Schlief will be replaced in her former role by Joe Rorke, who the firm said brings experience in private placements, venture capital and energy/mineral interest, and other non-traditional asset classes.

In her new position, Schleif will work on firm-wide asset management strategies and product management. Other roles she has held previously include partner and investment principal at Lowry Hill , and before that director of investment research and a senior analyst at John G Kinnard & Company. Earlier still, she was a research officer at First Trust Company, having started her career in 1983 as a market strategist at Piper Jaffray & Hopwood.

As a regional chief investment officer, Rorke will provide investment management solutions including fixed income, equity and complementary strategies. He has 20 years of experience as a senior portfolio manager and investment strategist at Wells Fargo Private Bank, having previously worked at a family-owned bank, managing the personal assets and the equity assets of the trust department.

Abbot Downing, with $37 billion in client assets, is part of Wells Fargo’s Wealth and Investment Management group. In other recent news at the firm, in May it took on Nancy Amick as a leadership coach to focus on succession planning and the development of next-generation family business leaders .