Two advisers who oversaw $480 million in total client assets for Union Bank have left to form an independent firm, Samara Capital, and join platform tru Independence, the firm said.
“We established Samara Capital as an independent business so that we would have the freedom to make investment recommendations and decisions,” Winkler said.
Winkler had been with Union Bank since 2012, according to FINRA BrokerCheck records. She spent one year at Merrill Lynch at the beginning of her advisory career in 2008, the record shows. She holds a MBA in finance from the University of Portland’s Pamplin School of Business, according to the firm.
Kaiser was a senior portfolio manager with HighMark Capital, a subsidiary of Union Bank. Kaiser joined HighMark in 2004 to manage investment portfolios for high-net-worth investors. He began his career in 1981 in personal trust and investment management, according to his profile on HighMark’s website.
Kaiser said in a statement that he wanted to form an independent practice to counter the casino-like portrayal of the markets that investors often see in the media, and because he wanted construct portfolios that reflected clients’ long-term goals. Samara Capital is based in Portland, Oregon.
“Union Bank is committed to expanding in Oregon and this has not changed,” said a bank spokeswoman who declined to comment directly on the departure. “Our local leadership team will continue to focus on serving the complex needs of our clients and prospects in order to grow in this important market.”
Tru Independence partners with existing RIA’s and wealth management firms which make the shift to an independent business model, according to the firm.
