Career moves amid the coronavirus pandemic continue with Raymond James recruiting 10 advisors who collectively managed $1.055 billion in clients assets for Merrill Lynch, Edward Jones and Waddell & Reed.
The new recruits join either the broker-dealer’s employee or independent channels in offices in the Northeast, Texas and further west.
“For many advisors, the pandemic and the immediate need for more resources and high-touch support have only solidified their decisions to make a move now, when they and their clients need it most,” Bill Counsman, western regional director for the firm, said in a statement.
Advisors joining the independent channel include Matt Jung, Daniel Dunham and Kim Laird, who together operate PDX Wealth Management in Lake Oswego, Oregon, where they previously worked for Waddell & Reed. Together, they managed $285 million for business owners, retirees and women.
Three more advisors, Tim Bellars, Claudia Bellars and Brad Harris, also are joining the independent division in Virginia Beach, Virginia. The team runs Bellars Harris Wealth Management and joins from Merrill Lynch, where they oversaw more than $355 million.
Axel Bellars, the son of Claudia and Tim Bellars, also joins the practice as vice president. The team’s client service manager is Jeannie Marie Hughes, who made the move along with her daughter Laura Savage, who serves as client service associate.
“Axel and Laura are the next generation of our practice,” Claudia Bellars said in the statement, “and we’re pleased to have access to the resources — from succession planning, to wealth planning and more — to help us, and eventually them, continue to grow our business.”
Hans Asoera joins the firm in Burlington, Vermont as an employee advisor. Asoera operates as Peregrine Wealth Management. He is joined by client service associates Andrea MacLeod and Tracy LaPan. While at Edward Jones, Asoera managed more than $255 million.
David Alford and Claudia Tapara, of Alford & Associates Wealth Management, also joined the employee division in Frisco, Texas. Previously, they managed $160 million for Merrill Lynch.
“Raymond James has a big downtown presence and Frisco has been in the top-five growing cities in the past 10 years,” Alford said in the statement. “So when we learned that Raymond James picked out an office space with a commitment to North Texas, we were thrilled to join.”
