William Blair added two senior hires in the firm’s equities group. Paul Ordinario joined as managing director and south regional sales manager and Chris Stella joined as managing director in equity institutional sales out of New York.

“I am thrilled to welcome Paul and Chris to our growing equities team,” Scott McLaughlin, head of equities at William Blair, said. “William Blair continues to invest substantially in our equities business, bolstering our global capabilities to deliver unparalleled service and expertise to clients.”

Drawing on a career spanning more than 25 years, Ordinario will serve as William Blair’s south regional sales manager. Ordinario was most recently at Truist Securities, where he served as managing director, and his experience includes senior equities positions at Guggenheim Securities, Lazard Capital Markets and Cowen and Company.

“I am honored to join William Blair and contribute to the growth of the global equities team,” Ordinario said. “As the firm’s south regional sales manager, I look forward to cultivating and strengthening our relationships with institutional investors in this dynamic and rapidly expanding market.”

Stella joined William Blair with more than 14 years of experience and will focus on building further institutional relationships for the firm in the Northeast. Throughout his career, Stella has focused his coverage on a mix of risk arbitration, event-driven investing and traditional fundamental accounts. Based in New York, he also joined from Truist, where he spent seven years in equity sales, and has held equities roles with Guggenheim, Lazard, Barclay’s Capital and Lehman Brothers.

“William Blair’s equities team has earned an enviable reputation as a trusted partner to institutional investors seeking to invest in growth-oriented companies,” Stella said. “I am delighted to join this esteemed team and leverage my experience and relationships to drive exceptional results for our clients.”