Two Wealth Management Veterans Join Fiduciary Trust International in Atlanta, Continuing to Build Local Team

Industry Veterans Join Firm from Bank of America Private Bank, Attracted to Fiduciary Trust International’s Nearly 100-Year History Serving High-Net-Worth Clients, and Southeast Growth Strategy

Fiduciary Trust International, a global wealth manager and wholly-owned subsidiary of Franklin Templeton, announces that Laura C. Pease, CTFA, and James T. Farmer, CAIA^®, have joined the firm as managing director, senior trust officer and managing director, senior portfolio manager, respectively. Both professionals are based in Atlanta, GA, a key growth market for the firm.

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Laura C. Pease, CTFA, joins Fiduciary Trust International as managing director, senior trust officer in Atlanta. (Photo: Business Wire)

“We are pleased to welcome Laura and Jim, both highly regarded veterans in wealth management with outstanding professional reputations and trusted relationships in the Atlanta region,” said David W. Edmiston, Fiduciary Trust International’s regional managing director for Atlanta and Washington D.C. “Laura’s deep fiduciary expertise along with Jim’s extensive investment advisory background further complement our local team. With these additions, we continue to build our presence and brand in the Southeast region.”

Ms. Pease, a 24-year veteran of Bank of America in Atlanta, brings more than three decades of industry experience and community leadership to the team. Prior to joining Fiduciary Trust International, she served as a private client advisor and senior vice president at Bank of America Private Bank where she catered to high-net-worth individuals, families, and family offices. Earlier in her career, Ms. Pease was a senior trust officer at Bank of America Private Bank, relationship manager at Wachovia Bank, and trust officer at Truist (formerly SunTrust).

“I am thrilled to join Fiduciary Trust International and the Atlanta team during this exciting time of growth,” said Ms. Pease. “The firm’s nimble and collaborative culture, along with its focus on delivering a unique client experience, perfectly align with my values and professional standards. I look forward to contributing to our team’s continued expansion and delivering best-in-class wealth management solutions to the individuals and families we serve.”

Ms. Pease holds the Certified Trust and Fiduciary Advisor (CTFA) designation and previously served as president of the Atlanta Estate Planning Council. She earned her B.A. in International Studies from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and also completed the Cannon Trust School and National ABA Graduate Trust School. Ms. Pease is actively involved in the community, serving on the Board of Trustees of Peachtree Road United Methodist Church and the Board of Visitors at the University of North Carolina.

Before joining Fiduciary Trust International, Mr. Farmer spent more than 15 years as a portfolio manager at Bank of America Private Bank in Atlanta, delivering investment advice and solutions for high-net-worth individuals and families. Previously, he held positions at Calibre Family Office and Offitbank (subsidiaries of Wachovia Bank) in their family office investment divisions.

“I'm honored to join the Fiduciary Trust International team in Atlanta where I can focus on providing clients personalized investment advice and innovative solutions,” said Mr. Farmer. “It’s exciting to be able to directly collaborate with our firm’s investment leaders in order to deliver customized investment strategies to our clients.”

Mr. Farmer holds the Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst (CAIA) designation and earned his MBA from the University of Oregon and B.A. from the University of North Carolina (Phi Beta Kappa). He has also participated in the U.S. Olympic Trials in track and field and enjoys volunteering as a parent coach with the Walton Youth Track Club cross country team in Marietta, GA.

After a 30-year career at Abbot Downing, Wells Fargo Private Bank, and Wachovia, Mr. Edmiston joined Fiduciary Trust International in 2021, and has since assembled a team of highly experienced professionals dedicated to advising and serving high-net-worth families, family offices, non-profits, endowments, and foundations. Fiduciary Trust International’s growing Atlanta presence reinforces the firm's national expansion strategy and strengthens its East Coast footprint, which spans from Massachusetts to South Florida and west to California.

About Fiduciary Trust International

Fiduciary Trust International, a global wealth management firm headquartered in New York, NY, has served individuals, families, endowments and foundations since 1931. With over $102 billion in assets under management and administration as of March 31, 2024, the firm specializes in strategic wealth planning, investment management and trust and estate services, as well as tax and custody services. The New York-based firm and its subsidiaries maintain offices in Coral Gables, FL, Boca Raton, FL, Fort Lauderdale, FL, West Palm Beach, FL, St. Petersburg, FL, Radnor, PA, Lincoln, MA, Los Angeles, CA, San Mateo, CA, San Francisco, CA, Washington, DC, Wilmington, DE, Reston, VA, and Atlanta, GA. For more information, please visit fiduciarytrust.com, and for the latest updates, follow Fiduciary Trust International on LinkedIn and X: @FiduciaryTrust.

About Franklin Templeton

Franklin Resources, Inc. [NYSE: BEN] is a global investment management organization with subsidiaries operating as Franklin Templeton and serving clients in over 150 countries. Franklin Templeton’s mission is to help clients achieve better outcomes through investment management expertise, wealth management and technology solutions. Through its specialist investment managers, the company offers specialization on a global scale, bringing extensive capabilities in fixed income, equity, alternatives and multi-asset solutions. With more than 1,500 investment professionals, and offices in major financial markets around the world, the California-based company has over 75 years of investment experience and over $1.6 trillion in assets under management as of May 31, 2024. For more information, please visit franklintempleton.com and follow us on LinkedIn, X and Facebook.

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"We are pleased to welcome Laura and Jim, both highly regarded veterans in wealth management in the Atlanta region," said David W. Edmiston, Fiduciary Trust International’s regional managing director for Atlanta and Washington D.C.