James E. Hays

Jim Hays is the president and head of Wells Fargo Advisors. In this role, he provides leadership for one of the nation’s largest full-service retail brokerage organizations.

Jim has worked in the financial services industry for 33 years. Prior to his current role, he was head of the Private Wealth Financial Advisor Group at Wells Fargo Advisors, where he engaged team members in collaborations within and across the Private Bank, Wholesale Bank, and Wells Fargo. His Wells Fargo Advisors roles also included serving as head of Wealth Brokerage Services and president of the Private Client Group, the firm’s largest business line serving clients in all 50 states. Before joining Wells Fargo Advisors, Jim held a variety of leadership positions at Merrill Lynch, including managing director and head of the Private Banking and Investment Group. He also served as a financial advisor at Merrill Lynch in Tysons Corner, Virginia.

Jim is a graduate of the University of Virginia with a degree in finance. He is active in the community and serves on the board of the San Francisco Zoo. Jim and his wife have two children, and when he’s not working, he enjoys travel, outdoor sports, dinner with friends, and technology investing.