LOS ANGELES, Oct. 8, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Wedbush Securities, one of the nation's leading diversified financial services firms, is pleased to announce the growth of its Equity Sales and Trading Group, with the addition of Senior Vice Presidents, Equity Sales, Eric Smith, Jason Breaker, Maria Averina, Andrew Kennedy, and Jesse Bigelow, along with Vice President, Equity Sales, Matt Stratton, and Senior Vice Presidents, Equity Trading, Guy Corcoran and Wayne Ruden.
Eric Smith joins Wedbush as Senior Vice President, Equity Sales, in its expanding Cleveland, Ohio, office. Eric brings over 15 years of institutional research sales experience to the firm, previously working in Equity Sales at Discern Analytics, Hudson Securities (later acquired by Rodman & Renshaw), and KeyBanc Capital Markets. Eric holds a Bachelor of Science in Finance from the Miami University of Ohio in Oxford, Ohio. He is a CFA® charterholder and holds licenses in both the Series 7 and 63.
Jason Breaker joins Wedbush as Senior Vice President, Equity Sales, in its San Francisco office. He brings 19 years of experience in Institutional Equity Research sales, having previously worked at Brean Capital, A.G. Edwards & Sons, and Merrill Lynch. Jason graduated Magna Cum Laude from Colorado College, where he earned his Bachelor's degree in Philosophy and German Literature. He is currently licensed in the Series 7 and 63, and is a CFA® charterholder.
Matt Stratton joins Wedbush as Vice President, Equity Sales. Matt is located in the firm's Minneapolis office. He joins Wedbush after 16 years of experience, with previous roles in Institutional Equity Sales at Craig Hallum Capital, ThinkEquity Partners, and Piper Jaffray. Matt received his Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from the University of Wisconsin before earning his MBA from the University of St. Thomas.
Maria Averina joins Wedbush as Senior Vice President, Equity Sales, in the firm's New York office. With over 15 years of experience, Maria's role will maintain an international focus, as she has held previous positions with companies such as Canaccord Genuity, Brean Capital, and Instinet. She is a graduate of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and is fluent in Russian, Italian, Hebrew, and German.
Andrew Kennedy joins Wedbush as Senior Vice President, Equity Sales, in the firm's New York office, bringing over 13 years of experience in Institutional Equity Sales. Most recently, Andrew was at Sterne Agee, where he carried the title of Director, Institutional Equity Sales. Prior to that, Andrew was a Managing Director at Madison Williams & Co., where he partnered to form the top producing sales team at the firm, and played a key role in expanding outside of energy into health care. Andrew received his Bachelor of Arts in International Affairs at Lafayette College in Pennsylvania and his MBA in Finance at Fordham University in New York.
Jesse Bigelow joins Wedbush as Senior Vice President, Equity Sales, in the firm's New York office, bringing over 20 years of experience in Institutional Equity Sales. Before joining Wedbush, Jesse served as Managing Director, Institutional Equity Sales at CRT Capital. Jesse's previous experience also includes Maxim Group, RBC Capital Markets, CIBC World Markets, and Lehman Brothers. Jesse graduated from New York University with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics.
Guy Corcoran joins Wedbush as Senior Vice President, Equity Trading, in the firm's New York office, where his focus will be on sales trading. A seasoned veteran with a great deal of experience in institutional accounts, Guy's previous roles include Director at Sterne Agee, Managing Director at Imperial Capital, and 15 years as the Director at CitiGroup. He received his Bachelor of Arts in Communications from Mercy College in New York.
Wayne Ruden joins Wedbush as Senior Vice President, Equity Trading, in the firm's San Francisco office. Wayne brings over 20 years of experience and strong relationships in the industry, which he will apply to his current role in covering local accounts. He has previously worked at Mizuho and Suntrust, and is a member of the San Francisco Securities Association. Wayne received his Bachelor of Arts in Communications from the University of Iowa.
"The new additions to our Equity Sales and Trading team in the New York, San Francisco, Cleveland, and Minneapolis offices add significant experience and client focus as we continue to expand our national presence. We greatly look forward to their contributions," states Kirsten Fraunces, Managing Director and Co-Head of Equities at Wedbush Securities. Furthermore, Ian Winer, Managing Director and Co-Head of Equities, also adds, "Our new hires represent a further commitment by Wedbush to grow our business with experienced professionals who are dedicated to being an invaluable part of our clients' investment process."
Wedbush Securities' Equity Sales and Trading Group utilizes traditional and primary research resources to deliver superior information flow, investment ideas, and best execution services to small, mid, and large cap clients. The team covers more than 1,000 United States and European institutions through its Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Boston, Minneapolis, Seattle, Dallas, and Cleveland offices.
# # #
About Wedbush Securities
Since our founding in 1955, Wedbush has been a leader in the financial industry providing our clients with a wide range of services; including retail and institutional sales, clearing services, equity research, corporate and municipal finance, equity market making, fixed income trading, and wealth management. Headquartered in Los Angeles, with over 100 registered offices, the firm focuses on relentless service, client financial safety, continuity, and advanced technology. Wedbush Securities is the largest subsidiary of holding company WEDBUSH, Inc., which also includes affiliated firms Wedbush Asset Management, Wedbush Capital Partners, Wedbush Opportunity Partners, and Lime Brokerage LLC.
Follow us on Twitter @Wedbush.