Former Chairman of ING Advisor Network, John Simmers, joins Scott Sherwood at growing independent BD/RIA, Calton & Associates

 
John Simmers has joined Scott Sherwood in reaching an agreement to help Calton & Associates, Inc. become a clear leader in the independent broker dealer and hybrid RIA model. As a result of this agreement, Simmers will initially focus on providing council to the many small and mid-sized Broker Dealers and RIAs that are interested in leveraging the resources of Calton.
 
Prior to the agreements with Simmers and Sherwood, Calton had grown to approximately 195 advisors in 55 offices. Calton's growth had occurred without any significant advertising and modest technology. It grew from referrals earned for excellent service throughout its near quarter-century history.
 
John Simmers, now 61, co-founded and helped lead the independent broker dealer known as Financial Network Investment Corporation (FNIC), which eventually became part of the ING Advisors Network. After becoming CEO of the entire ING Advisors Network (n.k.a. Cetera Financial Group), he also became Chairman of its four broker dealer divisions: FNIC, Multi-Financial Securities Corporation, PrimeVest Financial Services Inc. and ING Financial Partners. All told, under his leadership, the group grew to over 8,500 Advisors and $1 Billion in revenue.
 
John has served as an executive leader for numerous industry-related associations, including FINRA, where he served on the Board of Governors, as well as the following national committees: Membership; Independent Firms; Direct Participation Program; Insurance Affiliated Firms; and Joint FINRA/NYSE Continuing Education. He was also a board member of NASDR, which was the subsidiary responsible for all rule making before the NASD became FINRA. John was a former chairman of the Financial Services Institute (FSI) and a member of its board of directors. He was also a past president and director of the California Association of Independent Broker-Dealers and a former member of the Investment Adviser Committee and Independent Firms Committee for the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association (SIFMA). He served on the Compliance Council, Due Diligence Steering Committee, and Broker-Dealer Advisory Council for the Financial Planning Association (FPA).
 
In both 2007 and 2008, John was named in Investment Adviser Magazine as one of the top 25 most influential people in the industry.
 
Dwayne Calton stated, "We at Calton are extremely honored that John Simmers has agreed to help us grow our business.  His background is impressive by any standard.  His knowledge of the securities industry is unequaled.  However, the most impressive quality about this man is his ethics.  He is the finest steward of the securities industry that I have ever met and we are extremely excited to be working with him.
 
John Simmers added, "I'm a big believer in what Dwayne has built with his firm over the last 24 years. And with the expertise of Scott Sherwood on board, I'm confident that Calton & Associates will soon be recognized for their leadership in the independent broker dealer and hybrid RIA arena. I'm looking forward to working with Dwayne and Scott in this exciting venture.