Retirement Industry People Moves

Art by Subin Yang

OneDigital Acquires Berkshire Employee Benefits Division

OneDigital has acquired the employee benefits division of Berkshire Insurance Group Inc., an affiliate of Berkshire Bank located in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. The addition increases the scale and breadth of OneDigital’s benefits operations in the New England region and expands its overall company growth.

With the addition of the employee benefits division, the firm will assist its customers with creating benefits programs. Under the umbrella of OneDigital, former Berkshire Insurance Group clients will have access to enhanced capabilities and solutions that will address their evolving needs such as benefits, human resources (HR) consulting, robust technology and retirement solutions.

“We are very excited to expand our relationship with Berkshire Bank. Our alignment will allow both organizations to provide our mutual clients with industry-leading services and a latitude of insurance products,” says Brian Driscoll, regional managing principal at OneDigital New England.

“Aligning with OneDigital represents an exciting time for Berkshire Insurance Group. Together, we are building a strong referral alliance between the Berkshire Insurance Group family and OneDigital,” says John M. Flaherty, senior vice president of Berkshire Insurance Group. “This transition promises to deliver on our vision to offer employers a powerful new approach to employee benefits by bringing together expert advisers, robust technology and the backing of a nationally recognized firm.”

SageView Advisory Group Hires Institutional Client Relationship Leaders

SageView Advisory Group has added Luciano Costantini and Scott Ondek to its team in Northern California.

Costantini, managing director, and Ondek, retirement plan consultant, will work as part of the Woodside, California, team led by Robert Patton and will be responsible for developing and servicing new institutional client relationships.

“I am privileged to have been a part of such an important industry my entire career,” Costantini says. “Helping plan sponsors and participants make good financial decisions has always been a passion of mine. Now I get to continue my career with Bob and Randy, and their teams at SageView. I’ve known them for over 20 years, and I am so excited to be part of the team. I know our combined experience and shared passion will benefit the clients we work with for years to come.” 

Most recently, Costantini was the director of retirement services at Sequoia Consulting Group, where he launched the 401(k) division and grew the business from its inception to $5 billion in assets under advisement in about 12 years.

Prior to joining SageView, Ondek was a senior 401(k) adviser with Sequoia Consulting Group, advising on the firm’s largest retirement plans. 

“Luciano’s and Scott’s experience working at an HR technology firm helps to bring a different perspective to our practice. We are confident that their leadership and passion will help realize our vision for continued growth and innovation,” says Randy Long, SageView founder and managing principal. 

Patton, managing director of the Woodside Office, says, “I have known and worked in competition with Luciano for almost 20 years. His reputation for service and innovation is second to none. We look forward to now working together as we advance our service model in Northern California.”  

Janus Henderson Investors Selects ESG Global Head

Janus Henderson Investors has appointed Paul LaCoursiere, Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA), as global head of environmental, social and governance (ESG) investments.

Joining the firm on January 6, LaCoursiere will bring more than 20 years of investment research capability to the firm and drive the integration of ESG across its strategies.

LaCoursiere will be based in Janus Henderson’s London office and report to Enrique Chang, global chief investment officer (CIO). He joins the firm from Aviva Investors, where he has held various roles since 2014, most recently global head of ESG research. LaCoursiere has held senior portfolio manager, client portfolio manager and senior fixed income strategist roles with Chicago Equity Partners, Barclays Global Investors and Munder Capital Management.

Chang says, “We believe there is a correlation between the evaluation of ESG factors and identifying companies that will grow and succeed in the future. With Paul’s hire, Janus Henderson is demonstrating how seriously we take ESG considerations. Paul augments our existing strong capabilities with his experience and leadership skills, which will further embed ESG capabilities within our investment philosophies.”

ICMA-RC Names Managing VP of Institutional and Investment Sales

ICMA-RC has selected Andrew Whiting to lead the company’s institutional sales efforts as managing vice president, institutional and investment sales.

In this newly created position, Whiting will be responsible for all institutional client acquisitions, consolidations and retentions, and he will oversee the institutional sales; core markets; education, health care and not-for-profit; and investment only teams.

“Andrew is a dynamic and accomplished leader who is not only well-known throughout the marketplace but is passionate about the public sector and ICMA-RC’s mission,” says ICMA-RC’s Senior Vice President Orlando Cruz. “We could not be more thrilled to align his sales leadership and experience with the team’s objectives as we continue to build on the strong record of success that has been accomplished this year.”

Whiting brings extensive experience in working with public sector and government sector retirement plans and has developed a deep expertise across 457 and 403(b) retirement plans, and defied contribution investment only (DCIO) markets. Joining ICMA-RC from JP Morgan Asset Management, Whiting served as a public markets client adviser and was responsible for the firm’s investment-only business. Prior to JP Morgan, he served as vice president, national sales for government markets with Lincoln Financial, where he led in the development of the company’s tax-deferred business.

“I’m excited to be joining the team, and, coming from a family of first responders, I have a passion for serving the public sector that is unparalleled,” Whiting says. “I look forward to leading the institutional sales team in our continued focus on helping those who serve their communities build retirement security.”