Kestra Financial, an independent broker-dealer and RIA based in Austin, Texas, has hired a BlackRock sales executive to be head of wealth management, according to an announcement on Wednesday.
Kelly Apple joined Kestra on July 9, according to registration records. She reports to and fills a role left vacant by John Amore, who was promoted to president in April 2025. Her role will oversee advisors at both Kestra Financial and its breakaway advisor channel Kestra Private Wealth Services.
At BlackRock, where she had worked for 13 years, Apple had been head of national accounts and oversaw its “largest distribution partnerships,” according to the announcement. She spent the first eight years of her career at DWS Investments and Invesco predecessor Van Kampen Investments.
After searching for Amore’s replacement for more than a year, “Apple emerged as the clear choice given her extensive leadership experience, strategic perspective, and track record of building strong partnerships across the wealth management ecosystem,” according to the announcement.
Kestra, which doesn’t break out assets for its various business segments, was overseeing approximately $169 billion in client assets at the end of 2025 and has more than 1,400 advisors, according to its website. It also operates an RIA aggregator called Bluespring Wealth.
Kestra is owned by Kestra Holdings, which was spun out of insurer NFP in 2016. It is majority-owned by Stone Point Capital and backed by a minority investment from Oak Hill Capital.
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