Raymond James Adds Matkowski to Expand Midwest Group

CHICAGO — St. Petersburg, Fla.-based Raymond James & Associates has hired veteran Chicago public finance banker Linda Matkowski to lead an expansion of its Midwestern general government group, in keeping with the firm’s plan for national growth.

Matkowski started this week as a managing director and head of the Midwest general government group.

She replaces Tom Chapman, who will remain at the firm but had sought to shift his focus more from management and expansion to his investment banking work and municipal clients.

In addition to managing three general government bankers in Chicago and Indiana, Matkowski is charged with leading an expansion.

The firm has added 36 bankers nationally to its general government group over the last two years. Matkowski said she has not been directed to hire a set number of bankers but is looking for “thoughtful” hires of experienced bankers across the Midwest.

“It’s an excellent firm that is growing and developing the Midwest region and given my experience I saw this as a great opportunity,” Matkowski said of her decision to join the firm.

Matkowski joined Raymond James from PMA Securities, where she had worked for the last five years and managed the firm’s public finance expansion.

She has experience across the general government, schools, and health care sectors in previous positions at Harris Bank, now known as BMO Capital Markets, LaSalle Capital Markets, and Wells Fargo Securities.

“Linda’s experience with Illinois school districts, where she is recognized as the market leader, combined with her expertise in many other public finance jurisdictions, will enable her to become an immediate and dynamic leader of our Midwest GGF Group,” said Raymond James head of public finance John Forney. “Working with Tom Chapman and the other members of the Chicago team, we expect Linda to help grow the Midwest region significantly.”

The firm is ranked 33rd in the Midwest so far this year among senior managers. It ranked 29th last year among senior managers, working on 44 deals worth $516 million, according to Thomson Reuters.

In addition to Chapman and Matkowski, the general government group in Chicago includes banker Linda Byron. A handful of health care bankers also work in Chicago.

Raymond James was ranked 24th among senior managers in the country last year, on 98 deals valued at $2.126 billion.

The firm’s hiring spree has spanned its banking, trading, and sales groups, with the ranks of its fixed-income unit swelling to more than 340 from 278 two years ago.

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