With overall responsibility for the Operations area, Stuart and his team are responsible for Client Administration, Asset Transfers, Operations Technical, Dealing, Trade Support & Settlements, , Operational Change, Business & Risk Analysis, Strategic Partnerships and Supplier Risk Management.
Stuart joined Raymond James in early 2002 as Operations Manager, having previously spent over five years working in various roles at Pershing Securities Limited, primarily in operational areas. His final role at Pershing was Assistant Vice President in the Client Relationship department.
In 2005 Stuart was promoted to Associate Director of Operations for Raymond James, and later that year assumed responsibility for Product Management. In 2006 Stuart was appointed Head of Operations and Product Management. More recently Stuart has taken on responsibility for the strategic partnerships that support our wealth management proposition across all business lines. The supplier risk management process has also been implemented supporting the UK Raymond James businesses.
In addition, the role of Head of UK Country Management Office sees Stuart provide critical support to Peter Moores as UK Country Manager and as such, Stuart is involved across key areas to support both strategy and execution.
Stuart graduated from the University of Portsmouth in 1996, with a BA (Hons) in Economics majoring in Business Economics. He has also completed an executive education programme at Stanford Graduate School of Business. Stuart represents Raymond James on the UK Platform Group and the PIMFA Operations Committee. He is a Chartered Member of the Chartered Institute for Securities & Investment (CISI) and a panel member reviewing the syllabus and exam questions for two CISI courses: Global Securities Operations and Platforms in Wealth Management.
Away from work Stuart is married with a child (and dog) and enjoys supporting his son at numerous weekend sporting events.
Head of UK Country Management Office and Head of RJIS Dealing, Partnerships & Supplier Risk Management
Black MondayOn 19 October 1987, the stock markets experienced a dramatic plunge that prompted many firms to shut down their trading desks and turn off their phones to minimize internal losses. Raymond James refused to do the same. Our desks stayed open to help meet clients’ needs, resulting in our first and only unprofitable quarter since the firm went public in 1983. |
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Who was Raymond James?The Raymond in our name is actually from Edward Raymond, owner of a 15-employee mutual fund sales group, Raymond and Associates, along Florida’s west coast. He sold his company to Bob James on 15 July 1964, on condition that the surviving firm be called Raymond, James & Associates. Three days after the sale, Ed Raymond was involved in a near-fatal automobile accident and never joined the firm. Nonetheless, even after Raymond had passed away, Bob James insisted that his name remain on the door – ahead of James’ own. That was a promise he made to Ed Raymond three days before the accident, and Bob James was a man who kept his promises. |
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Bear Market of 1974The severe bear market of 1974 threatened the existence of Raymond James, which was bleeding capital by the day. Tom James, his father and other leaders took extreme measures to keep the firm afloat, slashing costs, foregoing paychecks and even attempting to sell the firm for just enough capital to protect client assets and retain as many associates as possible. The story could have ended very differently if not for a sharp upturn and continued rebound in the stock markets late in the year. |
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Taking Raymond James PublicWhen consideration was being given to taking Raymond James public, Tom James penned a letter to shareholders (largely employees at the time). ” … the public offering should be considered as a statement of our independence. While this is a psychological rather than an economic rationale, it is nonetheless very important. We have asserted for some time that we are not interested in becoming a small part of a very large corporation. That assertion results mainly from the inclinations of management rather than the economic benefits associated with either alternative. The public stock offering affords us the opportunity to enjoy a little bit of the best of both worlds. While shareholders will be given liquidity at fair market value, we will still have the ability to control our own destiny.” After 40+ years of Tom’s leadership, upon becoming CEO, Paul Reilly was often questioned about whether the company might ultimately surrender its cherished independence and be acquired by some larger entity. His response: “Not while I’m around.” It’s a theme that continues today. |
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