BNY Mellon Wealth Management has appointed Ridgway Powell as the managing director and team leader of its group of wealth advisors specializing in the financial affairs of ultra high net worth families and family offices.

Powell has been working for 25 years at BNY Mellon and most recently served as director of investments for the family office services division. Prior to that, he worked for eight years as head of the portfolio management team, which was then responsible for $1.2 billion in assets under management. He reports directly to Donald Heberle, head of the family wealth and international businesses.

BNY Mellon Wealth Management  has around $170 billion in private client assets; its range of services include wealth and estate planning, investment management and private banking.

The firm has made a number of wealth management hires in recent months, ramping up its teams in Florida, San Francisco and Los Angeles, for example.