Megabank’s head of personal trust sales and marketing switches gears. Wachovia has made Curt Farmer director of its wealth-management business in the Carolinas. He used to be head of national sales and marketing for the bank’s personal trust division. In his new role he’ll oversee delivery of investment management, financial and tax planning, trust and estate planning, insurance, philanthropic and private-banking services to private clients in the two-state region from his base in Winston-Salem, N.C.

“Curt’s expertise will help shape our focus throughout the Carolinas, our largest Wealth Management region,” says Linda Bowden, managing executive in charge of Wachovia’s high-net-worth business in the eastern U.S. “He is a proven leader who knows what our clients want and expect, [and he has] the experience it takes to win their respect and trust.”

Old hand

Farmer has worked at Wachovia since 1985. He has been a manager with the bank’s brokerage unit, an investment specialist with Wachovia Capital Management, a commercial relationship manager with Wachovia’s banking unit and head of wealth management in the Winston-Salem area. After Wachovia merged with First Union in 2001, Farmer became head of wealth management for Delaware and Pennsylvania. He retuned to Winston Salem in 2004 to head up the trust unit’s sales efforts.

“I am very excited to be working once again with clients in the Carolinas, a region I know well and care passionately about,” says Farmer. “Wealth Management is a key focus for our company, and the Carolinas is a critical market for us.”

Wachovia says it’s the fourth-largest wealth manager in the U.S., with private-banking assets at around $300 billion, all in accounts with at least $1 million. –FWR

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