KMS unit of Ladenburg appoints Erinn Ford president

Seattle-based KMS Financial Services, one of the independent broker-dealers owned by Ladenburg Thalmann Financial Services, has named Erinn Ford as its president. Joining the firm in March, she will succeed Tracy "Ace" Forsythe, a 20-year KMS veteran who is retiring this summer. A resident of Seattle, Ms. Ford was most recently president of Cetera Advisors. She also had served as the firm's senior vice president of advisor relations. Her departure was announced Tuesday as part of a reorganization of the parent firm's broker-dealers. "Erinn Ford has consistently been one of the most visible leaders in the retail financial advice space, especially in the Pacific Northwest, where she and her family have been involved with our industry for decades," said Eric Westberg, chairman and CEO of KMS. As president of KMS, Ms. Ford will oversee recruiting and retention, enhancements to the firm's service model and refinements to its open-architecture product platform. In addition to KMS, Ladenburg Thalmann, based in Miami, Fla., is the parent of Securities America, Inc., Triad Advisors, Securities Service Network, and Investacorp Inc.