Retirement Industry People Moves - 1/31/25

John Hancock Retirement selects head of strategic partnerships; Merit Financial Advisers recruits from CAPTRUST; Ninety One appoints director of consultant relations; Pacific Life announces PRT head and more.

Reported by Remy Samuels

John Hancock Retirement Promotes Head of Strategic Partnerships

John Hancock Retirement promoted Abigail Benham to head of strategic partnerships, effective February 1.

In response to the convergence among many providers and partners in the retirement industry, John Hancock created this role to “navigate the dynamic trends in the marketplace and serve the needs of financial advisors, third-party administrators and other intermediaries in the rapidly evolving retirement landscape,” according to the announcement.

A veteran of 26 years at the company, Benham will take a “holistic, end-to-end” view of strategic partnerships, leading key home office relationships with broker/dealers, registered investment advisers, aggregators, consultants, third-party administrators, defined-contribution-investment-only partners and payroll firms.

Benham will report directly to Wayne Park, CEO of John Hancock Retirement, and will join the organization’s leadership team. As part of the appointment, the TPA services team will now report to Benham, joining her current national accounts team.

Merit Financial Advisers Recruits from CAPTRUST

David Wahlen joined Merit Financial Advisors as vice president of strategic partnerships, a newly created role.

Wahlen will serve as the primary liaison for all mergers and acquisitions (M&A) partnerships and relationships. His responsibilities will encompass sourcing new deals, fostering relationships with investment bankers and strategic partners, and collaborating with Merit’s CEO Rick Kent and President, Kay Lynn Mayhue, to enhance the experience for onboarded firms.

Wahlen joins Merit after serving as Director of Strategic Growth at CAPTRUST. During his time at CAPTRUST, Wahlen was involved in 50 M&A transactions, helping grow the firm’s wealth AUM from $5 billion to $80 billion between 2018 and 2024.

Ninety One Appoints Director of Consultant Relations

Global investment manager Ninety One appointed Marilyn Rowland as director of consultant relations within its Americas client group.

Based in New York, Rowland will lead business development and relationship management with select institutional consultants across North America.

Rowland brings more than 20 years of experience in the financial services industry. She previously worked as a senior research analyst, responsible for U.S. equity growth coverage, at Fiducient Advisors. Prior to that, she held senior business development and investment consulting roles on the buy side and sell side in asset management and global investment consulting firms.

Lenox Advisors Names Chief Operating Officer

Lenox Advisors Inc., an affiliate of NFP, an Aon company, announced the appointment of Kristi Vassak as managing partner and chief operating officer. Vassak joined Lenox Advisors in 2005 and most recently led its business and strategic solutions division.

With the promotion, Vassak will focus on advancing efficiency and overall productivity, as well as overseeing strategic initiatives.

“Kristi is a proven leader and operational expert who has strong relationships inside and outside the company, and we are thrilled to leverage her capabilities and understanding of our business as we steer Lenox Advisors into its next phase,” said Greg Large, president of Lenox Advisors, in a statement.

Pacific Life Announces PRT Head

Pacific Life Insurance Co. named Michael Domingos as head of defined benefits, pension risk transfer in its institutional division.

Domingos has more than three decades of experience in the institutional marketplace. He previously served as the head of distribution at OneAmerica and as head of sales and strategic relations at Prudential Financial.

“[Domingos’] innovative approach and leadership will be invaluable as we continue to strengthen our commitment to providing exceptional solutions that bridge the retirement of today to the retirement of tomorrow,” the firm wrote in a post on LinkedIn.

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