Retirement Industry Deals and People Moves - 7/18/2025

CFP Board Elects Martin Seay as 2026 Board Chair-Elect

Martin Seay

CFB Board announced Wednesday that during its July 2025 meeting it elected Martin Seay as its 2026 board chair-elect. Seay will become chair of the board in 2027. The current board chair-elect, Terri Kallsen, will serve as chair of the board of directors in 2026.

Seay joined the CFB Board as a director in 2022 and is a member of the CEO oversight and the finance and investment committees. He also serves as a professor and researcher of personal financial planning at Kansas State University. His research interests include borrowing decisions, how psychological characteristics shape financial behavior and how consumers seek and use financial advice.

Seay’s research has been recognized with awards from the Financial Planning Association and CFP Board. He has also been published in publications including the Journal of Economic Psychology and the Journal of Behavioral Finance.

“Martin is deeply committed to the growth and integrity of the financial planning profession,” said Liz Miller, the current chair of the board of directors, in a statement. “His experience and passion will help CFP Board continue advancing the profession amid an ever-changing environment.”

Inspira Financial Appoints Chris Herman

Chris Herman

Inspira Financial appointed Chris Herman as executive vice president and head of retirement and wealth, effective July 14. Herman is responsible for overseeing the development and execution of Inspira Financial’s retirement and wealth businesses.

Herman previously served as head of retirement solutions for Bank of America Merrill Lynch, leading the strategic direction and risk management as well as overseeing the bank’s individual retirement account, annuity and education savings and life insurance products lines; and he has held multiple executive and advisory roles at Fidelity Investments, Mercer and Putnam Investments.

“We are thrilled to welcome Chris to Inspira Financial,” said Matt Marek, president of Inspira Financial, in a statement. “A leader of his caliber joining the organization signals the next-level chapter for the company, building upon our strong market presence with a focus on innovation and improved experience for account holders.”

Alliant Hires Betty Wehmann

Betty Wehmann

Alliant Insurance Services has hired Betty Wehmann as a senior vice president within its employee benefits group. Wehmann will be based in Northern California.

She brings expertise in funding mechanisms, with a focus on optimizing benefits performance and driving employee engagement. Wehmann has experience designing and delivering scalable, strategic benefits solutions that support recruitment, retention and long-term cost containment for a national client base. Previously, she served as senior vice president with a national insurance brokerage and consulting firm.

“Betty has a strong track record of helping clients achieve their workforce and financial goals,” said Kevin Overbey, president of the employee benefits group, in a statement. “Her depth of knowledge across various funding strategies and her client-first mindset make her a valuable addition to our growing team in the West.”

Aon Appoints 4 Executives to Reinsurance Team

Steve Hofmann

Alfonso Valera

Aon announced Wednesday that it has named Alfonso Valera as international CEO for reinsurance, responsible for the U.K., EMEA and Asia-Pacific; Steve Hofmann as CEO of Americas for reinsurance, responsible for North America and Latin America; George Attard as global head of strategy for reinsurance; and Tomas Novotny as chairman of international reinsurance.

George Attard

Valera previously served as co-CEO of EMEA for reinsurance and, before that, as CEO and general manager of Aon Re Iberia. Hoffman previously served as U.S. CEO of reinsurance and earlier as U.S. co-president of reinsurance. Attard most recently served as CEO of reinsurance for APAC, following 17 years at Aon leading strategy and client engagement in the region. Novotny has served as co-CEO of EMEA for reinsurance, chairman of the board of Central and Eastern Europe for the firm, and as a broking leader for Aon based in Prague.

Tomas Novotny

“We are delighted to promote Alfonso, Steve, George and Tomas into these important leadership roles as we accelerate the ambition and velocity of our industry-leading reinsurance solutions business,” said Andy Marcell, CEO of global solutions, in a statement. “These appointments reflect the depth and quality of leadership across our firm. Together, they bring decades of leadership experience, deep client relationships, market knowledge and domain expertise.”