The recruiting wars continue, even in the midst of COVID-19. Ameriprise Financial has added two teams to its employee channel, including father-son team Robert Arthur Bonwell Sr. and Robert Arthur Bonwell Jr., who join from Wells Fargo Advisors in Charleston, W.Va., and Jim Buzgo, a Boston-based advisor who left UBS.
The Bonwells manage $149 million in client assets and chose Ameriprise for the firm’s culture and expertise in serving multi-generational families. They also liked that the firm set up a new office for them in Charleston, and they say the firm reacted quickly to the coronavirus pandemic, moving operations to a virtual environment. The team evaluated more than 15 firms before going with Ameriprise.
“Ameriprise helped us pivot smoothly to virtual meetings and they’ve equipped us with great technology, market research and expertise to guide our clients through this uncertain period,” Robert Bonwell Jr. said. “Our clients feel very well supported, and so do we as a team.”
Boston-based Buzgo brings $137 million in client assets to Ameriprise’s platform. He said he was attracted to the firm’s robust financial planning capabilities and resources to help communicate the value of advice to clients.
