© 2024 Arizent. All rights reserved.
Top program managers

Top Program Managers, 1-10

ByLee Conrad
May 15, 2019 11:28 AM
Sponsored by

We conclude our Top Program Managers, one of our signature rankings, with those bosses who ranked #1 - 10.

For this list, we combine multiple variables into one composite score, which evaluates number of advisors on staff, team assets under management, annual team production, percentage growth in AUM, percentage growth in production and production-per-advisor. You can see more about the list and the methodology here.

We do it that way to show a more complete picture of their success, instead of focusing one just one metric. Doing it this way also creates a very real side effect: It’s very hard to have a repeat winner. To be sure, there are a handful of program managers who seem to routinely show up in our rankings. But we’ve never had anyone keep their perch at the top. Until now.

Scroll through to see all top 10 program managers, including our repeat winner. And check back later this week for more articles and analysis on the bank channel.

collage1.jpg
Janet Yellen, chair of the U.S. Federal Reserve, speaks during her semiannual report on the economy to the House Financial Services Committee in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Wednesday, July 15, 2015. Yellen said prospects are good for further improvement in the labor market and the economy, keeping the central bank on track for an interest-rate increase in 2015. Photographer: Drew Angerer/Bloomberg *** Local Caption *** Janet Yellen
Drew Angerer/Bloomberg

10. Terry Mobley

Bank: BancorpSouth
Location: Jackson, Mississippi
TPM: Infinex Financial
Years in wealth management: 32
Years in current job: 11
Number of advisors you personally oversee (as of 12/31/18): 24
Number of advisors you personally oversee (as of 12/31/17): 19
Team AUM (on 12/31/18): $2.02 billion
Team AUM (on 12/31/17): $1.83 billion
Team 2018 production: $8.0 million
Team 2017 production: $6.3 million
Production per advisor: $373,662
% of 2018 production from fee business: 8%

Terry Mobley has been leading the investment program and trust department for BancorpSouth for over 10 years. Last year the program had revenue growth of over 20%. Terry understands the value of having multiple revenue streams from different product lines, so he added four advisors last year who focused on insurance. He also is encouraging the adoption of financial planning software and fee-based business. Recognizing that these areas are often neglected in the bank channel, Terry has made it a point to address them and help raise the reputation and capabilities of his advisors to meet client needs.
9. Mike George.jpg

9. Mike George

Bank: Fulton Bank
Location: Lancaster, Pennsylvania
TPM: Raymond James
Years in wealth management: 27
Years in current job: 5
Number of advisors you personally oversee (as of 12/31/18): 55
Number of advisors you personally oversee (as of 12/31/17): 52
Team AUM (on 12/31/18): $3.47 billion
Team AUM (on 12/31/17): $3.51 billion
Team 2018 production: $26.6 million
Team 2017 production: $24.7 million
Production per advisor: $497,969
% of 2018 production from fee business: 52%

As president of Fulton Financial Advisors, Mike George is responsible for revenue growth, operational efficiency, service standards and risk mitigation for the division. A 25-year industry veteran, George previously held senior management positions at M&T Bank, Wilmington Trust, & Thrivent Financial. He strives to provide advisors with the tools and resources necessary to deliver exceptional value to their clients, while driving strategic direction for the firm.
8. John Quinn.jpg

8. John Quinn

Bank: Citi Personal Wealth Management
Location: New York
TPM: none
Years in wealth management: 10
Years in current job: 2
Number of advisors you personally oversee (as of 12/31/18): 41
Number of advisors you personally oversee (as of 12/31/17): 37
Team AUM (on 12/31/18): $3.35 billion
Team AUM (on 12/31/17): $3.14 billion
Team 2018 production: $17.8 million
Team 2017 production: $16.7 million
Production per advisor: $456,202
% of 2018 production from fee business: 24%

John Quinn, one of three regional sales managers in Manhattan, had a “tremendous year” in 2018. The region was up 8% in revenue to $17.8 million, and fiduciary-managed account AUM grew by $152 million to $858 million. John embraces branch huddles, branch interaction, and their impact on client introductions. He is highly visible, frequently visiting branches within the New York City market. He has been a regional sales manager for two years, during which time he has focused on bringing younger talent to teams, and working to segment clients and advisors dedicated to specific client segments.
7. Ken Wren Jr.jpg

7. Ken Wren Jr.

Bank: TowneBank
Location: Suffolk, Virginia
TPM: Raymond James
Years in wealth management: 25
Years in current job: 15
Number of advisors you personally oversee (as of 12/31/18): 28
Number of advisors you personally oversee (as of 12/31/17): 26
Team AUM (on 12/31/18): $2.57 billion
Team AUM (on 12/31/17): $2.57 billion
Team 2018 production: $15.0 million
Team 2017 production: $11.9 million
Production per advisor: $555,378
% of 2018 production from fee business: 65%

After starting his career in 1994 at a small regional firm, Ken Wren Jr. joined TowneBank along with his father in 2004 to begin the bank’s investment program. Ken oversees a blend of traditional and fee-based advisors, and gives each of them the latitude of dictating how best to attend to the comprehensive wealth management needs of their clients. He looks for advisors who have an entrepreneurial spirit and passion for the business. As a producing manager, he always tries to make decisions from an advisor’s perspective. He also focuses on his team’s relationship to the bankers. “If we treat the bankers who entrust us with a referral as one of our most important relationships, we will be successful.” The best measure of success is when a client shares a positive investment experience with their banker, he adds.
6. John Olerio.jpg

6. John Olerio

Bank: Webster Bank
Location: Southington, Connecticut
TPM: LPL Financial
Years in wealth management: 32
Years in current job: 22
Number of advisors you personally oversee (as of 12/31/18): 55
Number of advisors you personally oversee (as of 12/31/17): 55
Team AUM (on 12/31/18): $3.40 billion
Team AUM (on 12/31/17): $3.37 billion
Team 2018 production: $24.5 million
Team 2017 production: $22.7 million
Production per advisor: $445,454
% of 2018 production from fee business: 26%

John Olerio led Webster Investments to an annual revenue growth of 8% last year, while also showing “substantial progress” in the transformation of the program into an omnichannel strategy with a blend of digital and face-to-face delivery. Webster also relaunched its LBE program in 2018 with 30 bankers successfully licensed and on-boarded, while completing the final phase of a two-year project to elevate 11 advisors to a second-story wealth consultant program.
5. Rebecca Robinson.jpg

5. Rebecca Robinson

Bank: Zions Bank
Location: Salt Lake City, Utah
TPM: LPL Financial
Years in wealth management: 20
Years in current job: 3
Number of advisors you personally oversee (as of 12/31/18): 65
Number of advisors you personally oversee (as of 12/31/17): 65
Team AUM (on 12/31/18): $2.46 billion
Team AUM (on 12/31/17): $2.29 billion
Team 2018 production: $18.3 million
Team 2017 production: $16.1 million
Production per advisor: $281,279
% of 2018 production from fee business: 62%

Rebecca Robinson is the Executive Vice President and Director of Wealth Management for Zions Bancorporation. She oversees the bank’s wealth management organization; which includes trust and fiduciary services, advisory, insurance, and retirement planning. She is committed to leading a planning based organization that considers the unique needs of the individuals they serve. One area of focus for her is to grow the team efficiently and ensure each team member is in a position to deliver maximum client value.
4. Christopher Alexis.jpg

4. Christopher Alexis

Bank: Citi Personal Wealth Management
Location: New York
TPM: none
Years in wealth management: 28
Years in current job: 11
Number of advisors you personally oversee (as of 12/31/18): 46
Number of advisors you personally oversee (as of 12/31/17): 45
Team AUM (on 12/31/18): $4.37 billion
Team AUM (on 12/31/17): $4.28 billion
Team 2018 production: $23.7 million
Team 2017 production: $21.0 million
Production per advisor: $520,133
% of 2018 production from fee business: 19%

Christopher Alexis oversees a large area in the “outer boroughs” of New York. The demographics are much different from Manhattan, but Citi maintains a strong franchise in the area. In fact, Chris manages the largest number of advisors in the firm at 46. Indeed, the areas of Brooklyn, Staten Island, Queens, and NJ are all unique areas and Chris leads these markets through strong collaboration with retail management, and branch visits daily throughout the market. He was the only regional sales manager in 2018 to be acknowledged as a “Leaders in Excellence” Award winner (just 1% of the employees at Citi receive the award each year).
3. Alex Sarafianos.jpg

3. Alex Sarafianos

Bank: Regions Bank
Location: Tampa, Florida
TPM: Cetera Financial Institutions
Years in wealth management: 25
Years in current job: 5
Number of advisors you personally oversee (as of 12/31/18): 136
Number of advisors you personally oversee (as of 12/31/17): 117
Team AUM (on 12/31/18): $3.17 billion
Team AUM (on 12/31/17): $2.80 billion
Team 2018 production: $22.3 million
Team 2017 production: $18.3 million
Production per advisor: $176,056
% of 2018 production from fee business: 6%

Alex Sarafianos believes there are three things you can control: effort, attitude and activity. He has taken that idea to address on the big challenges facing financial institutions: a lack of foot traffic. He has been working with his advisors on using technology to create efficiencies and leveraging financial planning to take a deeper dive with clients. More specifically, he has his advisors taking a 360-degree view with clients. When advisors make technology a part of their everyday practice like this, it can create the lift needed to offset the lack of traditional branch traffic.
2. David Chan.jpg

2. David Chan

Bank: Citi Personal Wealth Management
Location: New York
TPM: none
Years in wealth management: 23
Years in current job: 2
Number of advisors you personally oversee (as of 12/31/18): 41
Number of advisors you personally oversee (as of 12/31/17): 39
Team AUM (on 12/31/18): $6.17 billion
Team AUM (on 12/31/17): $5.92 billion
Team 2018 production: $28.5 million
Team 2017 production: $18.5 million
Production per advisor: $713,219
% of 2018 production from fee business: 31%

David Chan manages the largest region of Citi Personal Wealth Management, generating about $29.5 million in annual revenue. David’s team works to foster relationships with their branch partners, and together they focus on a team approach to provide banking and investment strategies to their clients. Five of the top 15 performing Citi advisors work for David, and he has helped them onboard new members to the team. There are three regional sales managers in Manhattan and David spends a lot of time with them and the top financial advisors in the firm, including daily interactions to help navigate complex products like alternatives, as well as training and transitioning new advisors to the firm.
1. Gary Collier.jpg

1. Gary Collier

Bank: Pinnacle Bank
Location: Nashville, Tennessee
TPM: Raymond James
Years in wealth management: 27
Years in current job: 9
Number of advisors you personally oversee (as of 12/31/18): 51
Number of advisors you personally oversee (as of 12/31/17): 43
Team AUM (on 12/31/18): $3.76 billion
Team AUM (on 12/31/17): $3.27 billion
Team 2018 production: $23.7 million
Team 2017 production: $15.7 million
Production per advisor: $504,976
% of 2018 production from fee business: 59%

Gary Collier is our top program manager for the second year in a row, our first repeat winner. He says the most important task of being a program manager is hiring the right people. Indeed, he feels that creating a work environment where high-performers want to practice is one of the important aspects of his job. A great work environment allows advisors to better serve clients and deepen their relationships with internal and external centers of influence. He doesn’t view his program as a typical bank investment program. “We are not overly structured with managerial layers and reporting boxes …. we allow our advisors the latitude to manage their practices as though they are independent financial consultants who happen to be working in a bank.”
Lee Conrad
Former senior editor, Employee Benefit News and Employee Benefit Adviser
Top program managers Branch network Raymond James Financial LPL Financial Citigroup InDepth
MORE FROM FINANCIAL PLANNING