Meeder Investment Management has announced that industry veteran Dan O’Toole has joined the firm as senior vice president and head of third-party distribution. O’Toole brings nearly 30 years of industry and investment management experience to Meeder, a tactical asset allocation strategist known for their suite of investment solutions and model-driven approach to investing.

“We are very excited to have Dan join our leadership team. His experience working with sales and consulting teams who engage with institutions, advisers and clients provides the depth of leadership we need to ensure we can provide the right level of expertise, service and support today and in the future,” says Bob Meeder, president and CEO of Meeder Investment Management. “As we move forward in what has become a highly commoditized investment management world, financial intermediaries are trying to determine what types of investment strategies and solutions will help them address the challenges and opportunities of the current and future financial market environment. Dan’s leadership in these areas will position our firm well as we approach our 45th year in the industry.” 

O’Toole’s experience spans multiple organizations where he led national sales and consulting teams. Prior to joining Meeder, he served as senior managing director and head of national sales at Horizon Investments and was a senior vice president at AssetMark Investments.

NEXT: PGIM Investments Appoints Chief Marketing Officer to Drive Global Expansion 

PGIM Investments has named Sheri Taylor Gilchrist global chief marketing officer, charged with helping to drive the company’s strategy to expand globally. PGIM Investments is the global fund manufacturer of PGIM, the global investment businesses of U.S.-headquartered Prudential Financial.

Gilchrist, former managing director and global head of marketing services at Bank of New York Mellon, is the company’s first-ever global CMO, hired to propel business strategy through initiatives that support its U.S. mutual fund and global UCITS platforms.

At BNY Mellon, Gilchrist was the chief architect behind its marketing intelligence and automation platform, designed to improve the company’s relationship with customers. Earlier, she was global head of relationship marketing at Eaton Vance. She has also held marketing roles at Harte Hanks, Epsilon, Young & Rubicam and American Express.

Gilchrist has a bachelor’s degree in international relations and economics from the University of Melbourne in Australia.

NEXT: FS Investments Hires National Sales Manager to Oversee Sales Professionals

FS Investments has announced that it has hired Ryan Robertson as the firm's national sales manager reporting directly to Steve DeAngelis, executive vice president and head of distribution. Based in St. Louis, Robertson will oversee all external and internal sales professionals across the firm's growing distribution channels.

"Ryan's strong experience leading sales teams and robust relationships with both wire houses and regional broker dealers make him an ideal fit for our expanding distribution platform," says DeAngelis. "He will guide our sales team's efforts as we continue to rapidly broaden our product suite and concentrate more and more on the consultative, advisory side of the evolving distribution landscape."

Prior to joining FS Investments, Robertson was at Goldman Sachs Asset Management for eight years, most recently as a vice president and divisional sales manager for their wire house and regional broker dealer distribution channel.  Prior to joining Goldman, Robertson served as a regional marketing director at Hartford Mutual Funds. Before beginning his career in financial services, Robertson was a professional basketball player both in the NBA where he played for the Sacramento Kings as well as in Europe.

"I look forward to working with the FS sales team and enhancing our position as the industry's leader in delivering the highest quality alternative investments to investors," says Robertson. "FS is at an exciting inflection point in its trajectory and I'm eager to get started."

Robertson currently sits on the advisory board of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, and previously was the chairman of St. Charles Community College and a board member of Chesterfield Day School. 

NEXT: P-Solve Adds Consultant and Analyst to U.S. Team 

Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Co., as part of its efforts to boost support of defined benefit (DB) pension plans, has appointed Ken Stapleton as senior institutional investment consultant to support DB plan sponsors.

Stapleton, who has more than 20 years of experience in the financial industry, is responsible for providing investment expertise to MassMutual’s DB clients, including portfolio strategy, asset allocation, risk reduction, investment policy, product selection and day-to-day information and data sharing.  He will support both plan sponsors and financial advisers who serve the DB marketplace.

Stapleton is charged with both helping plan sponsors better manage their DB plans as well as helping financial advisers grow their business. In the process, Stapleton will work with plan sponsors and advisers to provide investment solutions tailored to meet sponsor’s specific goals for their plans.

MassMutual is also expanding its support of the DB marketplace. Recently, the company introduced its PensionSmart Analysis tool, which provides insights into an employer’s issues and opportunities by examining the plan’s current status, funding level, and service structure. MassMutual’s pension experts can then assess the pension plan’s health and make recommendations to the sponsor about appropriate options.

Prior to joining MassMutual, Stapleton worked at Keefe, Bruyette and Woods for 15 years as an institutional equity trader and research analyst.  He also worked an investment banker with Ironwood Capital.  

NEXT: PSCA Joins Membership Division at ARA 

The Plan Sponsor Council of America (PSCA) will join the American Retirement Association (ARA), under the terms of a combination agreement signed by the board of directors of both organizations. 

Effective December 29, 2017, PSCA will become a membership division of the American Retirement Association, alongside the four other retirement organizations that currently comprise the American Retirement Association. These include the American Society of Pension Professionals & Actuaries (ASPPA), the ASPPA College of Pension Actuaries (ACOPA), the National Association of Plan Advisors (NAPA) and the National Tax-deferred Savings Association (NTSA). The American Retirement Association is currently comprised of more than 20,000 members, including business owners, service providers, recordkeepers, attorneys, accountants, actuaries, and retirement plan advisers. 

“PSCA has served plan sponsors since 1947, and that isn’t changing,” says Ken Raskin, chairman of PSCA’s board of directors. “We will continue to provide the same services to members and to be a voice for plan sponsors in Washington. Joining forces significantly improves our ability to elevate important retirement industry issues and better serve our members.” 

“The ARA had been exploring ways to do benefits and services for plan sponsors,” says Brian Graff, CEO of ARA. “Some of our organizations have plan sponsor members, but mostly due to our training programs. Adding voices of plan sponsors to our already loud voices representing the retirement industry will significantly enhance the advocacy efforts of ARA.”

For PSCA, the move represents an opportunity to offer its members access to an expanded array of resources and educational services, while at the same time amplifying the long-standing independent voice of the plan sponsor alongside a wide array of retirement plan industry professions. For the American Retirement Association, the addition of PSCA adds the important voice of plan sponsors and strengthens the organization’s ability to advocate for the private, voluntary retirement system. 

“Throughout its half-century history, our associations have evolved along with America’s retirement system,” notes Graff. “With the addition of this key constituency, the American Retirement Association truly becomes the voice of the nation’s private retirement system.” 

Both PSCA and ARA have been features in this year’s “Who’s Working for You?” PLANSPONSOR series, highlighting industry groups who work with, help and protect retirement plan sponsors.

NEXT: Account Development Director Joins Perspective Partners 

Terese Johnston joined Perspective Partners LLC as director of account development. 

An experienced health benefits executive, Johnston has worked multiple roles in her career, including member education, open enrollment, and enterprise-level lead generation and business development. She joined Perspective Partners committed to enhancing employee financial wellness. Johnston left her position as director of Enterprise Sales for HealthEquity and move to Perspective Partners.

“In my experience, employers want to do what is best for their employees,” Johnston says. “Bringing retirement and health benefits together in one platform is a win-win for both employers and their employees.”

Johnston will focus on the firm's NestUp product line. 

NEXT: Lockton Adds Former Client Executive to Charlotte Office 

Lockton’s retirement business has added another adviser to its ranks with the hire of 20-year industry veteran, Michelle Zevola, to its Charlotte, North Carolina, office. 

A former client executive at Transamerica, Zevola focused on the company’s largest and most complex retirement plans, and was recognized by independent rating services as one of the top relationship managers in the United States for five consecutive years. She has expertise consulting with employers on the complete spectrum of retirement benefits—defined contribution (DC), defined benefit (DB), and deferred compensation—and has done extensive work advising plan sponsors on the transition of benefits through mergers and acquisitions.

NEXT: Transamerica Promotes Industry Veteran After Announcing Mega-Market Expansion

Transamerica has announced plans to expand its focus on mega-market retirement plans with more than $1 billion in plan assets. To support this effort, the firm promoted industry veteran Thomas Kelly to the new position of director of mega-market retirement plan sales. Kelly will report to Chad Brown, vice president and managing director of large and mega market retirement sales. 

In his new role, Kelly will work with Transamerica’s distribution team to apply best practices when helping prospective plan sponsor clients evaluate Transamerica’s retirement plan solutions. He will also work directly with prospective clients to help tailor a retirement plan platform that best fits their retirement program’s needs and goals. 

“Transamerica has a service model that works well with the customized details that mega-market plans require,” says Brown. “Tom Kelly has specialized in retirement plans for over two decades, and understands the high level of service these sponsors demand. Tom’s unique expertise will be a tremendous benefit to the clients we serve.”