Manager of managers opens third regional wholesale office. Russell Investment Group has opened an East Coast office for its Individual Investor Services business. The Tacoma, Wash.-based fund company says the move into the new Tampa, Fla., office comes in response growing demand from end-clients and intermediaries on the eastern seaboard for its multi-manager mutual funds, mutual-fund wraps and separately managed accounts.

“With an increasing growth in our client base throughout this important region, the Tampa office will allow us to better focus on more in-depth and personal service for our financial intermediaries,” says Greg Stark, head of Russell’s Individual Investor Services business. “As more clients demand multi-manager solutions, we have an increased responsibility to provide outstanding sales and service support for our clients across the entire country and we will continue to add resources and staff as we continue to grow.

Individual Investor Services eastern division manager Franziska Stiens heads the Tampa-office team of 10 local wholesalers with responsibility for providing Russell's multi-manager investments, wealth management tools and research capabilities to clients from Maine to Florida. Russell figures it will double its eastern wholesale force “over the next few years.”

Individual Investor Services covers the West Coast from Russell’s corporate headquarters in Tacoma and the central states from an office in Milwaukee.

Russell managed more than $155 billion in assets for advisory clients at the end of 2005. Its Individual Investor Services business had more than $25 billion in assets under management – a 60% increase through the previous two years. –FWR

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