Retirement Industry People Moves

IRALOGIX Announces New CEO

Peter de Silva

The retirement industry fintech provider of white-label IRA programs announced that Dave Bernard stepped down as chief executive officer effective immediately. The board has appointed Peter de Silva as the new CEO; De Silva has been an IRALOGIX investor and board member for the past two years. 

“During his tenure, Dave has been instrumental in not only building out a great product and a cutting-edge technology platform but also assembling a very talented group of employees and senior leaders,” said Jim Smith, an IRALOGIX board member, in a press release. 

De Silva has more than 35 years experience leading established companies in the financial services industry, including roles as president of TD Ameritrade’s retail business, president of Scottrade Financial Services, CEO of UMB Bank, and 17 years of experience at Fidelity Investments in various leadership roles. 

Farrell Named Director of Retirement Plan Services at Concurrent

Andrew Farrell

Andrew Farrell, previously a retirement plan adviser at NEXT Retirement Solutions, announced that he is starting a new position as director of retirement plan services at Concurrent. 

“Building the Concurrent Retirement department and platform from the ground up over the last year has been [an] exciting and demanding challenge,” Farrell wrote in a LinkedIn post.  

According to NEXT Retirement, Farrell has 15 years of experience specializing in the qualified retirement plan market as an adviser and plan manager.  

In his new role, Farrell is in charge of coordinating and overseeing all qualified advisory activity within Concurrent Investment Advisors, as well as establishing, maintaining and evolving Concurrent’s platform of tools, partners and services. 

Employee Benefits and Executive Compensation Attorney Joins Ballard Spahr

Christian Fox

Christian Fox, an employee benefits and executive compensation attorney with almost three decades of experience with ERISA, health and welfare plans and both defined benefit and defined contribution retirement plans, joined Ballard Spahr as Of Counsel in its Business and Transactions Department and Employee Benefits and Executive Compensation Group. 

Fox has conducted due diligence reviews of plans, programs and agreements; drafted and negotiated benefits aspects of purchase and merger agreements; managed participant appeals and litigation, government inquiries, and audits; and written HIPAA policies and procedures. She joins Ballard Spahr from a large, publicly traded transportation company, where she served as in-house benefits counsel for more than a decade.  

At Ballard Spahr, Fox will handle matters pertaining to retirement plans, executive compensation packages and health and welfare plans. 

Agilis Hires Senior Consultant from Mercer 

Agilis announced that Scott Carroll joined the firm as a senior consultant in their Boston office. In his new role, Carroll will consult with clients on all aspects of defined contribution plans.  

Before joining Agilis, Carroll was a principal with Mercer leading their DC Mid-Market Team in the northeast. 

“We are delighted to welcome Scott to the Agilis team, a testament to the growing appeal of our customized services and vision,” said Michael Clark, chief commercial officer at Agilis, in a statement. “For over two decades, Scott has worked with plan sponsors during times of change, including periods of rapid growth, mergers and acquisitions, and divestitures. His expertise will be invaluable as we navigate an increasingly complex landscape of investing and retirement planning for our clients. Scott’s experience with defined contribution plan investments, administration and recordkeeper systems complements our existing team’s strengths, and allows us to dedicate additional expertise in the Pooled Employer Plan market.” 

Caroll has over 25 years of experience with the design, installation, investments and administration of DC plans. He provides consulting on projects like pooled employer plan searches, recordkeeper searches, plan harmonization projects and plan design studies. 

Hub International Names New CMO and Managing Director of M&A

Ellina Schinnick

Clark Wormer

The global insurance brokerage and financial services firm announced the appointment of Ellina Shinnick as chief marketing officer and Clark Wormer as the managing director of mergers and acquisitions, to HUB’s executive management team.

As HUB’s chief marketing officer, Shinnick will lead the strategy for both the HUB and VIU by HUB brands. Since joining HUB in 2015, Shinnick has built HUB’s Marketing Center of Excellence and has helped advance HUB along its digital journey, investing in the latest marketing technology and skillsets that enable HUB to connect with and serve its changing client base. Shinnick also successfully led the design and launch of multiple HUB brand refreshes, including the newest brand – VIU by HUB. 

Wormer joined HUB in 2005. In his new role, Wormer is responsible for corporate development and will oversee the team responsible for identifying potential partners, developing and negotiating deal structures, analytics and modeling, due diligence and execution of transactions. Wormer has also led HUB’s M&A team since 2018 and has been involved in more than 800 transactions totaling over $2 billion in acquisition revenue.  

The Carson Group Adds Fava, Carter to Executive Team

Dani Fava

Heather Randolph Carter

The financial services firm announced that Dani Fava has stepped into the vacated role of chief strategy officer, and Heather Randolph Carter will join the firm as chief marketing officer.

Fava, who comes to Carson from Envestnet, will “help steer’ the firm’s strategic direction, identify new growth opportunities and drive innovation across the organization,” according to a press release. 

Carter will spearhead Carson’s integrated marketing and communications strategies as the organization expands. She will also oversee brand development, adviser marketing, digital marketing, public relations, internal communications and corporate events. 

Most recently, Carter served as LPL Financial’s chief marketing and communication officer. 

Vestwell Names Rudy Grodzen as Regional Vice President

Vestwell announced it hired Rudy Grodzen as regional vice president. Prior to Vestwell, Grodzen was a senior retirement plan specialist at ADP.

Grodzen started on April 1 and reports to Tim Susoev. He is responsible for covering advisors and TPA partners for the Southern California and Hawaii Territory.

Josh Forstater, Vestwell’s managing director and head of workplace sales and distribution said in a statement, “Rudy’s extensive sales experience, strong relationships in California, and background at top-tier firms impressed us. We’re looking forward to seeing Rudy partner with advisors in the Southern California region here at Vestwell.”