Thomas James, chairman and chief executive officer for Raymond James Financial, has been selected chairman-elect of the Financial Services Roundtable.

The Financial Services Roundtable is an industry lobby group representing 100 of the largest integrated financial services companies providing banking, insurance, and investment products and services in the U.S. It has just concluded its annual meeting in Scottsdale, Az.

At the meeting, Ken Thompson, president and CEO of Wachovia Corp., stepped down as chairman of the roundtable. He was replaced by James Blanchard, chairman of Synovus, and James was named chairman-elect.

“Tom James is an outstanding choice for chairman-elect,” said Steve Bartlett, president and CEO of the Financial Services Roundtable. “He has been a key member of our roundtable board because he brings all of his energy and expertise to bear on every issue. His consistency and his creativity are the hallmarks of his leadership and I am looking forward to continuing to work with him.”

James graduated magna cum laude from Harvard College in 1964 and from Harvard Business School in 1966. He joined Raymond James Financial in 1966, four years after his father, Robert James, founded the company.

James is chairman of Raymond James & Associates, Inc., a subsidiary of Raymond James Financial. He sits on several corporate boards, including Outback Steakhouse Inc. and Cora Health Services. He is also a past president of the Florida Security Dealers Association, a past chairman of the board of the Securities Industry Association, and he has also served on the Regional Firms Committee and the Nominating Committee of the New York Stock Exchange, among other things.