Retirement Industry People Moves

Millennium Trust announces new chief financial officer; Transamerica names customer experience and marketing lead; and more.

Millennium Trust Names New Chief Financial Officer

Millennium Trust Co. LLC, has named Murphy Clark its chief financial officer.

For more stories like this, sign up for the PLANSPONSOR NEWSDash daily newsletter.

Murphy Clark


“It’s an incredibly exciting opportunity to join a company in growth mode,” Murphy said in a statement. “I’m eager to be part of Millennium Trust’s momentum and to continue to build on an effective finance operation.”

Clark joins Millennium Trust after serving as chief financial officer at RVO Health, a digital health joint venture between Red Ventures and UnitedHealth Group. He directed and oversaw all financial activities of the company, including strategic and financial growth plans.  

“Murphy brings extensive knowledge and diverse experience to the company,” said Dan Laszlo, Millennium Trust’s CEO, in a statement. “We believe his leadership, professional background, and exceptional understanding of the strategy required for growth will help our entire team continue to find success.”

Transamerica Names Freidenberg to Lead Customer Experience and Marketing

Oriana Freidenberg

Transamerica Corp. has appointed Oriana Freidenberg to a new position as head of customer experience and marketing for the company’s individual solutions division, which provides life insurance and annuities to customers throughout the U.S.

At Transamerica, Freidenberg will lead the teams responsible for designing and implementing customer experience strategy, covering both the agent and adviser experiences.

“Oriana’s new role is a result of Transamerica’s expanded focus on enhancing the experience of our customers, agents, and advisors using innovative, data-driven solutions,” said Jamie Ohl, president of individual solutions, in a statement.

Most recently, Freidenberg served as the vice president of go-to-market for Global Atlantic Financial Group and oversaw the company’s Individual Markets marketing organization.

Franklin Templeton Expands US Wealth Management Alternatives Distribution Team

Candice Kemeny

Jared Abert

Franklin Templeton announced the appointment of Candice Kemeny as senior vice president and national account manager for alternatives, and Jared Abert as Midwest director of alternative investments.

In their roles within Franklin Templeton’s U.S. Wealth Management Alternatives distribution team, Kemeny and Abert will serve as key liaisons with clients. They will increase the adoption of comprehensive alternative investment solutions within the U.S. market.

“We are pleased to have Candice and Jared join our distribution team as we continue to expand the roster of talent to support our dedicated Alternatives by Franklin Templeton platform,” said Jeff Masom, head of U.S. distribution for Franklin Templeton, in a statement.

Kemeny joined the firm at the end of March, and Abert joined in May. Both are based in Chicago.


Nesvold Joins Cresset as President

Liz Nesvold

Cresset announced that Liz Nesvold has joined the firm as president, overseeing the firm’s strategy and offerings

“I am thrilled to join the Cresset team as its first president and work alongside two visionary entrepreneurs and founders, Eric Becker and Avy Stein, as well as an incredible team,” Nesvold said in a statement. “Having worked collaboratively with Cresset to complete three [registered investment adviser] partnerships with clients in the past, I had a first-hand opportunity to see the organization’s commitment to its vision and culture.”

Her primary focus will be to ensure that Cresset clients continue to receive personalized, boutique family office experience.

Prior to joining Cresset, Nesvold was a managing director at Raymond James, which acquired the company she launched and ran, Silver Lane Advisors, in 2019. Among her recognitions, Nesvold was honored with the M&A Advisor Leadership Award in 2021 and recognized as a Woman to Watch by InvestmentNews in 2019. 

Cantor Fitzgerald Announces Global Head of Institutional Equity and Prime Distribution

Cantor Fitzgerald LP announced that Alex Englander will join the firm as global head of institutional equity and prime distribution, based in New York.

“We are excited to welcome Alex to Cantor Fitzgerald,” said Howard Lutnick, the firm’s chairman and CEO, in a statement. “He brings with him a proven track record within Global Equities with a wealth of deep and coveted institutional client relationships. His appointment underlines our commitment to our clients and continued investment in our Global Equities franchise.”

Englander joins Cantor from Credit Suisse, where he most recently served as a managing director and head of Americas Equities Advisory Sales. Prior to that role, he spent 18 years at Barclays|Lehman Brothers, serving as head of New York institutional equity sales.

Lockton Announces New Global Leadership Structure

Lockton Companies Inc.’s CEO, Peter Clune, announced the elevation of five key leaders into global roles:

  • Troy Cook will continue in his role as chief financial officer and will now also lead all finance and legal associates globally;
  • Julie Gibson, Lockton’s chief marketing officer, will expand the reach of Lockton’s “Uncommonly Independent” brand;
  • Trey Humphrey, chief legal officer, will lead the global legal team that will work to safeguard the company;
  • Martyn Worsley has been appointed Lockton’s chief people officer. In this role, Worsley will lead Lockton’s global people strategy; and
  • Byron Clymer, Lockton’s chief information officer, has been entrusted with leading Lockton’s strategy to develop global platforms.

HSA Bank Offering Provides Reimbursement to Participants for Education Costs

The employer-provided Tuition Reimbursement Account could help participants pay for expenses like tuition, books, registration fees and more. 

For employers looking to help their participants afford the mounting costs of continuing education, HSA Bank’s new Tuition Reimbursement Account program aims to alleviate the financial stress that often comes with higher learning. 

HSA Bank, a division of Webster Bank NA and a provider of health savings accounts, announced Thursday that it will offer the TRA program as an employer-provided benefit that can help employees pay for their tuition, specialized training and other costs associated with ongoing education. 

Get more!  Sign up for PLANSPONSOR newsletters.

“Tuition Reimbursement Accounts are an excellent addition to our comprehensive benefits offerings,” Chad Wilkins, executive vice president of Webster Bank and president of HSA Bank, said in a statement. “It’s a unique time for employees and employers. We’re seeing record-high student loan debt and an ongoing talent and retention challenge for employers. TRAs will help make education more affordable, while helping employers show their dedication to professional development.” 

The employer-funded program allows employers to determine what expenses are eligible for reimbursement and the annual reimbursement limits, according to HSA Bank. These expenses may include tuition, books and other required learning materials, registration fees, lab fees, exam fees and more. Once eligible expenses are approved, employees may be reimbursed on a tax-free basis up to the IRS annual limit of $5,250.  

The announcement comes at a time when President Joe Biden’s plan to cancel up to $20,000 in student loan debt for 40 million eligible borrowers awaits a decision from the Supreme Court. Biden’s plan was challenged by two lawsuits brought by Republican state officials and conservative legal organizations. 

Payments on federal student loans have been on pause since the start of the pandemic in 2020 but are set to resume 60 days after June 30 or 60 days after the Supreme Court’s decision announcement—whichever comes first. Industry experts say once people are required to start paying off their loans again, the demand for employer-provided student loan benefits will increase. 

The SECURE 2.0 Act of 2022 also includes a provision that permits employers to make matching contributions to an employee’s retirement account when the employee makes “qualified student loan payments.” The intention is that people would not have to forgo retirement savings while repaying student debt. 

According to HSA Bank, TRAs provide value for plan sponsors and participants by helping employees advance in their careers by attending school or specialized training programs and by providing multiple options for how to use the funds, all while supporting employers’ recruitment and retention goals. 

TRAs also provide flexibility in that participants can sign up for the program at any time during the year, based on their employer’s plan, rather than having to wait for the next enrollment period. 

Typically, employees must complete the course they are taking with a passing grade before they can request reimbursement. Once expenses are approved by their employer, employees may be reimbursed up to the maximum contribution limit per calendar year.  

«