Retirement Industry People Moves

Barrow Hanley Expands New Bank Loan Team  

Barrow, Hanley, Mewhinney & Strauss, LLC (Barrow Hanley) has announced the addition of two experienced investment professionals, Michael Trahan and James Silcock, to the newly-formed bank loan strategy team as credit analysts.  The appointments are part of a continuing expansion of Barrow Hanley’s fixed income offerings. 

The addition of Trahan and Silcock follows last month’s announcement of the firm’s plans to launch a bank loan strategy.

Nick Losey and Chet Pai joined Barrow Hanley earlier this year to lead and manage the strategy.  Last month, the firm announced the appointment of Bill Braxton as Director of Client Development, responsible for business development, investor relations, and capital raising for Barrow Hanley’s fixed income strategies. 

Both Trahan and Silcock will report to Losey and Pai, rounding out the new bank loan strategy team as part of the broader fixed income team.

Trahan, who joins the firm as a director, brings to Barrow Hanley 13 years of experience in high yield bonds, bank loans, credit default swaps (CDS), and equities. Most recently, Trahan served as a senior analyst at Carlson Capital and before that as a senior portfolio analyst at Highland Capital, where he worked closely with Losey and Pai on the investment team.

Silcock has almost a decade of experience in high yield bonds and bank loans. He joins Barrow Hanley from CIFC Asset Management, where he was an associate. Before that, Silcock was a credit analyst at JAE Credit Management. 

Aviva Appoints Institutional Sales Head  

Aviva Investors has announced the appointment of Todd Bitzer as head of U.S. Institutional Sales, effective June 4.  Based in Atlanta, he will report to Tom Meyers, executive director, head of Americas Client Solutions.

Bitzer has more than 20 years’ experience developing and managing relationships with major consultants and large U.S. pension funds. In this role, he will support the firm’s institutional client solutions business, leading sales efforts in the U.S. and managing key sub-advisory relationships.

Prior to Aviva Investors, Bitzer was a senior investment director at Legal and General Investment Management America, where he worked closely with Meyers during the UK firm’s expansion into the US market. He also held senior distribution and investment positions at Morgan Stanley, Janus Capital Group and Systematic Financial Management. Bitzer has a dual bachelor’s degree in Marketing and Finance from the University of Georgia.

ABG Expands into Mid-Atlantic Region

Alliance Benefit Group, LLC (ABG) has announced that it is expanding to the Mid-Atlantic area. Columbia Benefit Consultants, Inc. (CBC), located in Columbia, Maryland, is the newest retirement plan recordkeeping and consulting firm to join ABG. 

Founded in 1975, CBC is an independent recordkeeper and third-party administrator (TPA). The company currently serves more than 15,000 and 350 retirement plans. 

Vestwell and Allianz Life Ventures Create Investment Solution

Vestwell has announced a strategic partnership with Allianz Life Ventures, part of Allianz Life Insurance Company of North America (Allianz Life), to offer its end-to-end retirement planning solution to Allianz Life’s extended network of advisers.

Vestwell enables financial advisers to more effectively service companies looking to launch or convert their 401(k) or 403(b) employee retirement programs. Allianz Life Ventures and affiliated businesses, in the independent broker/dealer space, provide access to a network of advisers who embrace modernization. Through this partnership, Vestwell will offer their technology services to more easily bring retirement plans to thousands of advisers across the Allianz Life network.

Through an open architecture investment solution, the partnership allows Allianz Life advisers to access a state of the art retirement platform and select retirement planning options that best suit client needs.

Transamerica Grows Mid-Market Team with Promotions and New Hires  

Transamerica has announced that David Dietzler joined the company as regional vice president and will oversee the company’s mid-market retirement plan distribution efforts in Oregon and Idaho. The company also announced the promotion of Tim Lastivka to division sales manager of mid-sized retirement plans in its Northeast region, and Abby Clark to director of TPA and special markets sales support.

Dietzler’s focus will be helping financial advisers and third party administrators (TPAs) acquire mid-sized retirement plan business in Idaho and Oregon. He brings more than a decade of experience in retirement plans, and more than 18 years of experience in the financial industry. He will report to Tom Briggs, division sales manager.

Lastivka is a 10-year veteran with Transamerica and has a distinguished performance record, leading the company in mid-market distribution sales in multiple years. He holds Charted Financial Consultant and Chartered Retirement Plan Specialist designations. Lastivka will report to Chris Previti, vice president and managing director of wholesale distribution.

Clark will report to Deborah Rubin, managing director of specialty markets and TPA. In her role, Clark will support the TPA community, work directly with national third party administrators, and continue building upon Transamerica’s momentum in the distribution of mid-sized retirement plan services.

Consultant Joins USI as Retirement Services VP

USI Consulting Group has announced that Scott Smith has joined the company as vice president of retirement services, based in Cleveland, Ohio.

Smith will be responsible for sales and business development focusing on USI Consulting Group’s multiple solutions for plan sponsors in the mid to large market. He has extensive knowledge of the various retirement plan products and services available in the marketplace. Smith also consults on fee diagnostics, fiduciary governance, vendor selection, plan design, plan investments, retirement readiness and financial wellness.