The team, previously associated with Morgan Stanley, was built by advisors who had grown up in former Yugoslavia and who were recruited to play top-level tennis in the US. They've gone on to build a wealth management business in Louisiana.

Steward Partners Global Advisory, which is associated with Florida-based Raymond James, has added Poljak Group Wealth Management in Shreveport, Louisiana, a firm that has previously been associated with Morgan Stanley.

The business, which has eight members, led by brothers Denis and Davor Poljak, oversees more than $500 million of assets.

After growing up in the former Yugoslavia, Denis and Davor Poljak were recruited to play Division 1 tennis at Centenary College of Louisiana. Their father, Tomislav "Tommy" Poljak was president of the former Yugoslav Tennis Association and led the Yugoslavia Davis Cup team in 1984 and 1985.

“Our group has grown tremendously during our 12 years with Morgan Stanley, and we expect to surpass that growth and take our practice to a whole new level with Steward Partners,” Denis Poljak said.

Denis Poljak has 25 years of wealth management experience; in addition to earning accreditations as Certified Financial Planner (CFP®), Certified Investment Management Analyst (CIMA®) from the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School of Business, and Certified Portfolio Manager (CPM®) from Columbia University in New York; he holds an MBA in business administration from Louisiana Tech University and a PhD in economic sciences from the University of Sarajevo. 

Davor Poljak, with 12 years' experience as a wealth manager, earned his MBA from Louisiana State University-Shreveport and holds the CPM® designation from Columbia University.

Poljak Group Wealth Management also includes vice president and client relationship manager Jason L Adams, MBA; vice president and wealth and portfolio specialist Scott Salvail; VP and wealth and portfolio specialist Joseph P Fell, MBA; VP and wealth and portfolio specialist John Simpson; VP and registered client administrative manager Ryan L Yarbrough; and VP and senior client administrative manager Tommy Poljak, Denis and Davor's father, who was also a vice chairman of RMK, formerly a Yugoslavian steel conglomerate.

The Steward group has offices in a number of US towns and cities.