Retirement Industry People Moves

Franklin Templeton Appoints Dean R. Sackett III to Managing Director of Government Affairs 

Franklin Templeton announced the appointment of Dean R. Sackett III as managing director of government affairs.  

In this newly created role, Sackett will represent the firms’ specialist investment managers on a variety of U.S. policy matters. He will report to Paul Elmlinger, deputy general counsel and global head of public policy. 

“Many important legislative and regulatory measures are currently being considered in the U.S. in areas including retirement savings, the democratization of investor access to alternative investments, sustainability issues, cybersecurity risk management and crypto and digital assets,” Sackett said in a statement. “I look forward to working with the experienced team at Franklin Templeton to ensure that our investors, including U.S. retirees, are given a strong voice on policy matters that impact their investments and financial well-being.” 

Hall Benefits Law Adds ERISA Attorney Alex Bruckner  

Boutique ERISA law firm Hall Benefits Law welcomed attorney Alex Brucker to the firm..  

In addition to ERISA legal compliance work, Brucker will act as counsel and co-counsel in 
ERISA and tax litigation. He has been an expert witness in ERISA and retirement and 
welfare plan cases in both Federal and State Courts. 

“We look forward to a long relationship with Alex and more opportunities to provide proactive, strategic ERISA counsel for our clients across the country,” said HBL managing partner Anne Tyler Hall in a statement.  

Felina Martin

Felina Martin Joins the National Association of Investment Companies

The National Association of Investment Companies has announced Felina Martin as director of programs & initiatives.  

In her role, Martin will provide leadership and direction for NAIC’s programmatic content. Martin will lead a slate of programs, including Women in Alternatives: In, Up, and Beyond, (NextGen) Establishing the Next Generation of Alternative Investment Firms Symposium, LP Meetup, ENGAGE, and Institutional Investor Roadshows. 

“My experience in program design, strategic planning, innovation and entrepreneurship will help build on the existing 50 years of success that NAIC has in impacting its members,”  Martin said in a statement. “I am particularly excited about closing the knowledge gap for diverse entrepreneurs to secure capital from private investors and increasing the number of diverse women entering the alternative investment sector.” 

Hub International Names Todd Peterson Canadian National Private Client Practice Leader 

Todd Peterson

Hub International Limited announced Todd Peterson, a former financial services executive, has joined HUB as the national private client practice leader for Canada. 

Peterson will be responsible for enhancing HUB’s services for affluent individuals and family clients across Canada. He will focus on elevating the practice’s capabilities with investments in products, client experience, marketing, and technology.  

“Adding specialists such as Todd will further strengthen the foundation of our services to continue to help these clients,” said Tina Osen, president of HUB Canada, in a statement. 

Lincoln Financial Group Names Heather Deichler as Head of Group Benefit Product and Underwriting 

Lincoln Financial Group announced that Heather Deichler has been named senior vice president, group benefit product and underwriting within the company’s workplace solutions business.  

Deichler will drive the strategic direction of product, underwriting and business development, while overseeing profit and loss management.  

“Heather is a strong addition to our already talented Group Benefits team, as she brings a wealth of experience with product pricing, development, underwriting and operations.” said James Reid, president of Workplace Solutions, in a statement. 

Deichler  was most recently head of MoneyGuard Business Management, leading product development, pricing, underwriting and management for Lincoln’s MoneyGuard solutions. She has been with Lincoln Financial since 2019. 

Global Atlantic Appoints Emily LeMay to Chief Operations Officer 

Emily LeMay

Global Atlantic Financial Group announced that Emily LeMay as chief operations officer. 

She will oversee all aspects of the company’s individual markets operations, customer experience and analytics, enterprise project management office, underwriting and strategic sourcing. 

“It’s a privilege to lead a talented team that is committed to serving our clients and helping them achieve their ultimate financial goals,” said LeMay in a statement. “We’re focused on delivering a modern, client-centric experience, and I look forward to executing our strategy.” 

Prior to her promotion, LeMay led strategy execution and analytics for individual markets. She joined Global Atlantic in 2017 as a vice president leading TPA Management.  

Annie Messer Joins Pension Resource Institute and Group Plan Systems  

Annie Messer

The Pension Resource Institute LLC has added Annie Messer as president, member relations. 

As the head of member relations, she will focus her efforts on enhancing the PRI member experience.  

“I am honored to have the opportunity to join a team with such highly respected expertise in retirement plans,” Messer said in a statement. “I hope to employ my prior experience working with retirement plan advisors to benefit PRI members.”  

Messer will also serve in a client-facing role at Group Plan Systems, a joint venture owned equally by PRI and Waypoint Fiduciary, LLC. GPS is an independent, operational fiduciary serving as pooled plan provider over pooled employer plans.