American Portfolios Vice President of Marketing Strategy Kimberly A. Branch Aids in Positioning Company for Growth

HOLBROOK, NY--(Marketwired - December 16, 2015) - American Portfolios Financial Services, Inc. (APFS), a privately-held, independent broker/dealer that services financial advisors throughout the country, continues to fulfil the goals outlined in its ambitious, long-term growth plan with the inclusion of Vice President of Marketing Strategy Kimberly A. Branch to the senior management team.

Part of APFS' five-year roadmap includes strategic hires at the executive and senior management levels to expand the firm's infrastructure. "American Portfolios' primary focus has always been to build and invest in resources that may sustain us through any economic climate in exchange for outlays in marketing," said APFS CEO, CIO and President Lon T. Dolber. "But the time has come to gain stronger brand recognition of our value proposition and subject matter expertise among existing and prospective advisors. As a seasoned marketing professional in our space, Kimberly brings her many years of experience driving corporate growth initiatives via targeted messaging and brand awareness; more specifically, she does so through the power of digital marketing."

When developing the firm's growth plan, one of the foremost goals was to incorporate a marketing team into APFS' organizational structure to support its aggressive recruiting and sales agenda of organic and advisory growth. For this purpose, VP of Marketing and Corporate Communications Melissa Grappone brought in Branch to build a lead generation and marketing automation system to promote American Portfolios' unique brand in a strategically, targeted, measurable and interactive way utilizing digital technologies.

Said Grappone, "Kimberly has been an essential and complimentary asset for the department, and for AP at large. Her breadth of experience providing marketing support across a wide range of B/D related areas such as recruiting, onboarding, sales, practice management, advisory and vendor relations -- to name a few -- coupled with a proficiency in building lead gen/marketing automation systems at her prior firms, has shortened the learning curve for us and will accelerate our ability to effectively market in the digital space." 

In her current role, Branch has taken the reigns developing and executing marketing strategies for APFS' recruitment initiatives, advisory sales and increasing the productivity of the firm's affiliated advisors through the creation of marketing materials, not the least of which includes those that highlight the company's varied technology platform solutions. Branch's ability to develop unique, cutting-edge marketing strategies is a critical component in assisting APFS in meeting and exceeding its established goals. In addition, from nearly her first day on the job, Branch played a pivotal role in the firm's implementation and interpretation of NPS methodology to determine the wants and needs of its clients.

Prior to joining APFS, Branch was the vice president and chief marketing officer for Symetra Investment Services, Inc., where her mission centered on recruiting, customer retention and building brand awareness. Branch -- who is FINRA-licensed and holds the designations of CFP^®, CLTC, LUTCF -- has 20-plus years of industry-related and marketing experience, which includes prominent positions held at 4Ward Financial Marketing, Inc. and AIG Financial Advisors. 

Moving forward on its path to greatness, APFS will continue to deliver highly-valued services, programs and products to its affiliated financial advisors and their clientele. The firm looks forward to fulfilling its brand promises and value proposition(s) as a leading industry service provider for independent financial professionals. 

About American Portfolios
Headquartered in Holbrook, N.Y., APFS is a full-service, independent broker/dealer and member firm of FINRA and SIPC, offering a complete range of financial services, including personal financial and retirement planning, securities trading, mutual funds, access to investment research, long-term care planning, insurance products and tax-free investing. Fee-based asset management is offered through its sister subsidiary, American Portfolios Advisors, Inc., (APA), an SEC Registered Investment Advisor. Both entities, along with technology division American Outsources, LLC (AO,) collectively reside under the legal entity American Portfolios Holdings, Inc. (APH). Full-service securities brokerage is available through a clearing firm relationship with Pershing, LLC, a BNY Mellon firm, the securities of which are held on a fully disclosed basis. The company currently serves 809 independent investment professionals located in 368 branch locations throughout the nation, and was named Broker-Dealer of the Year* (Division III) by Investment Advisor magazine in 2015.

*Based on a poll of registered representatives conducted by Investment Advisor magazine. Broker/dealers rated highest by their representatives are awarded "Broker/Dealer (B/D) of the Year."

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