KMS Financial Appoints Ford as President

KMS Financial Services Inc. has appointed Erinn Ford as the firm’s president, effective next month.

KMS Financial Services Inc., an independent advisory and brokerage firm and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Ladenburg Thalmann Financial Services (NYSE: LTS), has appointed Erinn Ford as the firm’s president, effective next month. Ford will succeed Tracy “Ace” Forsythe, a 20-year KMS veteran who is retiring this summer.

“Erinn Ford has consistently been one of the most visible leaders in the retail financial advice space, especially in the Pacific Northwest region, where she and her family have been involved with our industry for decades,” said Eric Westberg, chairman and CEO of KMS. “Her outstanding track record for supporting the business growth of independent advisors across the country speaks for itself.”

In her new role, Ford will oversee multiple core elements of the firm’s forward strategy, including recruiting and retention, enhancements to its client service model, and refinements to the open architecture product platform.

Ford, who has more than 25 years of industry experience, most recently served as president of Cetera Advisors, part of Cetera Financial Group.

This week, Cetera announced a number of organizational and leadership changes, including naming former LPL Financial EVP of sales Mimi Bock as president of both Cetera Advisors and First Allied Securities.

“Becoming part of the KMS team not only opens an exciting new chapter in my professional life, it also provides me with a homecoming to the Greater Seattle area,” said Ford. “The opportunity to join KMS comes at a time in my life when it makes sense for family reasons to relocate permanently to Seattle once more.”

Prior to serving as president of Cetera Advisors, Ford was the firm’s senior vice president of advisor relations, with oversight for enhancing the advisor experience. She holds FINRA Series 7, 24, 63 and 65 securities registrations, and earned a bachelor’s degree in speech communications from the University of Washington.

KMS had $16.6 billion in client assets and 350 experienced investment professionals, as of December 31, 2017. KMS representatives have an average industry tenure of 21 years, an average KMS tenure of 11 years and are located across the U.S. KMS offers comprehensive compliance oversight and support, and practice management services and training.

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