Chris Fils, MBA, CFP®, CRPC™
With a recent move to Chicago, Chris is sharing his years of experience and passion for the financial services industry as the Chicago Complex Manager at Raymond James. He thrives each day assisting others to elevate to new heights of success, all while keeping clients’ best interests at heart.
Chris, is responsible for all aspects of branch profitability, works to support recruiting efforts through many avenues, such as home office visits and by enhancing the transition process of advisors joining Raymond James. Chris also devotes time to providing consultations and education regarding the firm’s platform of choice and independence while introducing advisors to resources designed to meet their clients’ specific needs.
Prior to his move to Chicago, Chris managed the Florida Suncoast Complex for Raymond James. Chris joined Raymond James in 2018 after working with Morgan Stanley as the manager of their Los Gatos branch in California. Previously, after a successful career as a financial advisor with Merrill Lynch in St. Petersburg, FL., Chris enjoyed his role as regional investment specialist for Merrill Lynch in New York and southern Connecticut where he drove revenue and assets under management for the region. In addition to his role as Complex Manager, Chris works with professional athletes, entrepreneurs and affluent families, helping them manage complex financial matters – personally and professionally.
A graduate of the University of South Florida, Chris holds a Bachelor of Science in Finance and earned his MBA from Saint Leo University. He has also completed the rigorous requirements to earn his CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ certification and is an Accredited Asset Management Specialist™ professional, equipping him with specialized knowledge in financial planning. A proponent of continuing education, Chris is also pursuing advanced industry knowledge through the Wharton Securities Industry Institute.
In addition to devoting himself to his career, he remains steadfastly invested in helping underrepresented advisors achieve even more as a member of the Raymond James Black Financial Advisors Network and as part of the firm’s Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Council, whose goal is to help advisors excel at work as their most authentic selves.
In 2022, Chris was honored with an Investment News’ 40 Under 40 award along with the notable 2022 Raymond James & Associates Complex Manager of the Year award. The University of South Florida recognized Chris with its 2023 Outstanding Young Alumni Award for his support and contributions to the USF Alumni Association.
Chris is married to his college sweetheart, Molly, and together they’re raising a beloved son. When not advocating for advisors in his branches or spending time with family, Chris enjoys reading, exercising and traveling.
Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards Inc. owns the certification marks CFP®, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™, CFP Logo Flame Design and CFP Logo Plaque Design in the U.S., which it awards to individuals who successfully complete CFP Board's initial and ongoing certification requirements.
2022 InvestmentNews 40 Under 40 - Each year InvestmentNews recognizes 40 industry professions under the age of 40 based on factors including accomplishments as exhibited by their credentials and achievements in their industry-related projects, contributions to the industry, quality of leadership within the financial advice field, and promise/commitment to the field. The nominees were all under the age of 40 when the honorees were announced. Over 1000 nominees were considered and 40 were chosen to receive the award in 2022. The nominations are read and vetted by an internal group of editors and reporters at InvestmentNews. The ranking may not be representative of any one client's experience, is not an endorsement, and is not indicative of an advisor's future performance. Neither Raymond James nor any of its Financial Advisors pay a fee in exchange for this award/rating. InvestmentNews is not affiliated with Raymond James.
The annual Complex Manager of the Year award is given to one complex managers in the Raymond James & Associates system, based on quantitative and qualitative metrics including retention, recruiting and leadership. The ranking may not be representative of any one client's experience, is not an endorsement, and is not indicative of an advisor's future performance. No fee is paid in exchange for this award/rating. Time period upon which the rating is based is from January 1, 2022 to December 31, 2022, and was released on January 25, 2023.
2023 USF Outstanding Young Alumni Award is given to USF graduates under the age of 35 and is based upon submitted career accomplishments and demonstrated innovation. This ranking is not based in anyway on the individual's abilities in regard to providing investment advice or management. This ranking is not indicative of advisor's future performance, is not an endorsement, and may not be representative of individual clients' experience. Raymond James is not affiliated with the University of South Florida Alumni Association.