Kestra Financial Expands Business Development Team to Continue Strengthening Its Advisor Community

Four seasoned business development leaders join to support national recruiting efforts and to help existing firms attract advisors in their local markets

AUSTIN, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Kestra Financial, an industry-leading wealth management platform, today announced the addition of four experienced business development leaders to its national recruiting team. These hires expand Kestra’s capacity to engage in more focused, high-quality conversations with advisors whose goals, values, and growth ambitions align with those of Kestra Financial and Kestra Private Wealth Services (Kestra PWS).

Ben Marks, Dave Sawan, Austin Shives, and Doug Wallace join the firm as Business Development Consultants to expand recruiting coverage across the Midwest, Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, and Southeast. Collectively, they bring decades of experience in advisor recruitment, transition strategy, and business development within the independent wealth management channel.

This expansion aligns with Kestra’s continued focus on disciplined, advisor-centric growth across both Kestra Financial and Kestra PWS. Enhanced regional support ensures that advisors exploring independence have access to personalized guidance, local insight, and a collaborative home-office experience.

“As the quality and scale of our advisor community accelerates, we are equally focused on expanding the team that supports that growth,” said James Collins, EVP, Head of Business Development at Kestra Financial. “Ben, Dave, Austin, and Doug each bring meaningful recruiting expertise, strong advisor relationships, and a deep understanding of the independent model. Their addition to our team enhances our ability to thoughtfully align advisors with a platform built for long-term partnership and success.”

“We’re seeing sustained interest from entrepreneurial, high-performing advisors who are thoughtfully evaluating their long-term partnerships,” Collins added. “Our focus remains on the measured, strategic growth of our community, ensuring we have the best people in place to support advisors at every stage of that journey.”

Throughout their careers, each new hire has led significant recruiting pipelines, guided complex advisor transitions, and partnered closely with leadership teams on strategic growth initiatives. Their experience spans independent broker-dealers and national wealth management platforms, offering valuable perspective as advisors evaluate long-term partnership and independence models.

Prior to joining Kestra, Ben and Austin held business development leadership roles at LPL Financial, while Dave and Doug most recently served in recruiting leadership positions at Commonwealth Financial Network.

For more information about joining Kestra Financial and Kestra PWS, visit www.kestrafinancial.com.

About Kestra Financial

Kestra Financial is a leading independent wealth management platform headquartered in Austin, Texas. A division of Kestra Holdings and established in 1997, the firm empowers independent financial professionals and wealth management firms – including traditional and hybrid RIAs – by offering personalized support, integrated business management technology, and access to a collaborative community of like-minded financial professionals. With a culture rich in reinvention, Kestra Financial has developed integrated business management technology that, combined with its personalized consulting services, offers exceptional scale and efficiency.

The Kestra Financial division includes affiliates of Kestra Private Wealth Services, LLC (Kestra PWS), Kestra Advisory Services, LLC (Kestra AS) and Kestra Investment Services, LLC (Kestra IS), member FINRA/SIPC. Securities offered through registered representatives of Kestra IS. Investment advisory services offered through appropriately licensed representatives of Kestra AS or Kestra PWS. Kestra Financial, Kestra PWS, Kestra IS, Kestra AS, Bluespring Wealth Partners, Kestra Investment Management, Arden Trust Company and Comprehensive Brokerage Services are affiliated under common ownership of Kestra Holdings. For more information about Kestra Financial, please visit www.kestrafinancial.com.