Washington Trust expands wealth management team

WESTERLY – The Washington Trust Co. added five senior professionals to its Washington Trust Wealth Management division following a recent acquisition and team expansions, the bank announced.

The hires continue the bank’s effort to scale its wealth management division. In July, Washington Trust acquired Lighthouse Financial Management, a wealth advisory firm founded in Westerly in 2003 by accountant Stephen C. Poplaski specializing in investment, tax and retirement planning, with roughly $190 million in assets under management. In August, the bank added three more senior professionals, including a director of client experience and a senior private-client adviser.

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The five recent senior professional hires include:

• Cristina Offenberg, who has joined as vice president and head of estate settlement, bringing more than 30 years of legal experience in estate planning, trust administration and succession work. She will lead the estate-settlement team and oversee complex trust and investment relationships.
• Marilyn Gentilotti, who comes aboard as vice president and senior wealth planner, taking on trust and estate planning, tax strategy and investment advisory responsibilities after more than two decades advising high-net-worth clients, the bank said.
• Valentine Mello, who joins as vice president and trust officer, drawing on fiduciary management experience and earlier roles as a prosecutor and public defender in Massachusetts.
• Kyle Messier, who is stepping into the role of vice president and portfolio manager, bringing 18 years of investment management experience at global firms and private-banking institutions.
• Myra Tucker, a longtime portfolio manager with additional experience in equity research and financial technology who has been appointed vice president and wealth adviser.

Washington Trust Wealth Management had more than $7.6 billion in assets under administration as of Sept. 30, according to the bank.

Matthew McNulty is a PBN staff writer. He can be reached at McNulty@PBN.com or on X at @MattMcNultyNYC.