South Dakota-headquartered Wealth Advisors Trust Company says it is expanding into a number of US markets, and to help drive that growth is a former CEO of Wealthspire Trust, a senior manager at UBS, and other notable institutions.

A former Wealthspire Trust CEO and senior figure at banks such as UBS has been named president and chief operating office for Wealth Advisors Trust Company (WATC), a corporate trustee. 

The business, founded in 2009, will continue to expand into the Mid-South, New England, and West Coast markets under Jonathan Connolly’s direction, it said in a statement late last week.

Connolly brings more than 30 years of leadership in fiduciary and wealth management to the job.

Earlier in his career, Connolly has served in senior roles at UBS, Comerica Bank & Trust, RBC Trust Company of Delaware, PNC Bank, and TD Bank. Most recently, he served as chief executive at Wealthspire Trust, a Tennessee-chartered public trust company. 

During his career Connolly has built fiduciary platforms that serve ultra-high net worth families, family offices, and institutional partners.

“Jonathan brings a deep understanding of how fiduciary partnerships drive advisor growth. His leadership will accelerate our expansion and deepen the value we provide to advisors and attorneys nationwide,” Christopher Holtby, co-founder of WATC, said. 

Headquartered in South Dakota, WATC was founded by advisors. The business – with more than 400 trust relationships in the US – oversees $4 billion in assets under administration. 

WATC operates free from bank ownership and custodian affiliation.