Raymond James hires veteran education finance professionals to establish two offices in Indiana

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Raymond James is expanding its Public Finance practice into Indiana with the addition of veteran education finance professionals Damian Maggos as managing director and Matthew Ruess as vice president. Both will provide expert counsel to K-12 schools throughout Indiana with Maggos also supporting the general government practice. Maggos will establish an Indianapolis office, while Ruess will open an office in Crown Point, near Chicago.

“Damian and Matthew are both highly regarded bankers with deep roots throughout Indiana and decades-long track records of providing financial leadership to school districts,” said Gavin Murrey, executive vice president and head of Public Finance/Debt Investment Banking at Raymond James. “With nearly 50 years of combined experience in Indiana education and municipal finance, their expertise is valued by clients and further strengthens our respected education practice.”

Both join Raymond James from George K. Baum & Co. and are the most recent in a series of senior-level Midwestern hires to expand the firm’s presence in a sector with growing financing needs across the country. Other bankers joining the education public finance team recently include Managing Directors Elizabeth Hennessy in Chicago and Greg Vahrenberg in Kansas City, Missouri. The firm is searching for additional talented bankers to continue expanding the practice.

Maggos has served municipalities throughout Indiana for more than 30 years. He received his undergraduate degree from Northwestern University and an MBA from the University of Notre Dame. Ruess has held multiple leadership roles at school districts across the state, including CFO of Crown Point Community School Corporation, director of finance at Fayette County School Corporation, assistant business manager for Hamilton Southeastern Schools and portfolio manager for the Metropolitan School District of Washington Township. Ruess received a bachelor’s degree from Iowa State University and an MBA from Butler University.

In 2018, Raymond James was the nation’s fourth-leading underwriter of primary and secondary school transactions, based on par amount, serving as senior manager on 92 negotiated issues totaling more than $2.8 billion in par amount, according to Bloomberg. Consistently ranked by Bloomberg as a top 10 underwriter of municipal bonds nationally, Raymond James has one of the largest public finance practices in the country with approximately 170 professionals in 35 locations nationwide. The firm offers municipal issuers a comprehensive distribution platform and the largest middle market sales force of any U.S. broker/dealer.

About Raymond James Financial, Inc.

Raymond James Financial, Inc. (NYSE: RJF) is a leading diversified financial services company providing private client group, capital markets, asset management, banking and other services to individuals, corporations and municipalities. The company has approximately 7,900 financial advisors. Total client assets are $831 billion. Public since 1983, the firm is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol RJF. Additional information is available at www.raymondjames.com. Raymond James & Associates, Inc., member New York Stock Exchange/SIPC.