Tom Houghton, a buyside analyst covering electric utilities and natural gas pipelines, has joined American Express Financial Advisors in Minneapolis, Minn. Houghton reports to Tim Masek, head of research. An American Express spokeswoman says Houghton replaces Ron Coleman, who left the firm earlier this year, and Masek says he plans no further hires.
Houghton was previously at Advantus Capital Management in St. Paul, Minn. He says he made the switch to focus exclusively on the sectors he most enjoys. At Advantus, he was responsible for several other sectors in addition to utilities and natural gas. To fill the void left by Houghton's departure, Advantus has assigned Rose Lambros to the sector. Lambros says she was formerly a private placement analyst at Advantus, and reports to Annette Masterson. Masterson did not return calls.