Reporting to Brad Ross, president of Highland Capital Funds Distributor, Martin will expand Highland's alternative products line-up, including non-traded and mutual fund offerings, to retail investors. She'll also lead the sales team, working with Jennifer Ricci on the IBD effort.

Martin is latterly of the corporate financing firm W P Carey, where she was a senior vice president of business development within the independent broker-dealer channel.

Highland Capital Management Fund Advisors is an SEC-registered investment advisor which, together with its affiliates, has some $19.5 billion in assets under management.

Besides its Texas headquarters, Highland has offices in New York, Sao Paolo, Singapore and Seoul.