Industry vets create breakaway firm catering to sophisticated clientele in the heart of New Jersey

Kestra Private Wealth Services, LLC (Kestra PWS), a registered investment adviser subsidiary of Kestra Financial, Inc. (Kestra Financial), today announced the addition of Evoke Wealth Management.

Headquartered in Montclair, New Jersey, Evoke Wealth Management is a newly independent firm led by Athishay Gangadharan, Craig Petrassi, and Howard Reizun, CFP^®. The team leverages nearly 70 years of combined financial services experience to provide institutional and retail clients with an integrated approach to investment management, comprehensive financial planning, and trust capabilities.

“We had been considering the independent channel for some time,” said Gangadharan. “By going independent, we now have access to many new tools and platform options that we will be able to offer our clients. In addition to the control that comes with being business owners, that will ultimately allow us to serve our clients better.”

Petrassi, a former institutional commodities and options trader turned long-time private client portfolio manager, believes the disparate skill sets within the Evoke Wealth Management team help make them unique. “When you look at our combined experience, Athishay, Howard, and I bring a diverse mix of strong business acumen, along with sincere aspirations to serve our clients at the highest level,” he said.

Reizun agreed, adding, “The pursuit of excellence, and our desire to work more closely with our clients and their loved ones, along with our mission to help clients connect their wealth to their purpose in an authentic way, ultimately became the impetus behind the founding of Evoke Wealth Management.”

“Athishay, Craig, and Howard are three seasoned and talented professionals who felt their former environment no longer afforded them the flexibility to develop meaningful and deep-rooted client relationships on their own terms,” said Rob Bartenstein, CEO and Senior Managing Director of Kestra PWS. “Seeing them come together, backed by the partnership of Kestra PWS, gives this new powerhouse greater agility and freedom to serve their clients in ways that best align with their needs.”

The addition of Evoke Wealth Management marks the second office Kestra PWS has opened in New Jersey. Kestra PWS now supports 34 firms in 28 locations across the country, having added Maven Bridge Capital in Brea, California, Bull and Bear Wealth Management in Peoria, Arizona, and Ridgway Private Wealth in Tucson, Arizona, earlier this year.

About Kestra Private Wealth Services

Kestra Private Wealth Services, LLC (Kestra PWS) is a hybrid registered investment adviser (RIA) supporting fee- and transaction-based independent financial professional teams across the nation. Kestra PWS was established by wirehouse veterans with the express purpose of enabling former wirehouse financial professionals to achieve independence and growth. The firm's platform is composed of its independent RIA in association with Kestra Investment Services, LLC (Kestra IS) as broker-dealer in order to provide its financial professionals with an open-architecture platform and independence across both fee- and transaction-based business models. Kestra PWS has helped over 30 single- and multi-team offices across the country find independence with their full-service support model.

For more information, visit www.kestrafinancial.com/private-wealth-services.

Kestra Financial, Inc. (Kestra Financial) provides a leading independent advisor platform that empowers sophisticated, independent financial professionals, including traditional and hybrid RIAs, to prosper, grow, and provide superior client service. With a culture rich in reinvention and advisor advocacy, Kestra Financial has developed integrated business management technology that, combined with its personalized consulting services, offers exceptional scale and efficiency.

Kestra Financial is the parent company of Kestra IS, member FINRA/SIPC, and also of Kestra Advisory Services, LLC; Kestra PWS; and Kestra Institutional Services, LLC, all federally registered investment advisers.

The professionals at Evoke Wealth Management offer securities through Kestra IS, member FINRA/SIPC. Investment advisory services offered through Kestra PWS. Evoke Wealth Management is a member firm of Kestra PWS, an affiliate of Kestra IS. Evoke Wealth Management is not affiliated with Kestra IS.

For more information, visit www.kestrafinancial.com.

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