Retirement Industry People Moves

Art by Subin Yang

Eagle Asset Management Names Portfolio Manager for Active Equity Strategies

Eagle Asset Management, an affiliate of Carillon Tower Advisers and a global provider of equity and fixed income products, has named Brad Erwin, CFA, as portfolio manager on the team overseeing several important active equity strategies. The move was effective July 1.

Erwin will now manage Eagle’s Equity Income, Value, All Cap Equity and Strategic Income Portfolio separately managed accounts (SMAs) as well as the Carillon Eagle Growth & Income Fund. He continues in his role as portfolio co-manager on the Eagle Vertical Income Portfolio, and covers the industrials and materials sectors across strategies.

Erwin has 24 years of investment experience as a portfolio manager and analyst. He’s been a member of this Eagle team since 2015, most recently as senior research analyst, and also previously worked at Eagle Asset Management from 2000 to 2007. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, and is a CFA charterholder.

“It’s been a pleasure to work with a team that prioritizes high-quality fundamental research alongside risk analysis,” says Erwin. “I look forward to helping clients pursue opportunities that take advantage of steady income, undervalued equities, and areas of the market with long-term growth potential.”

Principal Welcomes Sales Head to Retirement Division

Scott Boyd will join Principal Financial Group as head of Sales for Workplace Savings and Retirement Solutions in the Retirement and Income Solutions division, effective August 12. In his new role, Boyd assumes responsibility for leading the U.S. sales force to serve all customer segments and product solutions. He will report to Jerry Patterson, senior vice president, Retirement and Income Solutions at Principal.

Most recently, Boyd served as senior vice president for full-service teams at Prudential, focusing on offerings in the corporate, governmental, tax-exempt and Taft Hartley markets. Boyd was also responsible for managing the business development and intermediary relations team, maintaining and expanding relationships with key distribution channels nationally.

Prior to joining Prudential, Boyd worked as a strategy consultant for PricewaterhouseCoopers in Boston. He has a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from Union College in Schenectady, New York, and a master’s from the Johnson School at Cornell University. Additionally, he holds Series 6, 63 and 26 registrations and is a registered representative of Prudential Investment Management Services LLC (PIMS).

Beltz Ianni & Associates Selects Retirement Plan Services Manager

Beltz Ianni & Associates, LLC has added David Bard to its Business Services Group as manager of Retirement Plan Services.

In his role, Bard will guide plan sponsors as they work toward minimizing fiduciary liability and maximizing employee outcomes. His range of deliverables include consulting on fiduciary matters and plan design features, annual plan reviews, coordination of annual compliance, employee education, and support to employer and employee inquiries, research and resolution.

He has over 25 years’ experience in the financial services industry, including specialized experience in the investment management, financial planning, insurance, and retirement plan benefits fields. Bard was formerly a senior consultant with Westminster Consulting where he provided retirement advisory services to the fiduciaries and plan committees of corporate retirement plans.

Prior to joining Westminster Consulting, he was a corporate retirement plan adviser with Courier Capital Corporation. His career experience includes: vice president of Investments with Smith Barney, associate vice president with McDonald Investments in Buffalo, New York, director of fixed income trading for CIBC Oppenheimer, and vice president of Corporate Bond Sales for Mabon Securities in New York City.

Bard is a Chartered Retirement Plans Specialist (CRPS) and an Accredited Investment Fiduciary (AIF). He earned his bachelor’s degree in Economics from Hobart College and has achieved his Series 6, 31, 63, and 65 securities licenses, which are held through LPL Financial.

Jackson Lewis P.C. Hires Employee Benefits Practitioner

Jackson Lewis P.C., has announced that Adam B. Cantor will be working in the firm’s Employee Benefits practice. Cantor joins the firm’s White Plains office from Brown Rudnick, where he focused his practice on a variety of employee benefits, the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) and employment and executive compensation matters. He is the second new benefits practitioner to join the firm within the last month, following Miriam R. Schindel.

Cantor advises clients on a wide-range of issues in employee benefits, ERISA, employment law, executive compensation (including executive employment, severance and change in control agreements, bonus plans, equity and equity-based compensation plans, special issues affecting non-profit organizations and public company securities law compliance), deferred compensation (including tax compliance and planning), and business succession planning (including ESOP transactions). His clients include private and public companies, hedge funds, private equity investors, compensation committees of public companies, limited liability companies, partnerships, non-profit organizations and individuals.

Cantor structures and manages employee benefits-related business transactions such as employee stock ownership plan (ESOP) purchases of employer stock and qualified plan spin-offs, mergers and consolidations. In addition, he counsels compensation committees of public companies with respect to executive compensation matters and, in connection therewith, has developed compensation committee charters, executive officer and director ownership policies, equity grant policies, management incentive and retention plans, and clawback policies. He also represents clients in their dealings with the IRS, the Department of Labor (DOL), the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) and various other government bodies.

Cantor earned his master of laws and juris doctor from New York University School of Law, a master’s degree from Columbia University and his bachelor’s degree from Wesleyan University.

Nationwide Veteran Succeeds Former President and COO

Eric Stevenson will be the next leader of Nationwide’s retirement plans business. Stevenson steps into the role succeeding John Carter, who was recently named president and chief operating officer-elect over all of Nationwide’s financial services business lines.

Stevenson most recently served as senior vice president of distribution for Nationwide’s retirement plan business.

“I’m confident in Eric’s ability to expand our retirement plans market share as we strive to help America’s workers prepare for retirement and protect their financial legacies,” says Carter. “Nationwide’s leadership bench strength is impressive, and we believe Eric is the right person to build on the momentum we’ve had with both public and private-sector partners. His experience with our retirement plan solutions, combined with his vision for the future, has undoubtedly prepared him to lead us into the future.”

Stevenson brings nearly 15 years of industry experience to the role. After managing sales and marketing for consumer-packaged goods brands, he joined Nationwide in the marketing organization. He continued to take on roles of increasing responsibility in marketing and in 2007 was named vice president of Nationwide Retirement Plans Marketing for public and private sector.

“I’m honored and humbled to be the next leader of a business that is focused on the noble purpose of helping America’s workers prepare for and live in retirement,” says Stevenson. “Our experience serving small and medium-sized businesses and public-sector plans for state, city and county employees, as well as first responders, puts Nationwide at an advantage to best understand the unique needs of plan sponsors and their participants.”

Outside of Nationwide, Stevenson serves on the University of Oklahoma’s Board of Regents and the board of the National Association of Securities Professionals (NASP). He earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration in Finance from the University of Oklahoma and his master’s from Northwestern University Kellogg Graduate School of Management. He holds the NASD Series 6, 26 and 65 licenses.

Perkins Coie Hires Partner for Tax, Benefits & Compensation Practice

Former JCPenney director April Goff has joined Perkins Coie as a partner in its Tax, Benefits & Compensation practice. Goff joins the firm in Dallas after serving as senior counsel at JCPenney Corporation, Inc. where she oversaw all employee and executive compensation matters as well as cybersecurity and data privacy issues.

Goff’s move to Perkins Coie follows that of three prominent labor and employment partners – Richard Hankins, Seth Borden and Brennan Bolt. Hankins and Bolt are also based in Dallas, while Borden is based in the firm’s Washington, D.C. office.

For nearly two decades, Goff has advised executive leadership teams on issues relating to employee benefits, corporate restructuring, executive and associate compensation, cybersecurity risk, financials, and budgeting and cost containment strategies. She is also routinely involved in executive employment agreements and counsels clients on complex labor and employment matters.

“Large employers increasingly need legal counsel with deep knowledge of employee benefits and compensation who can advise on the design and management of complex health and welfare plans,” says Bob Mahon, chair of Perkins Coie’s Tax, Benefits & Compensation practice. “Major corporations require attorneys who understand how these plans are developed and contribute to their financial health to help them stay competitive. April is a tremendous hire for us, and we’re confident her addition will allow us to strengthen and expand our client relationships.”

Goff served at JCPenney for three years after holding prior roles as an employee benefits attorney with several AmLaw 100 firms. She has been recognized by the Association of Corporate Counsel as one of the “Top 10 30-Something In-House Lawyers for 2019”, is actively involved in the legal community, and holds leadership positions within local and national professional organizations.

She serves as chair of the Fiduciary Responsibility, Administration and Litigation Committee for the American Bar Association Section of Real Property Trusts and Estate Law and will be taking over as vice chair of the Employee Plans and Executive Compensation Group with the new bar year. She also serves as chair of the ACC Dallas-Fort Worth Chapter’s Women’s Leadership Committee and is vice chair of the ACC Employment and Labor Law Network.

Goff was also recently appointed to the IRS Advisory Council to represent the interests of employer plans under the Tax Exempt/Government Entities division.  

She earned her juris doctor from St. Thomas University School of Law, and her bachelor’s and master’s degree from Baylor University. She also graduated with a bachelor’s degree from Tarleton State University.

Moody’s Corporation Acquires DB Analytics Firm

Moody’s Corporation has acquired RiskFirst, a FinTech company providing risk analytic solutions for the asset management and pension fund communities. The acquisition positions Moody’s Analytics to extend its range of risk solutions to the institutional buy-side.

RiskFirst’s PFaroe platform is a risk solution for U.S. and U.K. defined benefit (DB) pension markets, supporting over 3,000 plans and more than $1.4 trillion in assets. RiskFirst also offers solutions for the institutional investment market, including endowments, foundations and asset managers.

“RiskFirst sits at the heart of the buy-side and asset owner ecosystem and is known for its specialized expertise and high-quality products,” says Mark Almeida, president of Moody’s Analytics. “Adding RiskFirst’s platform to Moody’s Analytics’ product offering creates significant opportunities for growth and demonstrates our commitment to extend our reach and capabilities to the buy-side and asset owner community.”

Asset owners are increasingly seeking more sophisticated risk solutions, supported by advanced technology and analytics, to address growing financial management, funding and capital management challenges. This acquisition creates opportunities to extend the analytical capabilities of RiskFirst’s platform and to develop new solutions to meet evolving customer needs.

“Combining Moody’s Analytics scale, reach and capabilities with RiskFirst’s leading solutions and extensive customer base creates a strong value proposition for buy- side institutions and asset owners,” says Matthew Seymour, CEO of RiskFirst. “This deal will enhance our capabilities while building on what has made RiskFirst successful: a sophisticated, technically excellent product combined with superior service and support.”