It's been a busy week for advisor movement as Cresset, Kestra Private Wealth Services, and Janney each welcome new advisors and teams along the East Coast.
Cresset Capital, an independent, client- and employee-owned wealth management firm, is expanding into Boca Raton, Florida, with the addition of a 16-person advisory team from UBS Financial Services.
The group is led by Michael Bober and Ed Ventrice, both former Managing Directors at UBS who previously managed approximately $4 billion in client assets. The team also includes Michael MacDonald, William "Billy" Marino, Sarah Ponczek and Alex Santos.
Bober and Ventrice each bring more than three decades of experience advising corporate executives, business owners, high-net-worth families, foundations and professional athletes. Both began their careers as certified public accountants before moving into wealth management, a background the firm says has shaped its integrated approach to client service.
"Cresset's family office approach closely aligns with how we have always believed wealth should be managed," Ventrice said, describing the model as one built around a comprehensive, long-term perspective.
Cresset chief executive Susie Cranston said the firm was "thrilled to expand our presence in South Florida to Boca Raton," pointing to the team's longstanding relationships in the local market.
Kestra Private Wealth Services, the RIA subsidiary of Kestra Financial that supports breakaway advisors, announced that Rocco Russo has joined HF3 Wealth Partners, an Alexandria, Virginia-based firm affiliated with Kestra PWS.
Russo's addition brings 17 years of experience serving federal employees, federal contractors and small business owners while deepening Kestra's Washington, D.C.-area presence. He comes to Kestra from Edward Jones, where he previously managed $130 million in client assets.
Russo's connection to HF3 founder and managing partner David Tovey dates back more than two decades, beginning as a client relationship before evolving into a professional partnership. Operating within Kestra PWS since 2022, HF3 now has a six-person team that includes specialists in tax, estate and charitable planning.
"Going from friend to client to colleague with David is a full-circle moment, and I'm excited for what we can build together," Russo said. Tovey called Russo "an exceptional advisor and a natural fit for the culture and service model we've built at HF3."
Kestra PWS founder and president Rob Bartenstein said the move reflects the flexibility independence gives firms to expand "when and how it makes the most sense for their business and their clients."
Janney Montgomery Scott has added Jenna Fiore, first vice president and wealth management advisor, to its Glastonbury, Connecticut, office.
Fiore joins from Wells Fargo Advisors and manages nearly $150 million in client assets. She began her financial services career in 2012 at AXA Advisors – which rebranded to Equitable Advisors in 2020 – before moving to Wells Fargo Advisors in 2015, and holds Series 7, 63 and 65 registrations along with variable annuity, life and health insurance licenses.
"Joining Janney gives me the opportunity to continue serving clients with the personalized approach that has always been central to my practice," Fiore said, adding that the firm offers "the flexibility and support to grow my practice while staying focused on the individual needs and long-term goals of the clients I serve."
Fiore holds a bachelor's degree in economics from Boston University and has been featured in Fortune Magazine, the Wall Street Journal and Westchester Magazine.
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