People

Investment Planners Inc. has hired Steven Mayo, 38, as a wealth adviser.

Investment Planners Inc. has hired Steven Mayo, 38, as a wealth adviser.

Previously, he was a senior vice president and wholesaler with Fidelity Investments Institutional Services Co., where he managed the distribution of Fidelity mutual funds to financial planners in the independent, wirehouse, insurance and bank channels.

Lazard Wealth Management, a subsidiary of Lazard Ltd., has hired Sharon L. Klein, 46, as a managing director and head of wealth advisory.

She will be responsible for leading trust and estate services for Lazard Wealth’s private clients.

Previously, Ms. Klein was senior vice president, trust counsel and director of estate advisement at Fiduciary Trust Company International, where she oversaw the administration of complex estates and trusts, and provided counsel concerning domestic and international estate planning.

GenSpring Family Offices LLC has opened a new office in Charleston, S.C., and has named Chris Cecil, Mike Henderson, Ron Owens and Dan Prickett to positions there.

Mr. Cecil, 44, is the president of the office and oversees all office operations and investment management services for client families throughout the Carolinas. Previously, he was president of the Southeast and Florida regions for JPMorgan Private Bank, where he worked with ultra high-net-worth entrepreneurs and wealthy families in areas such as investment management and the acquisition and financing of closely held businesses.

Mr. Henderson, 54, is a senior partner with GenSpring and is responsible for all services provided to family office clients in the Southern region. Previously, he was an adviser to business owners on income and estate tax planning at Arthur Andersen LLP.

As officers, Mr. Owens, 45, and Mr. Prickett, 63, will be responsible for introducing the firm’s offerings to local families.

Mr. Owens is president of Kiawah Capital LLC, the company that joined GenSpring in launching the Charleston office. He is responsible for overseeing the firm’s financial and portfolio investment management activities.

Previously, Mr. Prickett was managing executive at Calibre, Wachovia Corp.’s multifamily office, where he was responsible for providing executive management and oversight to the regional offices as well as overseeing investment consulting.

The Securities and Exchange Commission has hired Robert W. Cook, 44, as director of its Division of Trading and Markets. He will be responsible for ensuring that the division establishes and maintains standards for fair and efficient markets.

Previously, Mr. Cook was a partner at Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP, where he advised clients on matters such as federal securities laws, SEC regulations and the rules of self-regulatory organizations.

RS Investment Management Co. LLC has hired Kevin Booth, 55, as a co-portfolio manager of the RS High Yield Bond Fund.

His responsibilities include developing the capability to invest in leveraged loans as well as supporting and complementing continuing investment strategies.

Previously, Mr. Booth was a managing director at BlackRock Inc. and co-head of its leveraged-finance business. There, he specialized in portfolios consisting of leveraged bank loans, high-yield bonds and distressed obligations.

WRP Investments Inc. has hired Marty Cline, 45, as director of business development in the Midwest.

She will be responsible for expanding the firm’s presence in that region by recruiting registered representatives. Ms. Cline will also be a resource to current WRP reps and assist them with the growth of their practices.

Previously, she was director of business development at Capital Securities of America Inc., a division of Wunderlich Securities Inc., and was responsible for recruiting registered reps.

The Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association has hired Ellen McCarthy and John Hallmark as members of its government affairs team.

Ms. McCarthy, 45, will be responsible for covering all tax issues for the organization. She will also be a member of SIFMA’s municipal bond team. Ms. McCarthy most recently worked for the Washington Tax Group LLC as a partner. She was responsible for developing and implementing legislative and regulatory strategies for clients on a broad range of tax issues.

Mr. Hallmark, 28, previously served as a legislative assistant to Sen. Michael Enzi, R-Wyo. He formulated and advanced Mr. Enzi’s legislative agenda in areas including securities regulation, swaps and derivatives, accounting and housing policy.