Focus Financial Partners boosts team with new additions

Focus Financial Partners has expanded its team with several new hires. Pradeep Jayaraman, has been named a vice president while Robert Freedman is now a senior manager. Also, Anita Venkiteswaran joins as a vice president, Michael McGowan is now assistant general counsel and Ilse Hamblin has been tapped as manager of information sharing. Based in New York City, Focus Financial Partners is an independent wealth management firm.

PRESS RELEASE

NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Focus Financial Partners, LLC (Focus), America’s largest partnership of independent wealth management firms, announced several strategic hires today, highlighting the firm’s commitment to strengthening its business and building the leadership of its growing team. The new hires include Pradeep Jayaraman, who will focus on recruiting top RIA firms, Robert Freedman, who joins Focus Connections, Anita Venkiteswaran, who joins the Focus Successions team, Michael McGowan, Assistant General Counsel, and Ilse Hamblin, Manager of Information Sharing.
“Our momentum increasingly gets stronger and 2013 is no exception, with five announced transactions to date and an expansion of the Focus model. As we continue to see an increased demand from RIAs and broker teams seeking a better home for their clients and teams, we are committed to supporting many more partners,” said Rudy Adolf, founder and CEO of Focus Financial Partners. “Our new colleagues broaden and deepen support of our Focus Partners and the industry as a whole, further expanding our partnership of the most elite RIAs, breakaway brokers, and advisors seeking succession plans. We are delighted to welcome our newest team members to the firm.”
Each new hire will work on expanding the partnership and deepening support and knowledge sharing among Focus’ 1,000 employees and partners.
Pradeep Jayaraman joins Focus as a Vice President and will focus on business development and acquisition activities with an emphasis on recruiting top advisors and RIA firms, and accelerating the growth of their business by benefiting from best practices and leveraging Focus’ scale. Prior to Focus, Mr. Jayaraman was a Vice President at Goldman Sachs where he advised financial services clients on numerous merger and acquisition transactions, debt and equity offerings. Before that, Mr. Jayaraman was an associate in Citigroup’s investment banking division. Mr. Jayaraman received his MBA from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
Robert Freedman will be responsible for leading the marketing of Focus Connections, which provides strategic guidance and transition support to teams and individual advisors leaving wirehouses to create their own independent RIA, or join an existing Focus firm. As Senior Manager, he will provide social media, digital marketing and business development strategies to attract breakaway advisors seeking independence, and play a key role in supporting transitioning teams market their new firm. Previous, Mr. Freedman was at HighTower Advisors, where he was a key member of the marketing team, and developed marketing plans for newly independent financial advisors nationwide and provided support during their transitions. Mr. Freedman graduated from Loyola University Chicago. He joins as the third new hire to the Connections practice this year.
Anita Venkiteswaran joins Focus as a Vice President and will provide her business development strategies to Focus Successions, a first of its kind industry-wide program. The program helps advisors seeking succession plans ensure a smooth transition of their practices once they are ready to retire or in case of an unanticipated life event, by partnering with existing Focus firms. Prior to joining Focus, she worked at Audax Private Equity and CI Capital Partners, middle market-focused private equity firms, where she was responsible for sourcing, evaluating, and structuring transactions. Before that, she worked at McKinsey & Company, where she helped clients across industries devise and implement strategic and operational initiatives. Ms. Venkiteswaran earned her MBA from Harvard Business School.
Michael McGowan joins Focus as Assistant General Counsel. He is responsible for working with the General Counsel on internal and external legal affairs including mergers and acquisitions, for Focus and its partners, further strengthening Focus’ compliance program, and supporting business development activities. Before that, Mr. McGowan was a Corporate Associate in the Mergers & Acquisitions, Private Equity, and Capital Markets practice groups of Vinson & Elkins LLP, where he specialized in mergers and acquisitions and private equity. Mr. McGowan received his JD from Duke University School of Law.
Ilse Hamblin joins Focus as Manager of Information Sharing. This newly established role expands Focus’ initiatives to connect its 1000 partners and employees sharing best practices, expanding firm wide practice groups in areas including investments, marketing, technology and operations. Ms Hamblin supported a number of fast growth and innovative early stage companies in communications and knowledge development. Ms. Hamblin graduated from Stellenbosch University in South Africa.
Since the beginning of 2013, Focus has added 14 new hires on the Connections, Successions, business development, legal, and finance teams.
About Focus Financial Partners
Founded in 2006, Focus Financial Partners, LLC, is the leading international partnership of independent, fiduciary wealth management firms. With over $65 billion in client assets and 27 partners, Focus provides wealth management, benefit and investment consulting services to individuals, families, employers and institutions. Clients benefit from Focus’ independence, as well as unrivaled access and continuity. Focus principals maintain their entrepreneurial independence, benefit from the synergies, scale, economics and best practices of the market leader and achieve an eventual, smooth ownership transition. Focus was included on Inc. magazine’s 5000 ranking of the nation’s fastest-growing private companies in 2011. In 2012, Focus was named a Crain’s New York Business “Fast 50” growth firm in New York City. For more information, please visit www.focusfinancialpartners.com.