H.D. Vest Expands Senior Management Team To Enhance Resources For Financial Advisors And Embark On New Chapter Of Growth

IRVING, Texas, Oct. 9, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- H.D. Vest, the independent broker-dealer focused on empowering the delivery of holistic and objective financial advice encompassing tax and wealth management solutions, announced that it has named Ruth Papazian as the firm's Chief Marketing Officer and Head of Recruiting, and Adi Garg Chief Information Officer.  In these new roles, Ms. Papazian and Mr. Garg will both report directly to H.D. Vest's President and Chief Executive Officer, Roger Ochs.

Roger Ochs, President and CEO of H.D. Vest, said, "We are very pleased and honored  to welcome Adi Garg and Ruth Papazian to our extraordinary management team at H.D. Vest. The addition of these two experienced leaders further demonstrates the power of H.D. Vest's vision of empowering tax professionals and advisors, and strengthens our ability to support these independent business owners as they seek to profitably grow their businesses.  There is a large and rising demand among mass affluent investors for holistic advice that encompasses both tax and wealth management guidance, and there is no broker-dealer that better positioned to meet that demand than H.D. Vest.  Both Adi and Ruth will be a crucial part of the next phase of our growth strategy."

In her new role, Ms. Papazian oversees H.D. Vest's advisor recruiting and marketing communications activities. She brings over 30 years of leadership experience in marketing and communications in the financial services industry. Prior to joining the company, Ms. Papazian served as executive vice president and chief marketing officer for LPL Financial, where she oversaw all marketing activities for the firm's Independent Advisor Services and Institution Services businesses.  In this position, she created and expanded a broad array of advisor-centric marketing platforms that directly supported the brands and business growth of independent advisor practices throughout the nation.  Ms. Papazian has also held senior executive roles at Ameriprise Financial, Morgan Stanley Investment Management, Evergreen Investments / Wachovia and Wells Fargo Securities.

Mr. Garg brings 22 years of experience as a technology executive in multiple industries to his role as CIO, in which he oversees technology strategy, product development, operations, and information security for the company. Prior to joining H.D. Vest, Mr. Garg held various leadership roles at Citibank, Cash America, and FedEx. Most recently, he served as vice president for Cash America, where he led strategy and infrastructure operations. Mr. Garg also pioneered groundbreaking software development practices that are still the standard in the IT industry during his time at Citibank.

Mr. Garg said, "H.D. Vest has truly positioned itself as a leader and innovator in helping tax advisors provide a holistic range of financial advisory services to their clients, who – now more than ever – have come to recognize the inherent value of guidance that combines tax and wealth management expertise. I am honored to be part of this team, and look forward to ensuring that H.D. Vest's advisors continue to be supported by cutting-edge technology that integrates their tax and investment advisory operations and positions them for further growth and success."

Ms. Papazian said, "H.D. Vest's advisors are at the forefront of providing the comprehensive advice that investors need today in order to navigate both the complex tax environment and the ever-evolving financial markets. I am thrilled to join the exceptional management team at H.D. Vest that supports our advisors in meeting the full range of their clients' needs, and I am excited to work alongside our advisors to help them communicate the power of their unique service model to current and future clients."

About H.D. Vest

H.D. Vest is a leading, privately-owned independent broker-dealer empowering the delivery of holistic and objective financial advice through a network of advisors whose roots began and continue as tax professionals. H.D. Vest provides tailored training, practice management support, turnkey asset management solutions and comprehensive technology platforms to nearly 5,000 trusted independent advisors across all 50 states, as well as facilitating opportunities to share best practices and obtain peer group mentoring. The firm is currently ranked number 20 in Financial Planning magazine's 2013 list of top independent broker-dealers across the nation. H.D. Vest is headquartered in Irving, Texas. For additional information, please visit www.hdvest.com.

H.D. Vest Media Contacts
Matthew Griffes / Chris Clemens
Haven Tower Group LLC
206-402-5853 or 206-420-1525
[email protected] or [email protected]

SOURCE H.D. Vest