The Financial Services Institute is welcoming five new members to its Board of Directors for 2020, the advocacy organization announced. The new members include three female industry leaders: Back Cove Financial Partner Christine Byrne; Jodi Perry, president of Raymond James’ Independent Contractors Division; and Evamarie Schoenborn, president and CEO at Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management.
Joining them are Doug Ketterer, founding partner and CEO of Atria Wealth Solutions, and Thomas Santucci, founder and president of Gateway Investments.
Additionally, the board elected members to its 2020 Executive Committee, including Board Chair John Rooney, managing principal at Commonwealth Financial Network, who said he was looking forward to “providing strong representation” for members of the organization, which lobbies for the interests of independent broker/dealers and firms.
“Given the unprecedented regulatory and political uncertainty we are confronting, 2020 is shaping up as a pivotal year for our profession,” he said.
Rounding out the executive committee is:
- Vice Chair (Chair in 2020): James Poer, president & CEO, Kestra Financial
- Immediate Past Chair: David Knoch, president, Tax Smart Institute & senior entrepreneur in residence, Blucora
- Finance Chair: J. Scott Spiker, CEO, First Command Financial Planning Inc.
- FSI PAC Chair: Edward Forst, president & CEO, Lincoln Investment
The organization had a busy 2019 advocating in support for the SEC’s Regulation Best Interest rule, expressing support for Eugene Scalia’s nomination to be labor secretary in the Trump administration and speaking out in opposition to Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth William Galvin’s proposed fiduciary standard. In oral testimony during a public hearing earlier this month, FSI CEO Dale Brown asked that Galvin either align the state’s fiduciary rule with Reg BI or wait until the latter rule had been fully implemented.
In announcing the new board members, Brown said he was happy to have “a strong and diverse Board” at the start of the new year.
“In this time of continuous change, these industry leaders are dedicated to our mission of advocacy for a healthier, more business-friendly regulatory environment for our members and their clients to thrive,” he said.
Next week, the FSI will host its annual OneVoice conference in San Diego for executives at independent financial services firms.
