BNY Wealth Management has appointed David Emmes as head of west coast markets and Erich Smith as head of central markets as part of its growth strategy in the US, the firm said in a statement.

In their new roles, Mr Emmes will oversee client service and sales in Nevada, California and the Pacific northwest, while Mr Smith is responsible for the Colorado, Ohio, western Pennsylvania and Texas regions. Both report to Larry Hughes, president of US markets, and are responsible for setting strategy to expand the company’s presence and capabilities to serve clients in their designated regions.

“Our west coast and central US markets are strategically important to us, both because of our significant client bases in these areas and our future growth plans,” said Mr Hughes.

Mr Emmes, who joined BNY Mellon in 2000, was latterly the president for southern California. Mr Smith, meanwhile, takes on the new role in addition to his position as head of wealth strategy and planning, in which he oversees the bank’s national team of wealth and estate planning strategists. He has been with the firm since 1991.

BNY Mellon Wealth Management, which has around $154 billion in private client assets, last month recruited Lisa Simington to manage its private banking business for the southeast US, covering Florida and Georgia, along with Garrett Alton and Timothy Goering as managing directors of sales in Georgia and Florida respectively.

As well as in the south, the bank is also looking to expand in New Jersey through advisory firm acquisitions, and wants to more than double its headcount in the state – increasing numbers of relationship managers, portfolio managers and business development staff, Reuters reports, citing an interview with Doris Meister, BNY Mellon wealth management president for Connecticut, New York and northern New Jersey.