Ellison Kibler

E. Robertson "Bud" Kibler was a pioneering force in the wealth management industry and a founding advisor of the Ellison Kibler practice at Merrill Lynch Wealth Management. With a career spanning over four decades at Merrill, Bud earned widespread respect for his innovative thinking, deep client commitment, and visionary leadership. His influence continues to shape our team and inspire everything we do.

J. Hagood Ellison was a larger-than-life figure, guided by a deep belief in service over self. His visionary leadership, selfless dedication, and unwavering passion for both family and clients set a standard few could match. Driven by the conviction that things could always be improved, Hagood helped lay the foundation for a team built on integrity, excellence, and a commitment to serving others. While Hagood is deeply missed by family, friends, and clients, his vision and values remain at the heart of our practice.

In 1983, Bud and Hagood partnered to establish one of the first dedicated wealth management teams within Merrill Lynch Wealth Management. This bold and forward-thinking move helped redefine how financial advice was delivered to affluent families, corporations, institutions, and foundations. United by a shared vision and complementary leadership styles, they built a practice rooted in integrity, service, and excellence. Under their guidance, Ellison Kibler grew into one of the most respected private wealth teams in the Southeast, earning national recognition including Barron's "Top 250 Private Wealth Management Teams" List in 2024 and 2025¹, Forbes "America's Top Private Wealth Teams: High Net Worth" List in 2023 and 2024² , and Forbes "Best-in-State Wealth Management Teams" List in 2023-2025³.

Today, the team that Hagood and Bud helped build oversees more than $12 billion in client assets (as of 9/30/25) and continues to grow, guided by the leadership they instilled and the values they championed. Their legacy lives on in the enduring success of the practice and the lives of the clients and colleagues they inspired.

¹ _{Published annually in May. Years pre-dating 2024, published as Barron's "Top 100 Private Wealth Management Teams" list annually in April. Rankings based on data as of December 31 of prior year. Barron's"Top 250 Private Wealth Management Teams" list. Rankings are based on the opinions of Barron'swhich include rankings that specialize in serving individuals and families. Rankings include team size and shape, regulatory records and credentials of their members and resources available to them. Rankings include minimum of seven years financial services experience and currently at their firm one year minimum. Qualitative and quantitative calculations include client assets, return on assets, client satisfaction/retention, compliance history and community involvement plus other considerations. Barron's does not receive compensation from anyone for rankings and are not considered a guarantee of any future investment success and should not be considered an endorsement. Barron's is a trademark of Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All rights reserved.}

²_{Published annually November. Rankings based on data as of March 31 of current year.Forbes "America's Top Wealth Management Teams High Net Worth" list. Opinions provided by SHOOK* Research, LLC and is based on in-person, virtual and telephone due-diligence meetings and a ranking algorithm that measure best practices, client retention, industry experience, credentials, compliance records, firm nominations, assets under management and Firm-generated revenue (investment performance is not a criterion because client objectives and risk tolerance vary). SHOOK's rankings are available for client evaluation only, are not indicative of future performance and do not represent any one client's experience and available for investor help in evaluating the right financial advisor and not an endorsement of the advisor. Compensation was not received from anyone for the rankings study. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Details available at www.SHOOKresearch.com. SHOOK is a registered trademark of SHOOK Research, LLC.}

³ _{Published annually in January. Rankings based on data as of March 31 of prior year.Forbes"Best-in-State Wealth Management Teams" list. Opinions provided by SHOOK* Research, LLC and is based on in-person, virtual and telephone due-diligence meetings and a ranking algorithm that measure best practices, client retention, industry experience, credentials, compliance records, firm nominations, assets under management and Firm-generated revenue (investment performance is not a criterion because client objectives and risk tolerance vary). SHOOK's rankings are available for client evaluation only, are not indicative of future performance and do not represent any one client's experience and available for investor help in evaluating the right financial advisor and not an endorsement of the advisor. Compensation was not received from anyone for the rankings study. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Details available at www.SHOOKresearch.com. SHOOK is a registered trademark of SHOOK Research, LLC.}

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