Retirement Industry People Moves – 8/23/24

Cetera Appoints Mackay President of Cetera Solutions

Cetera Financial Group announced that Avantax Inc. President Todd Mackay has been appointed president of Cetera Solutions

Mackay will drive end-to-end platform strategy and lead advice delivery across the organization. He will steer the company’s growth across various business lines, with oversight for all digital products and investment products and services for Cetera advisers and end clients. Mackay will serve as a member of Cetera’s executive leadership team.

According to Cetera, during Mackay’s more-than-20-year tenure, he led Avantax to record levels of recruited advisors and assets and drove advisory asset flows to the highest levels in the company’s history. He created an organic growth engine through various sales enablement programs and developed new affiliation and succession models through Avantax Planning Partner. 

Andy Watts will assume Mackay’s former role as Cetera’s tax channel leader, overseeing Avantax and Cetera Financial Specialists with more than 4,000 independent financial professionals. Ron Krueger will continue in his role as the leader of the Cetera financial specialists community.

Vanguard Announces Robinson as General Counsel

Tonya Robinson

Vanguard announced that Tonya Robinson will join the firm in October as general counsel and managing director of its legal division. She will be responsible for all legal and compliance activities, public policy and investment stewardship. She will also serve as secretary of the Vanguard board of directors and secretary of the Vanguard funds.

“Tonya is an accomplished lawyer and trusted business leader who brings extensive experience in the public and private sectors,” said Vanguard CEO Salim Ramji in a statement. “She has spent her career championing access and transparency for individuals across a range of issues and amid increasingly complex legal and regulatory landscapes.”

Robinson joins Vanguard from KPMG, where she served as vice chair and general counsel for legal, regulatory and compliance since 2017. Prior to joining KPMG, Robinson was the acting general counsel of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. She has held several senior roles in public service and private practice, including as special assistant to President Barack Obama for justice and regulatory policy and as a partner at the international law firm WilmerHale.

OneDigital Welcomes Julie Grier as Managing Principal in Tampa, Florida

Julie Grier

OneDigital announced Julie Grier will join the firm as managing principal in Tampa, Florida. She will oversee the delivery of OneDigital’s value proposition, as well as regional strategic growth.

Grier has more than 20 years of leadership experience in benefits consulting and human resources.

“Julie is passionate about guiding employers with benefit strategies to help them take care of their people and improve their bottom line,” wrote OneDigital in a LinkedIn post. “A true culture champion, she is also dedicated to empowering her team to do their best work and live their best lives.”

July Hires National Sales Head, Promotes VP to TPA Partner Services

Adam Barker

Bill Riccio

July Business Services, a 401(k) plan services provider for small to mid-sized employers, hired Bill Riccio as vice president of sales, taking over Adam Barker’s role leading its national sales team.

Barker, meanwhile, is being promoted to vice president of third-party administrator partner services, according to the firm.

Riccio joins from CUNA Mutual Group, where he was director of national sales and gained experience in TPA business development and retirement plan consulting. Riccio will work on fostering adviser relationships and accelerating company growth.

Barker has been with July for 18 years, including roles in which he built up outsourced staffing solutions for TPAs, developed key TPA and institutional relationships and expanded the national sales team.

As vice president of TPA partner services, his team will help partners “reduce operating costs, enhance quality, and streamline delivery times,” according to the announcement.

“We are delighted to have Bill Riccio join JULY as our VP of Sales during a time in which JULY has experienced substantial growth,” said Blake Willis, July’s chief operating officer, in a statement. “Bill’s exceptional reputation and experience will provide strength to the execution of our sales strategies to further support advisors in growing their qualified plan business.”