Raymond James has appointed Seth Ford as Senior Vice President and Chief Architect, a newly expanded role aimed at accelerating the firm’s enterprise technology strategy and the adoption of artificial intelligence and advanced analytics capabilities.
Based in St. Petersburg, Florida, Ford will oversee the evolution of the company’s technology architecture and help ensure new platforms are designed to scale securely and support the firm’s long-term business objectives. In addition to leading Raymond James’ enterprise architecture teams, he joins the Extended IT Senior Leadership Team and will chair the Technology Review Board, which oversees architectural standards, risk management and operational sustainability.
Ford brings more than 30 years of technology leadership experience in financial services. Most recently, he served as Chief Architect and Head of Agentic Digital Products at Vanguard. Prior to that, he spent 23 years at Fidelity Investments, holding a variety of senior technology positions and leading the development of enterprise capabilities.
The appointment is part of Raymond James’ broader effort to expand its technology and AI capabilities. The firm highlighted several recent initiatives, including its AI Academy training program, Raimond concierge AI assistant for advisors, AI-powered CRM note tools, Zoom AI meeting summaries integrated with CRM systems and generative AI search capabilities. Raymond James said it is investing approximately $1.1 billion annually in technology initiatives.
KEY QUOTES:
“At Raymond James, innovation is most powerful when it strengthens relationships and helps our people deliver the high-touch, personal service that defines our firm. 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.”
Vin Campagnoli, Executive Vice President, Technology and Operations, Raymond James
“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. His background spans 30 years where his expertise lies in bridging the gap between business objectives and technological solutions, driving efficiency and creating competitive advantage. I’m pleased to welcome Seth to Raymond James and confident that his influence will accelerate our capabilities to meet strategic business objectives.”
Andy Zolper, Chief Information Officer, Raymond James
“Raymond James continues to make impressive investments in its technology capabilities and infrastructure, and when paired with the firm’s steadfast culture and reputation, it creates an exciting environment to be part of. I look forward to working closely with technology and business partners across the firm to bring teams together, strengthen collaboration and help guide business strategy in ways that continue to enhance the advisor and client experience.”
Seth Ford, Senior Vice President and Chief Architect, Raymond James
