Steward Partners picks up $170M team in Florida from Hightower

Steward Partners picks up $170M team in Florida from Hightower
It's the first team to join the firm’s RIA-only IAR offering.
OCT 12, 2023

A $170 million advisor team has joined Steward Partners Global Advisory to open an office in Sarasota, Florida.

Sunshine Private Wealth is led by Faiza Kedir, CFP, and was previously with Hightower where Kedir was director, business development, and financial advisor, having started her FA career at the firm having previously spent 22 years at Bank of America as a branch manager.

"I had been looking around the industry and conducting due diligence for the last few years before deciding to join Steward Partners, and no one else had an offering that was even close. I was looking for the opportunity to partner with a firm that is focused on the future," explained Kedir. “With Steward, I will have the opportunity to offer fiduciary advice to my clients, while also allowing me to maximize the growth potential of my business and build a larger team.”

RIA-ONLY OFFERING

Steward Partners was founded ten years ago and has seen fast growth of its full-service, employee-owned, independent financial services business offering wealth management solutions for families, businesses, and multigenerational investors.

The new office is the firm’s third in Florida.

“We are very excited to have Faiza as our newest partner and the first to choose our RIA-only, IAR offering, which we think is the gateway to the next chapter of Steward's growth story," explained Jeffrey Gonyo, managing director, senior divisional president, Southeast at Steward Partners. "We believe adding the investment advisory representative or "RIA-only" option to our total offering will make Steward even more attractive to independent advisors like Faiza because it offers regulatory, compliance, and operational support. With Steward, advisors not only continue to own their book of business but also are equity partners in the overall enterprise."

Latest News

Buy or sell Canada? Wealth managers watch carefully as Canadians head to the polls
Buy or sell Canada? Wealth managers watch carefully as Canadians head to the polls

Canadian stocks are on a roll in 2025 as the country prepares to name a new Prime Minister.

How are tech-boosted advisors spending their "time tax refund"?
How are tech-boosted advisors spending their "time tax refund"?

Two C-level leaders reveal the new time-saving tools they've implemented and what advisors are doing with their newly freed-up hours.

Indivisible Partners selects DPL to arm advisors for insurance business
Indivisible Partners selects DPL to arm advisors for insurance business

The RIA led by Merrill Lynch veteran John Thiel is helping its advisors take part in the growing trend toward fee-based annuities.

RIA M&A stays brisk in first quarter with record pace of dealmaking
RIA M&A stays brisk in first quarter with record pace of dealmaking

Driven by robust transaction activity amid market turbulence and increased focus on billion-dollar plus targets, Echelon Partners expects another all-time high in 2025.

New York Dems push for return of tax on stock sales
New York Dems push for return of tax on stock sales

The looming threat of federal funding cuts to state and local governments has lawmakers weighing a levy that was phased out in 1981.

SPONSORED Compliance in real time: Technology's expanding role in RIA oversight

RIAs face rising regulatory pressure in 2025. Forward-looking firms are responding with embedded technology, not more paperwork.

SPONSORED Advisory firms confront crossroads amid historic wealth transfer

As inheritances are set to reshape client portfolios and next-gen heirs demand digital-first experiences, firms are retooling their wealth tech stacks and succession models in real time.