Wells Fargo taps JPMorgan alum as new regional market head

Wells Fargo is sharpening its focus in the Northeast as a former JPMorgan advisor and market leader joins its ranks.

On Thusday, the firm announced the appointment of Tim Grumley as its New England-Upstate New York market leader. Grumley will report to Barry Simmons, head of Wells Fargo Advisors' Northeast division.

“I’m thrilled to have Tim join our team and lead our New England-Upstate NY market,” Simmons said in a statement. “Having served as both regional director for markets across the Northeast and as an accomplished financial advisor throughout his career, Tim is an exceptional leader with a proven track record of helping financial advisors grow.”

According to his BrokerCheck record, Grumley has been working in the wealth industry for more than two decades, starting in 2003 at First Investors Corporation in New Jersey. He worked at JPMorgan for the bulk of his career, holding progressively senior roles; most recently, he was a managing director - regional director at JP Morgan Wealth Management for four years, as per his LinkedIn profile.

Grumley’s appointment comes as Wells Fargo shifts more of its operations and leadership presence toward the East Coast. Citing unnamed surces, a Wednesday report by the Wall Street Journal said the bank plans to sell its iconic San Francisco headquarters at 420 Montgomery Street. While the wirehouse will still maintain a presence in the Bay Area, the wirehouse is moving its power center across the country, with CEO Charlie Scharf and other members of its senior leadership now being based in New York and Charlotte, North Carolina.

The appointment also coincides with Wells Fargo’s efforts to move past regulatory restrictions. A report from Reuters last week revealed that the bank is in the final stages of resolving governance and risk management concerns tied to the $1.95 trillion asset cap regulators imposed on it in 2018. According to sources familiar with the process, the cap could be lifted as early as the first half of 2025, marking a significant milestone in the bank’s path to redemption from its fake accounts scandal.