Stifel Financial Corp has lured a broker from Merrill Lynch Wealth Management to open a new branch office in Santa Barbara, California.
The new hire namely John Van Donge had previously managed more than $600m in client assets.
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In his new role, Van Donge will support the opening of new Santa Barbara office and work with a team of former Merrill colleagues Michael Sullivan, Michael O’ Keefe and John Bledsoe.
Additionally, a registered client service associate, Marie Aardema and broker Greg Sain will also join Van Donge.
Van Donge, who joined Merrill in 1997, served as director and resident director of the brokerage company’s branch in California. Prior to joining Merrill in 1997, Van Donge worked at Dean Witter Reynolds and PaineWebber.
Van Donge said: "But it’s easier to give objective advice at a pure investment firm like Stifel that incidentally owns a bank than to work a firm that is owned by a bank."
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