Stifel beefs up West Coast presence, nabs 2 advisors from Wells Fargo

Stifel, which has been on an aggressive recruiting spree this year, is expanding its West Coast presence. Two more advisors are joining the firm, this time from Wells Fargo.

Stifel, which is based in St. Louis, has hired about 67 new advisors this year, according to a spokesman for the firm. Out of the new recruits, 13 have been hired in California alone, the firm says.

“This was a good week for Stifel,” John Lee, managing director for the Western region of Stifel, said in a statement.

The two latest hires include Jeff Sutton and Kerry Mangano. They are heading to Stifel after a couple decades at Wells Fargo Clearing Services and A.G. Edwards, according to FINRA BrokerCheck records.

Sutton, who managed $198 million at Wells Fargo, is joining the Modesto branch in California. He spent 23 years at Wells Fargo and A.G. Edwards. The Newport Beach branch is welcoming Mangano, who managed $110 million in client assets and worked 26 years at Wells Fargo and A.G. Edwards.

The two recruits did not respond to immediate requests for comments on their departure.

The Modesto and Newport Beach offices now include six and 18 advisors, respectively. All of the advisors at the Modesto branch come from Wells Fargo, according to FINRA BrokerCheck.

Other recent hires for Stifel include father-daughter team Howard Ashlock and Ashlee Ashlock, who together oversaw more than $160 million in client assets at Merrill Lynch.

Stifel now has an approximate head count of 2,300 advisors, a company spokesman says.

Wells Fargo declined to comment on the departures.