Retirement Industry People Moves

QMA Hires David Blanchett as Managing Director and Retirement Research Head 

QMA LLC, the quantitative equity and multi-asset solutions specialist of PGIM, has hired leading retirement academic and researcher David Blanchett as managing director and head of retirement research.  

“We have been focused on solving upcoming challenges in the retirement space,” says QMA’s CEO Andrew Dyson. “Over the next 10 years, income solutions will come to dominate the DC [defined contribution] marketplace. David is a recognized retirement thought leader and his experience will be invaluable as we position ourselves for the future.”  

“With $214 billion managed on behalf of defined contribution clients across multiple asset classes and vehicles, PGIM has a significant retirement focus,” says PGIM president and CEO David Hunt. “We are committed to providing best-in-class support to our clients and in delivering new and innovative retirement solutions founded on market-leading research.”

Blanchett joins from Morningstar Investment Management LLC, where he was most recently head of retirement research. He has published over 100 papers in a variety of industry and academic journals. Blanchett’s research has received awards from associations including the Academy of Financial Services, the CFP Board, the Financial Analysts Journal and the Financial Planning Association. He is also a regular contributor to Advisor Perspectives, ThinkAdvisor and the Wall Street Journal.

“I am incredibly excited to join QMA given PGIM’s position as a leader in the retirement space,” Blanchett says. “I look forward to working alongside some of the brightest minds in the industry to develop new proprietary investment solutions to improve retirement outcomes for potentially millions of investors and DC participants.” 

Blanchett is an adjunct professor of wealth management at The American College of Financial Services and was formerly a member of the ERISA [Employee Retirement Income Security Act] Advisory Council.

Alerus Adds New Senior Business Adviser

 Alerus has added Jeffrey Scott as a senior business adviser, retirement specialist.

In this role, Scott will provide comprehensive retirement solutions to business clients, including 401(k) plans, employee stock ownership plans (ESOPs), health and wellness programs, payroll, wealth management, insurance, and other services. He will also collaborate with experts across Alerus to ensure business clients have access to the company’s full suite of diversified financial services. 

Scott has nearly 30 years of experience in the financial industry and has extensive expertise in managing corporate retirement plans. He specializes in providing retirement education and financial literacy training for advisers and clients. He holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from St. Cloud State University in St. Cloud, Minnesota. He is based at Alerus’ office in Minnetonka, Minnesota.