Smith Barney has poached Nancy Anderson from Merrill Lynch Trust to run the newly opened wealth-planning centre in its north central region....

Smith Barney has poached Nancy Anderson from Merrill Lynch Trust to run the newly opened wealth-planning centre in its north central region.

Ms Anderson spent seven years at the Merrill Lynch unit as a private wealth strategist. She will oversee a team of five wealth-planning experts who will develop financial strategies for clients with at least $5 million in assets to invest, or $10 million in net worth.

The new centre will cover clients in North and South Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Nebraska, and Kansas. The region has around 18 branches and more than 500 brokers.