Stifel enticed away seven financial advisors from three rivals — five from Merrill Lynch alone — continuing the regional brokerage’s recruiting push.
The St. Louis-based company stepped up hiring efforts last year, boosting headcount to 2,301 advisors at the end of 2018 from 2,244 advisors for the same period a year ago, according to Stfiel. The firm is pursuing the same strategy in 2019,
Among the firm’s newest recruits are advisors Bill Linas and Mike Flood, who left Merrill Lynch to join Stifel in Irvine, California. They were previously responsible for $184 million and $91 million in client assets, according to Stifel.
Linas started his career at Merrill Lynch in 2004, according to FINRA BrokerCheck records. Flood, an advisor with 24 years experience, joined the wirehouse from HD Vest in 1999.
In Dublin, Ohio, Stifel picked up advisors Beth Radcliff and Richard Cochran. The duo previously worked at Merrill Lynch where they oversaw $169 million in client assets, according to Stifel.
Brent McIntosh is Citi's chief legal officer and corporate secretary. Brent leads Citi's Global Legal Affairs & Compliance organization, which includes the Legal Department, Independent Compliance Risk Management, Citi Security and Investigative Services and Citi's Regulatory Strategy and Policy function. He is a member of Citi's Executive Management Team.
Brent served as under secretary of the Treasury for international affairs from 2019 to 2021. From 2017 to 2019, Brent served as Treasury's general counsel. Prior to that, he was a partner in the law firm of Sullivan & Cromwell.
Brent served in the White House from 2006 until 2009, first as associate counsel to the president and then as deputy assistant to the president and deputy staff secretary. Before that, he was a deputy assistant attorney general at the Justice Department.
Susana Ortega Valle is the VP of Product, where she leads the strategic vision for how small business owners engage with insurance. Throughout her two-decade career, she has built a reputation for developing high-performance teams that thrive on innovation and challenge conventional thinking.
Prior to joining Simply Business, Susana held digital product leadership roles at State Street and Santander Bank. Her approach to data-informed, AI-forward product strategy is backed by a robust academic foundation, including two MS degrees in Telecommunications Engineering and an MBA from MIT.
Advisors know that a transition plan is important, but many fall into the trap of procrastination.
Radcliff joined Merrill Lynch in 2007, having previously worked at A.G. Edwards, according to BrokerCheck. Cochran joined the firm in 2009 after 21 years with UBS. He has half a century of industry experience, according BrokerCheck.
Former Baird advisor George Charter Harrison IV joined Stifel in Bellevue, Washington. He previously managed $78 million, Stifel says. Harrison, an advisor of 24 years, has past experience at Wells Fargo and McAdams Wright Ragen, a small regional brokerage that
James DiBlasi joined Stifel from Merrill Lynch in Dewitt, New York. An advisor of 22 years, DiBlasi managed $52 million, according to Stifel.
And in neighboring New Jersey, advisor Larry Lerhman left Ameriprise to join Stifel. He oversaw $50 million in client assets and is based in Shrewsbury. Lerhman is an advisor with nearly three decades experience, having worked at Morgan Stanley, Smith Barney and Merrill Lynch.
Spokeswomen for Merrill Lynch and Baird could not be reached for immediate comment. An Ameriprise spokeswoman declined to comment.
