September 22, 2022
By Miriam Rozen and Mason Braswell
Raymond James Financial has landed a heavy hitting team from its smaller regional rival Robert W. Baird & Co. in Reston, Virginia.
On Monday, The Wise Investor Group, a 14-person team led by industry veterans Simon R.B. Hamilton, and Greg S. Smith, joined Raymond James & Associates, the St. Petersburg Florida-based company’s employee channel, according to registration records and their website.
Hamilton and Smith, who have more than 50 years of combined industry experience, had managed $2.8 billion in assets as of August, according to Forbes, which ranked them among its top 250 advisors this year. A person familiar with their practice said the asset figure may be closer to $2.5 billion and could make them one of Raymond James’ largest hires.