Operating Committee

David J. Kowach

David J. Kowach is president and head of Wells Fargo Advisors. In this role, David provides leadership for one of the nation’s largest full-service retail brokerage organizations.

David has worked in the financial services industry for 25 years, the majority of which has been with Wells Fargo Advisors. Prior to his current role, David led the Private Client Group (PCG), the company’s largest business line with about 11,000 financial advisors serving clients in all 50 states.

Earlier, David was head of the Business Development Group. He also served as director of Private Client Services within PCG and held various roles within its regional management structure. Previously, David was national sales manager for Evergreen Funds. He began his career as a financial advisor in the Philadelphia area.

David is a graduate of Villanova University with a bachelor's degree in finance. He actively supports many St. Louis-area charitable organizations including the St. Louis Zoo, United Way, Forest Park Forever, and Central Institute for the Deaf. David, his wife, Kerrin, and their two daughters, live in St. Louis, Missouri.

Kathy Barney

Kathy Barney is group finance officer at Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC. Kathy leads a team of 160 people charged with accounting controls, regulatory reporting, financial analysis, management reporting, treasury, supplier planning & integration and all business unit financial teams. She supports and advises senior management in the improvement of short- and long-term performance of the firm. She also provides analytical support required to enhance understanding of financial and operating results, the decision making process and the effective evaluation of progress in achieving tactical and strategic initiatives. Kathy sits on the Wells Fargo Advisors Operating Committee.

Kathy joined Wells Fargo Advisors in February 2013. Prior to joining the firm, Kathy was the president and chief executive officer of H&R Block Bank. Earlier, she served as chief financial officer and later as president of Generations Bank.

Kathy earned her master’s degree in accounting from the University of Missouri-Kansas City and a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Baker University in Baldwin, Kan. She passed the CPA examination and holds a series 27 securities registration. Kathy is active in her community, serves on the board of Nine Network, and is currently co-chair for the WFA Community Support Campaign.

Jack Grone

Jack Grone is senior vice president and director of Corporate Communications for Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC, where he leads internal and external communications. Jack develops and oversees the implementation of the firm’s communications strategy, serves as senior communications counselor to the president and acts as the chief spokesperson. He also sits on the Wells Fargo Advisors Operating Committee.

Jack joined Wells Fargo Advisors in August 2014. He previously led communications in the Americas region for the Investment Banking Department of Credit Suisse Securities, based in New York. Jack originally joined Credit Suisse in London in 2006 as a member of the bank’s communications team for Europe, Middle East and Africa. Prior to this, he was news editor and senior reporter at Dow Jones Newswires in London, where his roles included reporting on mergers and acquisitions and overseeing coverage of the UK equities market. He joined Dow Jones in Budapest, Hungary, in 1996, later serving there as bureau chief. Jack started his journalism career at the St. Louis Business Journal. His writing has also appeared in The Wall Street Journal and Barron’s.

A native of St. Louis, Jack earned his bachelor’s degree in English from Washington University. He served as a volunteer in Hungary with the U.S. Peace Corps from 1993 to 1995.

Mark Hammersmith

Mark Hammersmith is executive vice president and chief information officer of Brokerage Technology at Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC. Mark is responsible for all aspects of technology support for the Wells Fargo Advisors’ line of business. He also sits on the Wells Fargo Advisors Operating Committee.

Prior to joining the firm in 2006, Mark was senior vice president and chief information officer of Met Life’s Institutional Business. Previously, he worked for The Dun & Bradstreet Corporation as vice president of Management Information Systems for the IMS Health and AC Nielsen Divisions and also as director of Corporate Systems and Global Financial Systems.

Mark received a bachelor’s degree in applied mathematics from Yale University.

Jim Hays

Jim Hays is head of Wealth Brokerage Services (WBS), the division of Wells Fargo’s brokerage business that is aligned with the company’s Wealth Management Group. WBS includes more than 3,200 Financial Advisors. In that capacity, Jim provides executive leadership and engages team members in collaborations within and across the Community Bank and Wells Fargo. He sits on the Wells Fargo Advisors Operating Committee as well as the Wealth Management Executive Committee.

Prior to his current role, Jim was president of the Private Client Group at Wells Fargo Advisors. Previously, Jim held a variety of leadership positions at Merrill Lynch including managing director and head of Private Banking and Investment Group, Merrill Lynch Trust, and Family Office; head of Training and Leadership Development Group; managing director - Silicon Valley Complex; district manager - Northern New Jersey; and producing sales manager. In addition to working as a financial advisor with Merrill Lynch, Jim was also a partner and co-founder of Hays Financial Group/Investment bank and an associate at Coopers and Lybrand Consulting.

A 1985 graduate of the University of Virginia with a degree in finance, Jim is also active in the community and serves on the board of the San Francisco Zoo. Previously, he held leadership positions with the St. Louis Sports Commission (2011), Shakespeare Fest (2010), the United Way (2006-2007), Canal Walk (2007), Chairman of Private Client Committee of Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association (2003-2005), and the Institute for Private Investors (2001-2006).

Mark W. Hubbert

Mark Hubbert is the chief risk and credit officer for Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC, where he has responsibility for managing all risks associated with new products and public offerings, market and trading risk, technology risk, credit risk, operational risk, business continuity planning, and Basel reporting. Mark sits on the Wells Fargo Advisors Operating Committee.

Prior to becoming the chief risk and credit officer for Wells Fargo Advisors, Mark served as the managing director and chief operating officer for the Wealth Brokerage Services division of Wells Fargo Advisors. He held a similar role with Wachovia Securities prior to the Wells Fargo acquisition of Wachovia, where his responsibilities included operations and technology support, centralized supervisory functions, project management and strategic initiatives, including the Wells Fargo Investments merger integration.

Mark graduated with a B.A. in business and economics from Colby College and holds an M.B.A. from Columbia University. He has served as a tax preparer with the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program of the Charlotte Community Link, a nonprofit organization that enables individuals and families to obtain safe and affordable housing.

Beth Hummels

Beth Hummels is director of Human Resources for Wells Fargo Advisors. She also sits on the Wells Fargo Advisors Operating Committee.

Beth joined Wells Fargo in 1998 and has held senior Human Resources positions within the consumer lending divisions. Prior to joining Wells Fargo, Beth was the senior director of Training and Development for Thorn Americas, Inc. and was also president of the Personnel Research Group, Inc.

Beth holds a master’s degree in industrial and organizational psychology from Auburn University and a bachelor’s degree from Kansas State University. She is active in the Society for Human Resources Management and the St. Louis Regional Chamber. Beth and her family live in St. Louis, Mo.

Doug Kelly

Doug Kelly is assistant general counsel at Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC supporting retail brokerage. He also sits on the Wells Fargo Advisors Operating Committee.

During his 21-year career with the firm, Doug has held a variety of leadership positions, including executive vice president, chief financial officer, treasurer, corporate secretary, director of the administration, director of Law and Compliance. Before joining the company, Doug was with a law firm practicing in the areas of security and corporate law.

Doug has served on the NASD National Adjudicatory Council, including serving as the chair of the council. He also served on the board of directors of the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc., NASD Regulation, Inc., National Arbitration and Mediation Committee of the NASD and the District Business Conduct Committee of District 4 of the NASD. Doug is a member of the Executive Committee of the SIFMA Compliance and Legal Society.

Doug graduated from the University of Colorado with a bachelor’s degree in finance and received his juris doctor degree from Washington University School of Law in St. Louis.

Devon McConnell

Devon McConnell is head of Digital at Wells Fargo Advisors. She is responsible for the vision, strategy, development and ongoing management of the firm’s Direct Investing Business and digital client experiences. Devon sits on the Wells Fargo Advisors Operating Committee.

Prior to joining Wells Fargo Advisors in August 2014, Devon was the head of Product Development and User Experience Design at AmericanExpress.com. Earlier, she served as head of digital client strategy for JP Morgan Asset Management. Prior to her work at American Express and JP Morgan, Devon was a senior vice president and product director for Citigroup.

Devon earned her M.B.A. from Columbia Business School and a bachelor’s degree from Barnard College. Devon holds FINRA series 7 and 24 registrations.

Jim McHale

Jim McHale is the chief compliance officer of Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC. In this role, Jim leads the compliance function for Wells Fargo’s retail brokerage business, including responsibility for retail compliance, products and regulatory compliance, regulatory affairs, internal controls, and compliance implementation. Jim sits on the Wells Fargo Advisors Operating Committee.

Jim joined Wells Fargo Advisors in October 2014. Previously, he was the global head of brokerage compliance for E*TRADE Financial Corporation, where, among other responsibilities, he helped design and implement an enterprise compliance program consistent with the expectations of the federal banking regulators. Prior to E*TRADE, Jim served as managing director and associate general counsel with the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association (SIFMA), where he led advocacy efforts on proposed rules and regulations issued by the SEC, CFTC and FINRA, including several Dodd Frank Act implementation initiatives. Jim was also a member of the SIFMA working group responsible for updating SIFMA’s White Paper: “The Evolving Role of Compliance” (March 2013).

Earlier in his career, Jim was associate general counsel with E*TRADE, an associate in the Securities Industry Practice Group of the law firm of Morgan, Lewis & Bockius and prior to that served as special counsel with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s Division of Trading and Markets.

Jim holds a J.D. from the University of South Carolina School of Law and a bachelor’s degree from the University of South Carolina School of Business Administration. He is a frequent speaker on legal and compliance topics impacting the securities industry. Jim and his wife, Angela, live in St. Louis with their three children. Jim is on the Board of the St. Louis Regional Chamber of Commerce.

Brand Meyer

Brand Meyer is head of the Independent Brokerage Group for Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC. In his current role, Brand has responsibility for the firm’s independent brokerage business (FiNet) and its correspondent clearing business (First Clearing). He also oversees the direct business that provides service, guidance and advice to mass and mass affluent clients through both online capabilities and a centralized team of advisors and service specialists. Brand sits on the Wells Fargo Advisors Operating Committee.

His 46-year career has included affiliations with predecessor firms to Wells Fargo including Prescott, Ball & Turben and EVEREN Securities. Brand has held a number of different leadership positions for the company, including president of the former Financial Services Group, regional director for the Private Client Group, director of Retail Branches, director of Branch Administration and director of Compliance.

Brand is a native of Cleveland, Ohio and attended Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pa. He is active in the community, and serves on the board of the St. Louis Art Museum. Brand also serves on the board of the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association (SIFMA). He currently lives in St. Louis, Mo. with his wife Pam and their children Griffin and Jaden.

Joe Nadreau

Joe Nadreau is the managing director of the Innovation and Strategy Group at Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC, responsible for the continuing evolution of the business platforms for the firm’s Financial Advisors and clients. Joe also sits on the Wells Fargo Advisors Operating Committee.

Joe has worked in the financial services industry for over 20 years. He joined Wells Fargo Advisors in 1999 as the firm’s chief e-commerce officer and continues to position the firm’s overall business platform and investment process to meet the strategic goals of the organization. Prior to joining the firm, Joe worked for the IBM Consulting Group as a senior business strategy consultant, at PaineWebber as an internal consultant/auditor, and as a capital markets officer/trader at Chase Securities.

Joe attended Penn State University and earned a dual bachelor’s degree in finance and international business. He received his M.B.A. in finance from New York University’s Stern School of Business. He is on multiple nonprofit boards in the St. Louis community and served as the chairman of the WFA United Way campaign. He is also the executive sponsor of the WFA Veterans’ Team Member Network. Joe holds FINRA Series 7 and 24 registrations and is a member of the FINRA Tech Advisory Committee.

JoAnn Neau

JoAnn Neau is director of Marketing for Wells Fargo Advisors. She leads the team that provides strategic marketing counsel and support to the firm’s product groups, sales/support channels and regions. JoAnn sits on the Wells Fargo Advisors Operating Committee.

JoAnn has more than 20 years of experience in the financial services industry. She joined Wells Fargo in 2014 as the head of Marketing for Abbot Downing, a Wells Fargo business catering to ultra-high-net-worth clients. Prior to joining Wells Fargo, she spent 13 years with RBC Wealth Management. There she led marketing and communications for the wealth management business in the United States and was also responsible for the digital channel strategy for the global wealth management platform. Previously, JoAnn held positions with U.S. Bancorp and Securian Financial.

JoAnn earned her M.B.A. from the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota in Marketing and Finance. For the past nine years, she has served on the board of trustees for the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association’s (SIFMA’s) Securities Industry Institute at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. In addition, JoAnn is on the board of directors of Project SUCCESS, a nonprofit organization focused on improving the educational experiences of inner city middle and high school students. JoAnn is also a member of the board of directors of Meet Minneapolis, the nonprofit organization for the Minneapolis convention and visitor’s association.

John Parker

John Parker is head of Services and Operations at Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC. In this position, John provides operational support for Wells Fargo Advisors and all Wells Fargo businesses that leverage brokerage services through the brokerage operations, middle-office, securities lending, project and professional business services functions that report to him. John is also responsible for planning for the evolution of the firm’s technology needs and working with the Technology and Operations Group to ensure that those needs are met. John’s role includes similar responsibilities with First Clearing, LLC, which provides technology and brokerage-clearance services to Wells Fargo Advisors and over 80 retail securities firms throughout the United States. He also sits on the Wells Fargo Advisors Operating Committee and the First Clearing, LLC board of directors.

John joined the firm in 2001 as chief information officer and president of the Technology Group. In those roles, John was responsible for establishing and executing the IT strategy and directing all of the firm’s IT activities. Previously, John served in the airline industry where he progressed through positions in which he built and led both business and technology organizations, ultimately holding the role of chief information officer for Northwest Airlines.

John earned his master’s degree in business administration from Georgia State University in Atlanta. He is active in his community and within the industry, has served as Chairman for WFA’s United Way campaign, and is Executive Sponsor of the Women’s Team Member Network. John holds FINRA Series 7, 24 and 27 registrations.

Bob Vorlop

Head of Products and Advice Bob Vorlop is the head of Products and Advice at Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC. In this role, Bob is responsible for the strategic direction and management of Investment and Advisory Products, Lending and Banking Services, Advice, Financial Advisor Recruiting, and Financial Advisor & Branch Manager Development and Retention. He also sits on the Wells Fargo Advisors Operating Committee and serves as Chairman of the firm’s New Product Commitment Committee.

In his 30 years of service with the firm, Bob has held a variety of leadership positions, including the director of Alternative Investments and director of Sales for the Financial Services Group. For the past four years, Bob has served as the head of Investment and Advisory Products. He began his career as a financial advisor with Dean Witter.

Bob is a Texas A&M University graduate with a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering. He is also a graduate of the Securities Industry Institute at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School. Bob is a frequent speaker at financial industry events and holds Series 7 and 24 securities registrations as well as a life/health insurance license. Bob and his wife, Fran, live in St. Louis, and they have three sons.