BNY Mellon Wealth Management has hired Robert Pitti as senior director of portfolio management and Leigh Wasson as senior director for its San Francisco office. The hires represent the first step in a plan to add eight more professionals to the office by the end of the year. Additionally, Dustin Dippel who has been with the company since 2007 has been promoted to portfolio manager.

"We are experiencing a surge in new business with an increase in assets under management of almost 20 percent year to date in the San Francisco market. A very talented team keeps the company well-positioned to meet and exceed client needs in an important market for us - and we're growing rapidly," said Amy Millman, president of BNY Mellon's northern California region. David Emmes, West Coast President said, "These additions are part of a western regional expansion in which BNY Mellon Wealth Management has steadily and strategically added to its professional team over the past year, while maintaining its superior client satisfaction ratings." In previous news accounts the firm's CEO Larry Hughes said the company plans to increase its sales force by 15 percent by the end of the year.

Pitti, of Fairfax, Calif., has more than 20 years of investment management experience. He joins BNY Mellon from Argus Capital Management where he served as partner. Prior to that, he worked for US Trust.

Wasson, who resides in Sausalito, joins BNY Mellon with more than 20 years of wealth management experience.  Previously, she was regional managing director with Citi Private Bank.

Millman also said as many as five more new professionals will be coming on board including sales directors, a wealth strategist, portfolio manager and private banker.

BNY Mellon Wealth Management is among the nation's leading wealth managers, with more than two centuries of experience in providing investment management, wealth and estate planning, and private banking services to financially successful individuals and families, their family offices and business enterprises, charitable gift programs, and endowments and foundations. It is among the top 10 U.S. wealth managers with about $150 billion in private client assets and an extensive network of offices in the U.S. and internationally.

BNY Mellon is a global financial services company focused on helping clients manage and service their financial assets, operating in 36 countries and serving more than 100 markets. BNY Mellon is a leading provider of financial services for institutions, corporations and high-net-worth individuals, providing superior asset management and wealth management, asset servicing, issuer services, clearing services and treasury services through a worldwide client-focused team. It has $21.8 trillion in assets under custody and administration and $1.0 trillion in assets under management, services $11.6 trillion in outstanding debt and processes global payments averaging $1.5 trillion per day. BNY Mellon is the corporate brand of The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation. Additional information is available at www.bnymellon.com.