As president of the Asset Management Services (AMS) division of Raymond James & Associates, Erik Fruland is responsible for overseeing all aspects of the department, including research, money management, operations, sales, advisory consulting, risk management, finance/billing and administration. AMS administers the fee-based account types and products utilized by the company’s financial advisors to serve their clients.
A 31-year veteran of Raymond James, Erik returned to AMS in 2014 after serving as senior vice president and chief operating officer of the Raymond James & Associates Private Client Group (PCG). Previously, he provided senior leadership within AMS as vice president of finance and administration. Erik began his career with the company as an internal auditor immediately after completing graduate school in 1991. He also held various financial positions under the direction of both the chief financial officer and controller of the parent company, Raymond James Financial.
Erik is a member of the AMS Investment Committee, serves on the board of Raymond James Financial Services Advisory, and is a trustee for Raymond James Charitable. He has previously served on the Raymond James Operating Committee, on the board of Raymond James & Associates (RJA), and also served two terms on the RJA Executive Council. He received both a bachelor’s degree in finance and a master’s degree in business administration from Florida State University.
A St. Petersburg native, Erik currently resides in St. Pete Beach with his wife, Wendy, and their three children.
Erik developed his affinity for giving back from his parents. From a young age, he began participating in events designed to help the community, ranging from serving meals or passing out blankets to the homeless, to beach cleanups and clothing drives. These early lessons gave him a foundation of philanthropy, which he is now passing on to his children.
While Erik feels passionate about all of United Way Suncoast’s impact areas, he says it is Early Learning that, “strikes a chord with me.” As the husband of an educator, his wife taught first grade for several years, he has seen firsthand the importance of those first years of education. He states, “A major part of the curriculum in primary grades is teaching students to read and helping them progress and there are very few things I have seen in my life that compare to seeing the pride that comes with a young person being successful in these endeavors. Success in early literacy has been shown to be correlated with success in secondary education, and in life in general, so it is of utmost importance.”
He encourages donors and potential donors to learn more about United Way’s many strategic community partners and the critical work your donations to United Way Suncoast fund. “If you can see them in action and learn how your dollars support their causes, it may make your contribution even more meaningful.” Erik is also a huge proponent of volunteering his time and expertise and invites others to explore how they can do the same.
We are so grateful for Admiral Society members like Erik who are so generous in their support of United Way Suncoast.
