NEPC Promotes Mikaylee O’Connor to Partner, DC Team Leader

Mikaylee O’Connor

NEPC LLC named Mikaylee O’Connor as a partner and defined contribution team leader, the firm confirmed by email.

O’Connor succeeds Bill Ryan, who on December 12, 2025, departed the role ahead of joining Carlyle Group as managing director and head of retirement solutions.

O’Connor joined NEPC in 2024 as a principal and head of DC solutions. She now leads NEPC’s DC business and oversees research, data analytics and solutions across areas including target-date funds, managed accounts and retirement income.

“Mikaylee’s leadership, industry expertise and thoughtful vision for the future of the practice reflects our commitment to serving the evolving needs of our clients,” a spokesperson for NEPC wrote in a statement to PLANADVISER.

Before joining NEPC, O’Connor was a principal and senior DC strategist on PGIM’s DC solutions team, where she worked with plan sponsors on DC plan design; investment structure and implementation; regulatory matters; and industry best practices. Earlier in her career, she led RVK Inc.’s DC practice

O’Connor serves as treasurer and executive committee member of the Defined Contribution Institutional Investment Association and previously served as a legislative committee member for the National Association of Government Defined Contribution Administrators. She did not respond to requests for comment about her new position.