Ruth Papazian is joining Haven Tower Group LLC, a public relations agency focused on the retail financial services industry, as chairman, a newly created position, Haven Tower announced Monday.
Papazian has more than 30 years of experience in senior marketing and business development roles in the financial services sector. Most recently, she was chief marketing officer and head of business development at HD Vest Financial Services, an independent broker-dealer supporting nearly 4,500 financial advisors across the country.
While at HD Vest, Papazian was part of a senior leadership team that successfully grew and sold the firm in late 2015 from private equity and HD Vest management ownership to Blucora Inc., a provider of technology-enabled financial solutions to consumers, small businesses and tax professionals. Prior to that, she was chief marketing officer at LPL Financial, the nation's largest independent brokerage.
She joins Haven Tower on its fifth anniversary and will help implement the firm’s next five-year growth plan, says Joseph Kuo, Haven Tower president and managing partner. She also will provide marketing advice to Haven Tower clients and help to assemble and lead a new board of advisors for the firm.
“In just five years, Joe Kuo has developed Haven Tower into one of the most respected PR agencies within the retail financial services space, and I'm thrilled to support the firm's continued growth and success,” Papazian says.
“Joe has demonstrated how effective it can be to invest in a deep bench of senior professionals who think strategically, see the big picture and share an intense commitment to driving substantive results for clients,” she adds.
Haven Tower’s future plans include encompassing “companies adjacent to the retail financial advice industry that rely on this space for their business [such as] asset managers who principally distribute through independent financial advisors, certain B2B fintech companies, third party succession planning consultancies and lenders who support advisor succession planning transactions,” she says. Haven Tower also will be enhancing its marketing communications.
“I believe these growth plans not only make a great deal of sense, but will continue to be well received by both existing and new clients” so Haven Tower will deliver services “across a wider range of client companies and with a much more expansive toolkit,” Papazian says.
The creation of the new position demonstrates that Haven Tower is serious about growth … under the oversight of some of the most experienced and seasoned professionals in the industry,” Kuo adds.