Raymond James Investment Management, the asset management subsidiary of Raymond James, has Jeff Ringdahl, a former asset management executive who previously worked at a registered investment advisor, as president.
Raymond James announced that Ringdahl will start in the role on Jan. 5, leading strategy and key initiatives for the $118.5 billion asset management division. He steps into a role vacated by Bob Kendall, who left the St. Petersburg, Fla.-based Raymond James in July to be global head of investment management at William Blair. Eric Wilwant, the chief operating officer of the division, has served as the interim president during the search process, according to a spokesperson.
Ringdahl takes the role a few months after a brief stint as president and chief operating officer at Summit Trail Advisors, a Dynasty-backed registered investment advisor with $23.6 billion in assets under management. He stepped down from that role just a few months after taking it on this May, posting on LinkedIn that it “wasn’t the right long-term fit for me.”
Summit Trail did not immediately respond to a request for comment on whether it had hired or was seeking a replacement for Ringdahl.
Before his stint at Summit, Ringdahl had been running his own consulting firm, Acorn Advisory Group, which served management teams and boards of asset and wealth management firms. Prior to that, he spent 14 years at Resolute Investment Managers (now American Beacon Partners), where he most recently served as president and CEO.
Now, Ringdahl will oversee Raymond James Investment Management’s push into ETFs, having launched a suite of three investment vehicles this October. Earlier this year, the firm hired Johan Grahn from Allianz Investment Management as the head of ETFs to obtain regulatory approval for setting up and launching the funds.
Scott Curtis, chief operating officer at Raymond James, said in a statement that Ringdahl would continue the work to expand investment vehicles offered by the broker/dealer and its affiliates.
The investment management division comprises boutique investment managers, including ClariVest Asset Management, Eagle Asset Management, Reams Asset Management and Scout Investments.
“From my very first conversations with the Raymond James team, I felt a genuine connection to the firm’s client-first mindset and its thoughtful, long-term approach to building value,” Ringdahl posted on LinkedIn. “I’m looking forward to reconnecting with familiar faces, building new relationships with clients and partners, and starting this next chapter with energy and gratitude.”
