WASHINGTON and NEW YORK, Feb. 18, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Steward Partners Holdings LLC (Steward), an employee-owned partnership and investment holdings company, announced today that it has acquired Abry Advisors (Abry), a New York City based Financial Services Consulting firm that emphasizes recruiting and large corporate solutions in a private transaction. Scott Abry, Abry's founder and CEO, will become CEO of the newly combined entity, Steward Partners Consulting Solutions (SPCS), a wholly owned subsidiary of Steward.

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"The opportunity to acquire Abry Advisors was one we could not pass up," said Mike Maurer, CEO and founding partner of Steward, which has opened three Advisory offices in less than 90 days with their wholly owned subsidiary Steward Partners Global Advisors, "Even though we've been very busy, the chance to work with Scott and his A list of corporate clients and top Financial Advisors was compelling, and enabled us to launch SPC with a great base of customers and contacts, and to cater to markets and a clientele that we can't reach at Steward."

Prior to founding Abry Advisors, Scott was the youngest Managing Director in Oppenheimer history, the number one recruiting Complex Manager at Smith Barney, and the head of Divisional Advisor Development and Practice Management at both Smith Barney and Morgan Stanley. He helped develop the Smith Barney compensation plan, and the marketing programs used by all wholesalers addressing firm Advisors.

The acquisition includes all client relationships, databases, and corporate consulting programs. The new firm, Steward Partners Consulting Solutions, will create great synergies and provide Corporate, RIA, and Retail clients a one of a kind experience centered on SPCS' comprehensive knowledge of the Financial Services world and the emerging RIA space. SPCS solutions, combined with their operating infrastructure, will unlock the hidden value of businesses, catapulting them ahead of the competition.  SPCS will provide Custom Solutions for Financial Institutions from National RIAs to Mutual Fund and Insurance companies, providing Training, Development, and Accountability Programs in Sales Management, Leadership, Recruiting, Advisor Team Building/Practice Management, Succession Planning, and experienced guidance for all facets of the Financial Services space and the emerging post-wirehouse  world.

"The resources and talent that Steward brings to bear will quickly take SPCS to the next level, and allow us to service Fortune 100 Financial companies with the appropriate support." Says Abry, "I am excited for the future, and convinced that SPCS' execution based model represents the next evolution in Consulting."

Abry will work closely with Ross Marzarella, who will move from Steward Holdings to become Chief Operating Officer at SPCS. Marzarella, a technology entrepreneur who has built many multi million dollar companies from tech startups and financial services, to nationally ranked home remodeling firms from the ground up, will lend his tech savvy and business acumen to the day to day management functions of the new firm and its technology solutions.

About Steward Partners Holdings

Headquartered in Washington, DC with additional offices in Andover, MA and Portsmouth, NH, Steward Partners Holdings, LLC is an employee-owned, full service partnership and investment holdings company. It is the parent company of Steward Partners Consulting Solutions and  Steward Partners Global Advisors (SPG), who recently formed a strategic relationship with Raymond James in order to provide its financial advisors and their clients with cutting edge technology, complete with an all-inclusive full service platform that is global in reach, but backed by an organization grounded in a culture of caring.  Founding partners of the firm hail from Morgan Stanley, Smith Barney, Citigroup, Merrill Lynch, and Legg Mason.  For more information, visit us at www.stewardpartners.com and www.stewardpc.com

About Raymond James Financial Services

Raymond James Financial Services, Inc. is a financial services firm supporting more than 3,200 independent financial advisors nationwide. Beginning in 1974, Raymond James Financial Services Inc., member FINRA/SIPC, has provided a wide range of investment and wealth planning related services through its affiliate, Raymond James & Associates, Inc., member New York Stock Exchange/SIPC. Both broker/dealers are wholly owned subsidiaries of Raymond James Financial, Inc. (NYSE-RJF), a financial services holding company with more than 6,200 affiliated financial advisors serving approximately 2.5 million individual, family and corporate accounts throughout the United States, Canada and overseas. In addition, total client assets are approximately $447 billion.

Steward Partners Global Advisory, LLC maintains a separate professional business relationship with, and our professionals offer securities through Raymond James Financial Services, Inc., member FINRA/SIPC. 1000 Connecticut Ave., N.W., 9th Fl. Suite 930 Washington D.C. 20036 - Toll Free: (855) 414-3140.

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SOURCE Steward Partners Consulting Solutions