in February 2009 to increase sales of M&I’s institutional trust services nationally. He said in an interview Thursday that the company wants to increase distribution beyond its banking clients.
“We are a great secret in the industry,” he said. “We have extraordinary client satisfaction ratings and right now advisors and plan sponsors want a higher service paradigm. We are getting our name out there in the industry, but we aren’t a Fidelity or a Vanguard. We need to get out there into the local markets.”
Jackson said the company plans to increase sales through advisors so it can increase its trust assets under administration. The unit had $121.4 billion in trust assets under administration as of June 30.
“We have the capacity for a double digit increase,” he said. “Companies have been stressed in this economic climate. … Our growth will be impacted by the economy.”
Jackson said the company pipeline is robust, and they are hiring to increase sales. On Tuesday, it announced it hired Janet L. Ehn as director of consultant and advisory services. Ehn was vice president of consultant relations for Prudential Retirement.
Ehn, who was vice president and manager of distribution relations at Wachovia Retirement Services, replaces Kevin Harley. She will report to Jackson, who said Ehn will be responsible for leveraging relationships with investment consultants as part of an expansion of M&I's national retirement plan business.
“As a trust company, we have a national footprint,” he said. “We have plans in 40 states and we are looking to increase from there.”
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Also on the move this week:
BNY Mellon Wealth Management hired John Stroud as a vice president and sales director, a newly created role for its Bethesda, Md., office. He was responsible for mergers and acquisitions research at Iris Capital Partners, which is based in New York City.
Capstone Advisory Group LLC, which is based in Saddle Brook, N.J., hired Daniel Ventricelli as a managing director in its litigation and forensic practice group. Ventricelli, who is an expert in areas of financial investigations, litigation consulting and bankruptcy, will join Capstone's New York City office. He has over 22 years of experience working with attorneys to conduct accounting and financial investigations, provide litigation consulting and expert witness services and serve as forensic accountant/financial advisor to trustees, debtors, lenders and committees. Ventricelli was a managing director in the litigation, restructuring and investigative services practice at Protiviti. Before that, he was a senior managing director in the forensic and litigation consulting segment at FTI Consulting.
Citi Private Bank appointed three executives to its law firm group as investment counselors. Michael Remak joined the San Francisco office, and Kamran Sadr and Val Shell will both be based in New York. All three are directors. Remak was a vice president in the client solutions group at Bank of America, Merrill Lynch. Sadr was director of research and a senior portfolio manager with Stelac Advisory Services, an independent investment advisory firm based in New York City. Shell was a vice president and global investment specialist at JPMorgan Private Wealth Management.
Deloitte LLP named Stephen C. Van Arsdell chairman and chief executive officer of Deloitte & Touche LLP, the company’s accounting, auditing, capital markets and risk advisory subsidiary. Van Arsdell, who most recently served as deputy chief executive officer of Deloitte & Touche with responsibility for the professional practice network, succeeds Nick Tommasino, who was chairman and CEO of Deloitte & Touche since 2006. he will become a vice chairman of Deloitte LLP and serve as advisory partner to several of Deloitte's top clients.
Deutsche Bank hired Ted Wasserman as head of equity derivatives flow sales for North America within its markets division. He will be based in New York and report to Derek Capanna, the head of the institutional client group – equity, for North America. Wasserman was a managing director of equity derivative sales at Goldman Sachs and the co-head of its hedge fund derivatives sales.
First Republic Private Wealth Management, which is based in San Francisco, hired Stephanie Rumold as a wealth advisor. He was an investment advisor for OPES Advisors.
Hartford Financial Services Group Inc. promoted Scott Sanderson to vice president of government market and client management in the retirement plans group. He is now responsible for sales of retirement plans to state, county and municipal employers. He will also lead The Hartford’s retirement plans retention and education teams. Sanderson has worked for the Simsbury, Conn., based company since 2000. In 2004, he was promoted to vice president and national sales manager of the investment products division. Before joining the company, he was a product manager and regional sales manager for AM South Investments Services. Most recently, Sanderson was vice president and managing director of structured products and head of sales for Hartford Life Private Placement in Legacy Holdings.
RenaissanceRe Holdings Ltd. added Edward J. Zore to its board of directors. He will replace William F. Hecht, who has been on the board since November 2001 and will retire as a director. Zore recently retired from his position as chairman and chief executive officer of The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Corp.
