Retirement Industry Deals and People Moves – 9/19/2025

CapWealth Taps Christopher Stevens as EVP

Christopher Stevens

CapWealth Advisors LLC, a registered independent adviser, named Christopher Stevens executive vice president and financial adviser.

Stevens previously spent 15 years with Bank of America Private Bank, most recently serving as a senior portfolio manager. In all, Stevens has more than 20 years of experience in private banking and portfolio management expertise.

“At CapWealth, we focus on working with high-net-worth and multi-generational families,” said Tim Pagliara, CapWealth’s founder and chief investment officer, in a statement. “Chris’s background in managing legacy trust accounts and shaping investment strategy aligns with that mission.”

Access Holdings Welcomes Sam Tidswell-Norrish as Partner

Access Holdings, an alternative asset manager, appointed Sam Tidswell-Norrish as partner. Tidswell-Norrish will lead the firm’s fundraising, investor relations and marketing and communications functions.

“[Tidswell-Norrish’s] track record of building world-class investor platforms and his deep understanding of building a strong brand in private markets will be vital as we continue to scale our impact and deliver long-term value for our investors,” said Kevin McAllister, founder and managing partner of Access, in a statement.

Tidswell-Norrish most recently served as a senior leader and part of the founding team of Motive Partners, a specialist private equity firm focused on financial technology investments. Prior to Motive, Tidswell-Norrish was a member of the leadership team at former fintech company Monitise Ltd. and worked at Barclays Capital earlier in his career.

Ascensus Names Josh Rundle Head of Investment and Wealth Solutions

Ascensus LLC announced Wednesday that Josh Rundle will join the company as head of investment solutions, a newly created role, later in September. Rundle will report to Ascensus Chair and CEO David Musto.

Rundle brings 17 years of experience at Transamerica Corp., spanning retirement, wealth management and insurance solutions. His roles included head of retirement solutions, president of Transamerica retirement advisers and head of product-workplace solutions.

“Josh’s leadership will add momentum to our current efforts and further strengthen the value we bring to savers, employers and savings program sponsors, maintaining our long-standing alignment with our institutional partners, clients and their advisers,” Musto said in a statement.

Troutman Pepper’s Tax and Benefits Group Adds Heather Heath Ryan as Partner

Heather Heath Ryan

Troutman Pepper Locke LLP added Heather Heath Ryan as a partner in its tax and benefits group. Ryan will be based in Troutman Pepper’s Charlotte, North Carolina, office.

Ryan has experience advising companies on a range of employee benefit and executive compensation issues, including equity compensation and deferred compensation. She has also handled Department of Labor and IRS audits, as well as correction submissions, and counsels clients on matters such as fiduciary governance and structure processes.

Hashdex Hires 4 Business Development Specialists

Hashdex Asset Management Ltd., a global firm focused on cryptocurrency, announced the appointment of four business development specialists. Each will oversee a dedicated U.S. sales territory, delivering investment guidance, market insights and portfolio construction consulting. They will report to Mick McLaughlin, global head of distribution.

Justin Taylor, covering the northeastern U.S. market, brings more than 30 years of experience in capital markets and wealth management. He previously held senior business development roles with the Advisor Credit Exchange and UBS and served as executive director of sales and trading for Citigroup and Janney Montgomery Scott.

Jason Carter, leading the southeastern U.S. market, previously served as vice president and market leader at BlackRock, where he managed adviser relationships and collaborated with teams to improve their investment strategies, portfolios and practices. He has expertise in exchange-traded funds, mutual funds, separately managed accounts, alternative investments and model portfolios.

Chris Eurich, managing the midwestern U.S. market, has more than seven years of experience in asset management, banking and financial advising. He previously served as a regional associate at William Blair Investment Management, as a private client banker at JPMorganChase and as a financial representative at Northwestern Mutual.

Tommy Trost will lead Hashdex’s expansion into the southwestern U.S. market. He began his career in client advisory at Charles Schwab before moving into institutional investment consulting, primarily serving as a performance analyst.