Retirement Industry People Moves

Nationwide has named Ben Hoecherl ­the new leader of Nationwide ProAccount, the firm’s managed account service designed to make institutional-quality investing available to retirement plan participants. Hoecherl’s responsibilities include directing long-term strategy, operations and sales for ProAccount.

Hoecherl served most recently as the manager of product management and development at Advised Assets Group, focusing on the professional asset management program offered through Empower Retirement plans. He has previous experience in investment research and portfolio construction methodology.  

Hoecherl holds a bachelor’s degree in finance and business from the University of Utah and a master’s degree in business administration from Regis University in Denver. He holds the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation as well as his FINRA Series 65 license.

Nationwide reports that more than 100,000 plan participants use the ProAccount service, totaling more than $3.6 billion in assets under management.

Jordan Nault has been promoted to global leader of Mercer Investments’ hedge fund boutique.

Nault, who has been with Mercer since 2006, has experience as a senior investment consultant and has worked with a wide variety of institutional clients. She has served as the chair of the target-date fund (TDF) strategic research team since 2012 and was instrumental in developing a process to support TDF research coverage. She is also a member of the alternatives strategic research team and defined contribution committee, where she has been actively involved in leading Mercer’s research in liquid alternatives.

Nault began her career at Mercer in New York and relocated to Chicago to pursue her master’s degree. She will remain in Chicago, where she is currently based, and report to Deb Clarke, global head of investment research at Mercer Investments.

Nault holds a bachelor’s degree in Russian and Eastern European studies from the University of Michigan, and a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.

Mercer also announced the appointment of Ben Thorndike as North America alternative investments leader. He is responsible for marketing and sales in North America for Mercer’s private equity, private debt, hedge funds, real estate and infrastructure research, advice and delegated solutions. Previously, Thorndike was with FOC Partners and prior to that role, he held positions with HGGC (formerly Huntsman Gay Global Capital) and Bain Capital. Thorndike has more than 30 years’ investment experience.

Thorndike, based in Boston, reports to Troy Saharic, regional sales leader for Mercer Investments in North America.  He holds a bachelor’s degree from Colby College. He is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) and a Chartered Investment Counselor.

Courtney Anderson has been promoted to regional vice president, responsible for sales and relationship development with financial representatives and plan consultants in the northeast division of John Hancock Retirement Plan Services (JHRPS). Her focus will be upstate New York.

Anderson has served John Hancock RPS in the territory for more than 11 years, most recently as a relationship manager. She reports to Ray Hemstreet, divisional vice president of the northeast division.

Anderson holds a bachelor’s degree in management from St. John Fisher College, as well as FINRA Series 6, 7 and 63 licenses. She also holds state insurance licenses in New York and the Accredited Pension Representative (APR) designation from the National Institute of Pension Administrators.

Anthony Perkins has been hired as executive vice president of technology product development, a newly created role at LPL Financial LLC.

Perkins will report to Victor Fetter, managing director, chief information officer, who cites Perkins’ extensive information technology experience in the financial services industry and deep understanding of the wealth management environment.

Perkins will be responsible for the oversight of the analysis, design, development and delivery of technology product solutions, including adviser-facing technology offerings and corporate solutions, and the continued evolution of LPL’s ClientWorks platform.

Perkins will also support LPL’s investments in advanced data analytics, the development of additional mobile platforms and the firm’s ongoing efforts to consistently deliver technology solutions to each of its business channels.

Before coming to LPL, Perkins was the chief technology officer of Wells Fargo Advisors, responsible for all front office and adviser-facing applications. He has also held leadership positions at major financial services firms, including Bank of New York Mellon, Morgan Stanley and HSBC.

Perkins holds a bachelor’s degree in history from Chapman University and his FINRA series 99 license.

WealthPath Investment Advisors has joined Pensionmark Financial Group. The affiliation is the first office in the Arkansas and Oklahoma regions for Pensionmark. The partnership will provide WealthPath the infrastructure to grow and expand its service offerings. WealthPath clients will continue to receive personalized and unbiased retirement plan and investment guidance. The entire WealthPath team will be joining Pensionmark, including partners Jim Mote, Jim Edmiaston, Erik Berry, Brent Harless and Clay Kendall, who cited the Pensionmark culture as a good fit for WealthPath’s business model and client care focus.

The WealthPath team brings its industry experience to Pensionmark, including advising some of the region’s premiere retirement plans and hundreds of individual clients. WealthPath also has a 15-year track record of managing portfolios for clients and will be bringing their proprietary risk-based asset-allocation models to the Pensionmark network of advisers.

“The additional services and features that Pensionmark offers to both individuals and retirement plans are exceptional, and we are excited to begin integrating these tools into our current practice,” Edmiaston said in a statement.

Joel Mee will support The Standard’s advisers in Orange, San Diego, San Bernardino and Riverside counties in Southern California. He will also cover Las Vegas, Arizona and New Mexico. He will be based in the firm’s sales office in Irvine, California.

Mee has more than 25 years of experience in financial services and retirement plans. For the past several years, he has held various sales management roles within The Standard’s retirement plans division, including, most recently, director of business development.

“With his expertise in retirement plan sales strategy, adviser practice management, marketing and communications, Joel will enhance the service and support we’re able to provide to our advisers in the region,” said Rob Baumgarten, regional sales director for The Standard’s West Sales Region. “We are thrilled to have him join our West sales team.”

Mee holds a bachelor’s of science degree in business from Montana State University. He holds the FINRA Series 6, 63 and 65 securities licenses. He has also attained the Certified Pension Consultant, Qualified Plan Financial Consultant, Qualified Pension Administrator and Qualified 401(k) Administrator designations.

MassMutual Retirement Services has added eight new sales representatives—six new managing directors and two new business development managers—to support financial advisers as they serve the needs of plan sponsors in the emerging, institutional and employee benefits marketplaces. Managing directors train and educate advisers about MassMutual’s retirement plan products and services, identify retirement plan prospects, and promote MassMutual and its retirement products. Business development managers partner with managing directors and benefit agencies that sell MassMutual worksite insurance products.

The new managing directors and their territories are:

Scott Adams supports institutional markets and works with Emerging Markets Managing Director Jasonn Potter, covering the Rocky Mountain Region of Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming. Adams reports to Tanya Jones, western division sales manager, and previously was a vice president of sales for Lockton Retirement Services. Adams has 18 years of experience supporting retirement plans. He holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Western State College as well as the Certified Employee Benefit Specialist (CEBS) and Accredited Investment Fiduciary (AIF) designations.

Joe Amaya partners with Institutional Markets Managing Director Daniel Darby and will support emerging market sales for Western Michigan.  Amaya reports to Bill Hicks, mid-Atlantic division sales manager. Previously, Amaya was regional vice president for John Hancock in Milwaukee. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Arizona State University as well as his FINRA Series 7 and 63 registrations. Amaya is based in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Marc Doucette reports to Brian Sweeney, Northeast division sales manager. Doucette will partner with Emerging Markets Managing Directors Rod Toppin, Will Deyoung, John Cunningham and Scott Littlewood, and will support institutional market plan sales for Connecticut, western Massachusetts, Vermont and upstate New York. Doucette is a 20-year veteran of Prudential Retirement and CIGNA. Doucette holds a bachelor’s degree from Central Connecticut State University as well as his FINRA Series 7, 26 and 63 registrations. He is based in Glastonbury, Connecticut.

David Eliopulos will partner with Institutional Markets Managing Director Molly Knapp and will support emerging market plan sales for Oregon and Vancouver, Washington. Eliopulos reports to Frank Bruno, Western division sales manager. Previously, Eliopulos was regional sales director for Paychex. He holds a bachelor’s degree from University of San Diego as well as his FINRA Series 6 and 63 registrations. He is based in Bend, Oregon. 

J.T. Gallinaro reports to Brian Robb, Southwest division sales manager, and will partner with Institutional Markets Managing Director Jenny Dodson, supporting emerging market sales for independent financial advisers and benefit agents in greater Houston. Gallinaro previously held positions at Lincoln Financial and John Hancock in the retirement plan services groups. He holds a bachelor’s of science degree in business administration from Villanova University as well as his FINRA Series 7 and 63 registrations.

Thad Letzer also reports to Bruno. He partners with Institutional Markets Managing Director Francesca Messano, and will support emerging market sales for eastern Los Angeles. Letzer was most recently the regional sales director for Paychex. He holds a bachelor’s degree from California State at Northridge as well as his FINRA Series 6 and 63 registrations. He is based in Los Angeles.

Rob Dziema was named business development manager for the central division, covering Iowa, Kansas, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan (upper peninsula), Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin. Dziema, who previously served on MassMutual retirement services sales desk, has 16 years of experience in financial services. He reports to Derek Fuller, Central Division Sales Manager. Dziema holds a bachelor’s of science degree from Marist College as well as his FINRA Series 6, 26 and 63 registrations.

Raul Vargas will support four managing directors in Florida and covers Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and West Virginia. He reports to Jason Roper, southern division sales manager. Vargas has been with MassMutual since 2012, serving the Florida market as a retirement education specialist and has 13 years of experience in financial services. Vargas holds two bachelor’s degrees from Florida Atlantic University and a master’s degree in business administration from American Intercontinental University. He holds his FINRA Series 7 and 63 registrations, and the Certified Retirement Counselor designation. He is based in Orlando, Florida.

Andrea McAndrew has been hired by Fiduciary Investment Advisors LLC (FIA) as a research analyst.

In a statement, the firm cited her significant manager research experience in a family office as well as an endowment setting.

“Manager research continues to be one of our true differentiators and, with over ten years of experience reviewing investment portfolios, Andrea represents a significant addition to the team,” Mark Wetzel, president of FIA, said in a statement.

McAndrew has more than 15 years of investment experience, previously as a managing director at Alpha Capital Research, where she managed portfolios of hedge funds. Before Alpha Capital, she was an endowment administrator at Choate Rosemary Hall, responsible for compliance and administration at ARA Portfolio Management.

McAndrew holds a bachelor’s degree from Lehigh University as well as the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation.