BNY Mellon Wealth Management has hired Robert Pitti as senior director of portfolio management and Leigh Wasson as senior director for its San Francisco office. The hires are the first step in a plan to add eight more professionals to the office by the end of the year.

“We are experiencing a surge in new business with an increase in assets under management of almost 20 per cent year to date in the San Francisco market,” Amy Millman, president of BNY Mellon’s northern California region, said in a statement. Larry Hughes, CEO, has said previously that the firm plans to increase its sales force by 15 per cent by the end of the year.

Pitti joins BNY Mellon from Argus Capital Management where he was a partner. Wasson was previously a regional managing director at Citi Private Bank.