Raymond James Financial : announces Network for Women Advisors leader

April 23, 2015

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Raymond James today announced the appointment of 17-year marketing veteran Michelle Lynch to vice president and director of the firm's Network for Women Advisors, effective in May.

With 11 years of experience serving the Private Client Group and Asset Management divisions at Raymond James, including the Network for Women Advisors and other diversity initiatives, Lynch will represent a force of more than 800 women advisors to executive leadership, organize a well-regarded annual conference now in its third decade, and support the firm's ongoing objectives for recruiting professional women financial advisors.

Lynch replaces Nicole Spinelli, who departed the firm in January.

"I am honored to represent and support these successful women," Lynch said. "With a solid foundation in place and strong leadership support for the program, I look forward to leveraging my experience to provide our women advisors with unrivaled dedication to meeting their unique needs and increase the growing number of qualified women advisors joining the firm.

"After 20 years of growing our Network, the firm has more than established itself as a place where women advisors are welcomed, supported and celebrated."

Lynch will report to Raymond James & Associates President Tash Elwyn and Raymond James Financial Services President Scott Curtis.

"This demonstrates our ongoing commitment to providing the best resources to our women financial advisors," said Elwyn. "Michelle is highly regarded within the firm, among advisors and by those outside the firm with whom she has interacted. Scott and I are pleased to welcome her and her breadth of experience to the team as we continue to grow the Network for Women Advisors."

In addition to providing strategic marketing support to several internal clients, Lynch helped establish the account management function in the firm's growing Marketing department. In 2006, she joined Eagle Asset Management as vice president, director of marketing, where she managed Eagle's public relations, client communications, e-marketing and direct mail initiatives.

In 2012, Lynch moved back to Marketing and was the agency's director, account management, overseeing the marketing efforts for the Raymond James Private Client Group, including recruiting, education/practice management, conferences, asset management, wealth solutions and investment products.

Prior to joining Raymond James, she spent six years in marketing, advertising and public relations roles with several businesses in the Tampa Bay market, including AAA Auto Club South and Busch Gardens.

Lynch received her bachelor's degree in mass communications - advertising from the University of South Florida and her MBA from Emory University's Goizueta Business School. She has continued her education by participating in the Securities Industry Institute program at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. She lives with her husband and their two children in Clearwater, Florida.