The latest senior appointments, moves and personnel changes in the North American wealth sector.

Fiduciary Trust International 
Fiduciary Trust International, a wholly owned subsidiary of Franklin Templeton, has appointed Sue Wilchusky as the firm’s chief administrative officer. 

Wilchusky, who is based in the firm’s office in Radnor, Pennsylvania, reports to Adam Spector, chief executive officer. Craig Richards is remaining as chief operating officer and head of tax. Wilchusky’s arrival will allow Richards to partner more closely with Spector and the executive team to support client needs and the ongoing growth of the business, FTI said in a statement. 

“Sue’s role revolves around execution – working with me and the executive team to drive key firmwide initiatives, improve coordination across functions, and make sure we are making consistent progress against our priorities,” said Spector. 

Prior to this, Wilchusky worked at Brandywine Global, where she served as chief operating officer overseeing business operations, including marketing and product management, portfolio compliance, investment performance and analysis, and overall business strategy. Prior to joining Brandywine Global in 2011, she held product development and distribution strategy positions at SEI Investments. Earlier in her career, she worked for Deutsche Bank, Fidelity Investments, and Deloitte & Touche. 

Wilchusky holds the Certified Financial Planner™ and Certified Public Accountant designations. She earned her MBA from Loyola University Maryland, and graduated from the University of Delaware with a bachelor of science in accounting.

Fiduciary Trust International had over $108 billion in assets under management and administration as of March 31.

William Blair Investment Management
William Blair Investment Management has appointed one of its senior figures, Olga Bitel (pictured below), as chief investment strategist – a newly-created role. She is based in Chicago, a spokesperson for the firm told this publication when asked about the matter.

Olga Bitel

Bitel joined the firm in 2009 and most recently served as global strategist. 
 
Cerity Partners
Cerity Partners, an independent wealth management firm, has appointed Will Peng as its first chief innovation officer. 

Peng, who has a background as an entrepreneur, executive, and product leader, most recently served as CEO of Northstar, a fintech company he founded aiming to help more people access high-quality financial advice. Prior to founding Northstar, Peng was a partner at Red Swan, an early-stage venture capital firm whose portfolio included Coinbase, Guideline, Hinge, Oscar Health, and Warby Parker. He is also an active advisor to technology executives and an investor in technology companies.

Prairie Wealth Advisors
Prairie Wealth Advisors, an RIA, has appointed Mike Finnegan, CFA, as chief investment officer. He will be based in Omaha.

Finnegan brings more than three decades of industry experience in asset allocation, portfolio construction and manager research and investment leadership. He previously served in senior leadership roles at ManchesterStory Fund Management, Guggenheim Investment Management and Principal Financial Group.

The CEO of Prairie Wealth is Craig Hundt.

Finnegan’s appointment comes as Prairie Wealth approaches $1 billion in total assets under management following the firm’s recent merger with The McEwen Group, which nearly doubled its headcount.

LPL Financial
LPL Financial said financial advisor Brian Lubel has affiliated with its supported independence model, LPL Independent Advisor Network, to support his existing independent practice, Cypress Point Wealth Partners. Joining from MML Investors Services, a subsidiary of MassMutual, he reported serving about $175 million in advisory, brokerage and retirement plan assets.

Lubel is based in Orlando, Florida.