Raymond James continues expansion in the West, welcomes seven-person team managing $842 million in client assets
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Continuing the firm’s expansion in the West, Raymond James welcomed experienced financial advisors Steven G. Williams, CPFA, CRPC®, CFP®, Kevin Townsend, CPFA, CFP®, CRPC®, Steven R. Williams, and Pamela Fisher to Raymond James & Associates (RJA) – the firm’s employee advisor channel – according to Rick Sanchez, West Coast regional director for RJA. With the move, the advisors marked RJA’s new downtown Salt Lake City, Utah, office, led by branch manager Pam McComas.
The advisors operate as Williams & Townsend Wealth Management Partners of Raymond James and joined from Merrill Lynch, where they previously managed approximately $842 million in assets for a variety of clients, including high-net-worth clients, physicians and retirees. Joining them at Raymond James are practice business manager Kim Smith and senior client service associates Barbara Hillman and Anne Beck.
“When we began working from home due to the pandemic, we felt that it was finally a good time for us to revisit what we want our business to look like and what resources and support we would need to elevate our client service and offerings,” said Townsend, managing director. “We evaluated 10 firms over the course of a year, speaking with founders of some companies and c-suite executives. It was a very thorough due diligence process along the way, and after introducing our top contenders to our partners and assistants, we all independently and unanimously came back with the same firm at the top of our list: Raymond James.
“Given the pandemic, we participated in Raymond James’ virtual home office visit, which allowed us to get exposure to the various services that were most important to us. From the outstanding technology, to the financial planning capabilities (including a team of dedicated and knowledgeable specialists), to the direct access to senior leaders and experts, we were impressed at each turn,” said Townsend.
“We were very drawn to the flexibility, the focus on wealth management as a core business at Raymond James, and the client-first culture,” added Steven G. Williams, managing director. “As we envisioned how we could run and grow our business at Raymond James, we knew we couldn’t put the genie back in the bottle. We’re so glad our entire team felt the same, and are excited about the future of our practice now at Raymond James.”
Steven G. Williams has nearly three decades of industry experience at Merrill Lynch, where he served as a managing director and portfolio manager before he and his team joined Raymond James. He is a graduate of the University of Utah, where he earned a degree in business with an emphasis in finance. In addition to CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ certification, he has continued to add to his credentials by earning the Chartered Retirement Planning CounselorSM and Certified Plan Fiduciary Advisor designations.
Townsend has been in the industry since 1997. He began his career at Fidelity, later joining Zions Investment Services and then Merrill Lynch for the past 21 years before joining Raymond James. He is a graduate of the University of Utah, where he earned his bachelor’s degree in economics. He has also earned a certificate in financial planning from Boston University and holds the Chartered Retirement Planning CounselorSM and Certified Plan Fiduciary Advisor designations, in addition to CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ certification.
Steven R. Williams, senior vice president, Investments, has more than 27 years of experience in the wealth management industry. He became a financial advisor in 1994 with Fidelity Investments, and later served at Zions Investments and Key Private Bank Trust before joining Merrill Lynch, where he remained before joining Raymond James. Prior to his financial services career, he served in the U.S. Army’s 82nd Airborne Division.
Fisher, senior vice president, Investments, brings nearly four decades of industry experience. Her career began at Merrill Lynch, where she transitioned from a cashier, to a commodities sales associate, to a senior registered client associate, to a financial advisor in 2015. She earned a bachelor’s degree in finance from the University of Utah.
“We couldn’t be prouder to welcome Steven, Kevin, Steven, Pamela and their team to Raymond James,” said Sanchez. “Particularly for a team as experienced and well-established as them, with such industry tenure, it was clearly no easy feat to evaluate so many firms and ultimately make the decision to move their practice. We are pleased that they all chose Raymond James as being the best firm for them to partner with in providing the capabilities and support for them and their clients.”
About Raymond James & Associates
Raymond James & Associates, Inc., member New York Stock Exchange/SIPC, which has built a national reputation for more than 58 years as a leader in financial planning for individuals, corporations and municipalities, is a wholly owned subsidiary of Raymond James Financial, Inc. (NYSE-RJF), a leading diversified financial services company with approximately 8,300 financial advisors throughout the United States, Canada and overseas. Total client assets are $1.13 trillion. Additional information is available at raymondjames.com.
Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards Inc. owns the certification marks CFP®, Certified Financial Planner™, CFP® (with plaque design) and CFP® (with flame design) in the U.S., which it awards to individuals who successfully complete CFP Board’s initial and ongoing certification requirements.