Raymond James Investment Management has appointed Kristi Higgins as head of Exchange-Traded Fund strategy, the firm announced Tuesday. Higgins will oversee the development of the asset manager's active ETF platform, a key growth area for the $115 billion firm.
Higgins joins from Dimensional Fund Advisors, where she served as senior investment strategist and vice president. Prior to that, she was principal, ETFs and product strategy at Allianz Life. Her hire follows the appointment of Johan Grahn, another Allianz alum, as head of ETFs in August 2024. Grahn and Higgins previously worked together at Allianz.
In December, Raymond James Investment Management named Jeff Ringdahl, former president and chief operating officer at Summit Trail Advisors, as its president. The firm launched its initial suite of three active ETFs in October: the RJ Eagle Vertical Income ETF (Ticker: RJVI), the RJ Eagle GCM Dividend Select Income ETF (Ticker: RJDI), and the RJ Eagle Municipal Income ETF (Ticker: RJMI). These funds are actively managed by Eagle Asset Management, a boutique manager within the company's platform.
Active ETFs have seen surging demand. According to Brown Brothers Harriman's 2026 Global ETF Investor Survey, active ETF assets are projected to reach about $10 trillion by 2033, up from just under $2 trillion at the end of 2025. Goldman Sachs reports that active ETF inflows as a share of all ETF inflows have doubled since 2022.
“Active ETFs are a central pillar of our long-term product strategy, and we are leaning in with conviction,” said Matt Johnson, head of commercial strategy at Raymond James Investment Management, in a statement. “We see a significant opportunity to bring the differentiated capabilities of our boutique managers into the ETF structure in a way that better serves advisors and their clients.”
“Kristi’s experience building ETF platforms makes her an ideal partner as we scale our ETF capabilities,” Johnson added.
The move comes amid broader industry shifts. In a recent development, LPL and Osaic captured a $1.4 billion advisor team in a dual breakaway from Raymond James, highlighting the competitive landscape for advisor talent. Meanwhile, firms are increasingly focusing on succession planning, as explored in the case for naming a successor before you need one.
Raymond James Investment Management's push into active ETFs reflects a broader strategy to differentiate its offerings. With Higgins on board, the firm aims to leverage her experience to accelerate platform growth and capture a larger share of the active ETF market, which is expected to expand significantly in the coming years.
