Stifel sweeps up advisors with $450M in AUM

Stifel scooped up four advisors managing more than $450 million in client assets, according to the company.

The St. Louis-based firm has stepped up recruiting efforts in recent months following a slowdown related to the pandemic earlier this year. The new hires, like many others Stifel has picked up, come from wirehouses.

In Abilene, Texas, the firm hired former Merrill Lynch advisor Donny Vogler, who previously oversaw $195 million in client assets.

Vogler started his industry career in 1989, according to FINRA BrokerCheck records. He spent 26 years at Merrill Lynch.

Stifel’s three other new hires joined the firm in Florham Park, New Jersey and came from Wells Fargo Advisors.

Steven Waxgiser has the largest AUM of the trio, having overseen $125 million while at Wells Fargo, according to Stifel. Over his 30 years in the business, Waxgiser has worked at RBC, J.B. Hanauer and Wells Fargo.

Advisor George Tackett is a 51-year industry veteran who oversaw $72 million while at Wells. He did stints at John Hancock Investments and UBS before moving to Wells Fargo in 2006, according to BrokerCheck.

Robert Finkle oversaw $70 million while at Wells Fargo. Finkle is a 25-year veteran of the business, and has worked at RBC and J.B. Hanauer.

Spokespersons for Merrill Lynch were unavailable for immediate comment. A spokeswoman for Wells Fargo declined to comment.

Wells Fargo has proved fertile poaching ground for Stifel recently: last month the firm landed its biggest hire of the year, an ex-Wells team that oversaw $1.15 billion in client assets. The team joined Stifel in a newly opened office in Midland, Michigan.

The firm reported having 2,271 advisors at the end of the third quarter, an increase of 78 advisors, or 3.6%, from the same period last year.