Prostano Tapped to Develop Fleet’s Wealth Business

Steve Prostano, formerly the president and COO of Chase Asset Management and Hambrecht & Quist Funds Management, has joined FleetBoston Financial as a managing director of its private clients group.

Prostano is in charge of Fleet’s New York City, New Jersey and Pennsylvania private client markets and is responsible for building the firm’s ultra-high-net-worth business, which includes individuals with between $5 million and $10 million in investable assets. He will report to Kathleen McGillycuddy, head of Fleet’s private client group. The group has $50 billion in assets under management.

Prostano is being brought on to help the firm gain high-net-worth market share in new territories it gained through its acquisition of Summit Bank in May. Fleet needed an executive with extensive experience in the high-net-worth marketplace to gather assets in Summit Bank’s territories in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, said Charles Salmans, a company spokesman.

In his career with J.P. Morgan Chase, Prostano played a utility role, overseeing the management of five of the company’s private client, mutual fund, institutional, alternative and investment advisory businesses. He also oversaw the merger and integration of the firm’s global investment units with Chemical Bank when it was acquired by Chase.

Prior to his years with J.P. Morgan Chase, Prostano was a senior executive with Mellon Bank where he was in charge of integrating the bank’s business functions with its private client and asset management businesses. His efforts resulted in the establishment of a new operating system, the development of new products and services and the creation of several wealth practices including the firm’s financial and estate planning businesses and its charitable and planned giving businesses.

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