Press Release

November 18, 2008

RAYMOND JAMES’ CHAIRMAN AND CEO
TOM JAMES WINS ERNST & YOUNG’S 2008
ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR AWARD

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Raymond James Financial, Inc. (RJF-NYSE) Chairman and CEO Thomas A. James was named the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year® 2008 national award winner in the Financial Services category on Saturday, Nov. 15 in Palm Springs, Calif. Now in its 22^nd year, the awards program recognizes leaders and visionaries who demonstrate innovation, financial success and personal commitment as they create and build world-class businesses.

A CEO at age 27, James was recognized for helping to pioneer the use of independent contractors in financial services and for overseeing tremendous growth at Raymond James Financial. James was honored at the Entrepreneur Of The Year® gala in Palm Springs – the culminating event of the Ernst & Young Strategic Growth Forum, the nation’s most prestigious gathering of high-growth, market-leading companies. Awards were given in nine additional categories. All Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year® winners were selected by an independent panel of judges from approximately 400 regional award recipients.

James showed his entrepreneurial side early. At age 10, he was already selling corsages made from his grandmother’s orchids; at 15, he launched a coin collection and selling business. As a Harvard undergraduate, he played in a Boston-area band that grew so popular, he hired additional musicians and was booking half-a-dozen bands for various events.

After attending Harvard Business School, James went to law school in St. Petersburg where his father Robert had started the small brokerage business that eventually became Raymond James Financial. The elder James, a self-taught financial planner, had pioneered many ideas related to the use of living trusts and other estate-planning techniques.

Tom built on the legacy, working at the family firm while completing his law degree, then taking over management of the company in his late 20s. After surviving the financial turbulence of the early 1970s, the company became profitable as the market rebounded.

James created a business model focused on independent contractors ─ a “franchisee” approach that appealed to brokers and allowed the company to grow quickly across the country.  James also identified a niche for firms that could consult with pension funds, trusts and profit-sharing plans. He personally managed the creation of Eagle Asset Management, which now manages more than $33 billion in investments. He also helped create new ventures such as Raymond James Capital, Ballast Point Ventures and the Raymond James Mutual Fund Group. James says entrepreneurs should focus not just on operations but also understand the culture and values under which their company operates. Under James’ leadership, the firm has won national recognition for its successful business practices, community support and corporate philanthropy. 

About Ernst & Young’s Entrepreneur Of The Year®
Ernst & Young’s Entrepreneur Of The Year® is the world’s most prestigious business award for entrepreneurs. The award makes a difference through the unique way it encourages entrepreneurial activity among those with potential and recognizes the contribution of people who inspire others with their vision, leadership and achievement. As the first and only truly global award of its kind, Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year® celebrates those who are building and leading successful

About Raymond James Financial
Raymond James Financial (NYSE-RJF) is a Florida-based diversified holding company providing financial services to individuals, corporations and municipalities through its subsidiary companies. Its three wholly owned broker/dealers (Raymond James & Associates, Raymond James Financial Services and Raymond James Ltd.) and Raymond James Investment Services Limited, a majority-owned independent contractor subsidiary in the United Kingdom, have a total of more than 5,000 financial advisors serving approximately 1.8 million accounts in more than 2,200 locations throughout the United States, Canada and overseas. In addition, total client assets are approximately $197 billion, of which $33 billion are managed by the firm’s asset management subsidiaries.

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For more information, contact Anthea Penrose at 727-567-2824.
Please visit the Raymond James Press Center at raymondjames.com/media.