The latest wealth management industry moves in North America.

Raymond James
Raymond James has appointed Gary Wardein, senior vice president, wealth management, to join Raymond James & Associates (RJA) – its advisor broker/dealer – in San Diego, California.

Wardein joins RJA in its Rancho Bernardo office from Merrill Lynch, where he previously managed $206 million in client assets. Joining Wardein is his daughter, Erin Bethge, financial advisor. Together, the two operate as Wardein Wealth Management of Raymond James.

Wardein has 41 years of financial services experience, beginning his career in the industry with Merrill Lynch in 1978. He and Bethge run their practice as father and daughter.

Americana, Dynasty
Americana Partners – part of the Dynasty Financial Partners network - has appointed David M Darst as chief investment officer, reporting to president Jason Fertitta.  

Darst will also be a consultant and senior investment advisor to Dynasty Financial Partners working with Dynasty’s chief investment officer and director of investment platforms Joe Dursi. 

The CIO will be based in Houston, Texas and New York City. Prior to this, he held senior executive roles with Petiole Asset Management in Zurich and The Family Office in New York and Bahrain. Yale College and Harvard Business School-educated, Darst is a financier, university educator, and the author of 13 books. 

For 17 years, Darst was a managing partner and chief investment strategist at Morgan Stanley Wealth Management, where he served as vice chairman of the Morgan Stanley Wealth Management Global Investment Committee. 

Launched on April 29, 2019, Americana Partners is the largest breakaway of the year and the largest single team to join the Dynasty Network. The firm has offices in Houston, Austin, and Dallas and has longstanding ties to Texas. The breakaway was part of a trend of such moves in the North American wealth management sector.