San Diego duo managing $156 million joins Ameriprise

Stephanie Karpow and Robert Lester, who managed $156 million in assets at MSI Financial Services in San Diego, Calif., have joined the employee unit of Ameriprise. Ms. Karpow started her securities career in 2009 at New England Securities and moved to MSI in 2015. At Ameriprise, she will hold the title of financial adviser. The more veteran Mr. Lester, who will hold the title of financial adviser and managing director, began at Phoenix Equity Planning in 1980, switching to Washington National Equity in 1984. He joined Guardian Investor Services in 1989, Sentra Securities in 1991 and SunAmerica Securities in 1996. Like Ms. Karpow, he was with New England Securities, from 1998 through 2015, before joining MSI. In an unrelated move, Katherine Kicklighter, who managed $109 million at J.J.B. Hilliard, W.L. Lyons in Louisville, Ky., also has joined Ameriprise as a financial adviser and vice president. Ms. Kicklighter began her securities career at J.C. Bradford in 1996, moved to UBS in 2000 and joined Hilliard Lyons in 2003.