Raymond James has appointed Seth Ford as senior vice president and chief architect, a move that underscores the independent broker-dealer's push to embed artificial intelligence across its platforms. Ford, who spent the past three years as chief architect and head of agentic digital products at Vanguard, brings over 30 years of financial services technology experience to the St. Petersburg, Florida-based firm.
In his new role, Ford will oversee enterprise architecture across Raymond James' technology stack, with a mandate to scale AI capabilities, modernize cloud computing infrastructure, and integrate advanced analytics. He will also chair the firm's Technology Review Board and join the Extended IT Senior Leadership Team, reporting to Chief Information Officer Andy Zolper.
Zolper highlighted Ford's track record in bridging business objectives with technological solutions. "Seth has demonstrated strong leadership and success across enterprise architecture, agentic product management, sophisticated database design, modern cloud computing architecture and resilient distributed systems throughout his career," Zolper said in a statement.
Ford's appointment follows a series of deliberate hires by Raymond James to build a formal AI leadership structure. In February 2024, the firm promoted Stuart Feld, a company veteran since 2018, to the newly created role of chief artificial intelligence officer. Feld serves as the firm's principal AI architect, responsible for enterprise-wide innovation and applying emerging technologies to advisor- and client-facing services. In September 2024, the firm added David Solganik as head of AI strategy, working under Feld to identify growth opportunities through advanced analytics and machine learning. While Ford will not report to Feld, both operate within the same organization under the CIO, a company representative confirmed.
Vin Campagnoli, executive vice president of technology and operations at Raymond James, framed the investment in talent as central to the firm's strategy. "As we continue to advance our technology and AI capabilities, our focus remains on investing in the talent and resources to deliver tools that empower financial professionals, enhance efficiency and create meaningful value for clients," Campagnoli said.
The leadership build-out runs alongside a widening array of AI tools deployed to the firm's advisor network. In January 2025, Raymond James launched its proprietary concierge AI agent, initially named Rai and later rebranded to Raimond, to handle operational support tasks for advisors and their teams. The tool has since been expanded to a few hundred advisors and focus groups, according to CEO Paul Shoukry, who noted during the company's second-quarter earnings call in April 2025 that early feedback had been strong.
The firm has also rolled out a generative AI search function within its internal knowledge databases, integrated Zoom AI meeting summaries with its customer relationship management system, and introduced an AI note assistant designed to reduce administrative time for advisors. In May 2025, it announced an AI Academy education program to support advisors in adopting those tools through hands-on learning, part of what the firm has described as a $975 million annual technology budget.
Despite the aggressive technology investments, Raymond James executives have been deliberate in positioning AI as a complement to—rather than a substitute for—the advisor-client relationship. Shoukry told investors during the company's April 2025 earnings call that even as AI tools improve, the depth of the personal bond between advisor and client remains the firm's defining competitive advantage. "When you see the advisor relationship with clients, there's no doubt that the deeply personal relationships that advisors have with clients trump any kind of technology or AI bot that may exist in the future," Shoukry said.
Ford's arrival comes amid a broader industry trend of wealth management firms competing for AI talent. For context, SEI recently appointed an AI strategist and data chief as part of its own leadership expansion. Meanwhile, AI-driven M&A analysis is widening the gap between scaled platforms and independent RIAs, highlighting the strategic importance of such hires.
