US Trust, an affiliate of the Global Wealth & Investment Management unit of Bank of America, has announced a number of hires for wealth management positions across the US eastern seaboard, as it continued its expansion in the country.

The firm has appointed Rowland Bankes as head of trading. US Trust described his hiring as "part of an ongoing talent acquisition campaign designed to enhance service capabilities for ultra high net worth clients in key markets across the US and expand US Trust’s leadership position in the wealth management industry".

Bankes joins US Trust from RW Pressprich, where he was managing director and led the capital structure sales effort in Boston. Bankes also spent 10 years at Putnam Investments in various senior leadership positions. Based in Boston, he reports to US Trust chief investment officer Chris Hyzy, and will lead a team of 15 professionals.

US Trust also said it has appointed Stephen Doty, former national director of the Bank of New York Mellon, as its Northeast division investment executive.

Doty was previously a national director of portfolio management and member of the BNY Mellon strategy and policy committees. Prior to that, he worked as head of portfolio management, chief trust investment officer and served on the board of the domestic investment strategy group at Deutsche Bank.

US Trust, which oversees client assets of almost $308 billion, additionally appointed five senior wealth management executives in Southeast Florida in an effort to target the key areas of Sarasota, Boca Raton and Palm Beach.

Southeast division executive Doug DiVirgilio appointed three senior vice presidents - Lawrence Greenberg, Nancy Golder and Bob Dunkin - as private client advisor, private client manager and private client consultant respectively for the Palm Beach branch.

DiVirgilio appointed Jesse Perrin as senior vice president and market sales director to the Boca Raton branch and Kimberly Bleach as senior vice president and private client manager to the Sarasota branch.