New hires

First Mercantile Trust Co., a Cordova, Tenn., retirement-
planning firm,
has added Susan Conrad as national sales director and first vice president in its Memphis, Tenn., headquarters.
Ms. Conrad, 41, brings to First Mercantile more than 17 years’ experience in the retirement-planning industry.
Most recently, she was First Mercantile’s sales director for the Southeast region and before that was a client relationship manager and plan administrator with the company.
C.W. Henderson & Associates Inc. has hired Charles Yorke, 49, as managing director, head of business development, a new position.
The Chicago-based investment management firm, which specializes in separately managed and actively managed tax-exempt municipal securities, has about $2 billion in assets under management.
Mr. Yorke was previously Chicago-based managing director and head of New York-based HSBC Securities (USA) Inc. of New York.

JPMorgan Chase & Co. has appointed Hans Olsen, 43, as chief investment officer of its private-client-services business.
His primary responsibility will be to create and lead the investment strategy for the New York-based firm’s private-client-services business, with a particular focus on running model portfolios and asset allocation.
Mr. Olsen joins JPMorgan from Bingham Legg Advisors LLC, a Boston-based wealth management boutique with more than $2 billion in assets, where he was managing director and CIO.

National Financial Partners Corp., a national network of independent financial advisers based in New York, has added George Biancardi as senior vice president of NFP and chief executive of Preferred Services Group of White Plains, N.Y., the company’s largest property-and-casualty operation.
Based in New York and White Plains, Mr. Biancardi, 43, will focus on leveraging property-and-casualty opportunities throughout NFP’s portfolio of firms.
Prior to joining NFP, he served as managing director and industry group practice leader at Marsh USA Inc. of New York.

The Investment Company Institute of Washington has named attorney Karen “Karrie” McMillan general counsel.
Ms. McMillan, 46, will serve as the ICI’s chief legal officer in charge of the full range of legal and regulatory matters that affect the organization and its members, including securities, pension, tax and international matters.
She previously was a partner in the asset management group at New York-based Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP.

NPB Financial Group LLC, a Burbank, Calif.,-based broker-dealer, has announced that Frank S. Chan has returned to Southern California and will lead the firm’s business development group.
Mr. Chan, 39, was formerly with Brecek & Young Advisors Inc. in Folsom, Calif., and recruited numerous people to that firm.

M Financial Group, a Portland, Ore.,-based financial services design and distribution company, has named Leah Cronn director of regulatory affairs for M Holdings Securities Inc.
Ms. Cronn, 35, will provide analysis and recommendations on a variety of broker-dealer and investment advisory issues, monitor regulatory developments and act as a liaison to various trade organizations. She will also assist with the development and implementation of compliance policies and procedures.
Prior to joining M Financial, Ms. Cronn was of counsel with Lane Powell PC, a Seattle-based full-service law firm, where she gained regulatory experience involving compliance programs, financial institutions and investment advisory services for ultrahigh-net-worth individuals. She also represented clients and corporations in various regulatory matters.

Rochdale Investment Management LLC, a New York-based private-investment counseling firm, has hired Patrick J. Vignone, 51, a certified public accountant, as vice president of CPA business development.
He is responsible for business development and relationship management with CPA practices involved in financial advisory roles.
Mr. Vignone was formerly a managing partner at The Alex Paige Group in Wyckoff, N.J.

One of Banc of America Investment Service Inc.’s equity finance attorneys, Harry Jho, 34, has resigned to start his own law firm in New York.
He was with the Charlotte, N.C.-based bank for three years and worked on the global-equities legal team.
Mr. Jho’s new firm, Harry Jho LLC, aims to advise hedge fund managers and prime brokers on derivative transactions and securities-financing facilities.

The Wealth Advisor Institute of Washington has elected Tom Froehlich, president of Froehlich Financial Group Ltd., as its president.
Mr. Froehlich, 50, succeeds David Grau Sr., president and chief executive of Business Transitions LLC of Portland, Ore., who held the position during the institute’s first year.
As president of the institute, Mr. Froehlich will focus on expanding and enhancing member benefits and services, as well as increasing membership.
At his Spring Lake Heights, N.J.-based firm, Mr. Froehlich specializes in evaluating, hiring and monitoring institutional-quality investment managers for individuals, 401(k) plans, endowments and foundations.

PENN Capital Management Co. Inc., an investment management firm based in Cherry Hill, N.J., has added Paul M. Welch, a research analyst, to its investment committee.
His will cover the financial services, metals, aerospace/defense, airlines and utilities sectors.
Previously, Mr. Welch, 32, was a research analyst for Ariel Capital Management LLC in Chicago.

Stanford Trust Co., a Baton Rouge, La.-based group of financial services companies, has named Louis Fournet as its president.
He will manage the company’s trust division services in Louisiana.
Mr. Fournet, 58, has more than 25 years’ experience in the financial services industry and has managed the marketing and administration of multiple trust offices throughout the Southeast and Southwest.

The Vanguard Group Inc. of Malvern, Pa., has named W. Michael Reckmeyer III, vice president of Boston-based Wellington Management Co. LLP, to the portfolio management teams of Vanguard Wellesley Income Fund and Vanguard Equity Income Fund.
Wellington Management provides advisory services to 16 Vanguard mutual funds and annuity portfolios.
Mr. Reckmeyer, 48, will be responsible for the funds in June. He has more than 20 years’ experience in investment management.

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