RBC Wealth Management has hired a Raymond James branch manager to lead its Texas South complex, one of several senior appointments this week as DPL Financial Partners added two executives and Prime Capital Financial hired a retirement plan consultant.
Shawn Bernhard has joined RBC Wealth Management – U.S. as complex director for the Texas South region, the firm said Oct. 23. She will work with financial advisors in Texas and Louisiana.
Bernhard has more than 25 years of experience in financial services, most recently serving as managing director and branch manager of Raymond James’ office in Tucson, Arizona. Before that, she held several leadership posts at UBS Wealth Management, where she oversaw major markets in Arizona.
The hire comes after a year in which RBC has been pulling sizable advisor teams away from UBS.
“She understands that when you empower advisors with the right resources and support, everyone thrives – advisors and clients alike,” said Scott Skinner, RBC’s Mountain South divisional director.
Bernhard said the firm’s culture drew her in. “What drew me to RBC is the firm’s genuinely collaborative, advisor-centric culture and the way everyone works together to help advisors and their clients reach their goals,” she said.
She holds the Certified Financial Planner and Certified Exit Planning Advisor designations, and previously chaired the Women’s Wealth Advisors of Arizona.
DPL Financial Partners, the Louisville, Kentucky-based platform for commission-free annuities, has named Mark Forman head of experience and Kendal Wetzel head of sales strategy and operations.
The firm announced the new hires and positions as it reports approaching $7 billion in assets under administration.
Commission-free annuities carry no sales commission, a structure that supporters say reduces conflicts of interest for fee-based fiduciary advisors. DPL has been building tools for that market, including a portfolio-level tool for reviewing legacy annuities aimed at RIAs moving commission books to fees.
Forman will oversee service for DPL’s member advisors, partners and consumers. He previously led experience initiatives at Jefferson National, where he worked with DPL founder and CEO David Lau, and later at Nationwide Financial. He then spent nearly six years as chief marketing officer at RetireOne, worked as a fractional CMO through Intention.ly and was most recently CMO at Optifino.
Wetzel will run sales operations and enablement, the very function she focused on as vice president at Jackson National Life Distributors. Earlier, she was director of RIA distribution at Allianz Life.
“Mark and Kendal both know the RIA market well and bring expertise tailoring annuity and insurance solutions to its unique needs,” Lau said.
“I’m eager to help build the systems and infrastructure that will support that momentum as advisor and consumer demand increases,” Wetzel said.
Overland Park, Kansas-based Prime Capital Financial, which entered into a recapitalization deal with Carlyle's Global Credit platform this summer, has hired Ekaterina “Katie” Sheliga as a retirement plan consultant to expand its presence in the Mid-Atlantic.
Sheliga has more than 15 years of experience in financial services and retirement. She was most recently sales director of strategic accounts at PCS Retirement, where she managed relationships with national broker-dealers, RIAs and wealth firms.
She previously held leadership roles at the American Retirement Association and The Standard, and she began her career at Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. At Prime Capital, she will focus on relationships with employers, advisors and centers of influence.
Jania Stout, whom Prime Capital brought aboard to lead its retirement practice in 2024, pointed to the breadth of Sheliga’s background. “She’s worked in consulting, recordkeeping and strategic partnerships, so she understands how the pieces fit together,” said Stout, president of retirement and wellness.
“I’m eager to return to working directly with employers and their employees, helping more people build a path toward a retirement they can look forward to,” Sheliga said.
Sheliga is also Northeast regional leader for We Inspire Promote Network, which supports women in the retirement industry.
Andrew Komarow pleaded guilty Thursday in federal court in Hartford to defrauding three financial services companies of close to $3.3 million.
Elsewhere, Cetera picks up a $210 million Connecticut team from MML, while Wells Fargo FiNet adds a San Diego family practice from LPL
“We needed to become a more agile and efficient organization,” said American Express CEO Stephen Squeri.
Examiners will scrutinize fee conflicts, complex products and super intelligence threats as broker-dealers face fresh Reg BI and AML reviews
New launches tackle succession planning, AI-driven email management and heir retention ahead of the great wealth transfer
Knighthead Life entered the market with a competitive MYGA. A strong launch earned advisor confidence and paved the way for FIAs.
As AI makes financial information more accessible than ever, Lana Hock explains why human judgment, trust, and empathy remain the qualities clients value most in a financial advisor
