Retirement Industry People Moves – 7/26/24

Hartford Funds Expands C-Suite Executive Team

Amy Furlong

Ernie Overholt

Global asset manager Hartford Funds announced Amy Furlong, head of finance, will be promoted to chief financial officer, effective January 1, 2025, and Ernie Overholt will join in a newly created role of chief operations officer.

Furlong will succeed current CFO Greg Frost as he becomes president of Hartford Funds. Effective immediately, both Furlong and Overholt are part of the firm’s senior executive team, reporting to and serving as strategic advisers to the president.

As head of finance, Furlong oversees financial planning and analysis, financial modeling and business support, as well as corporate strategy. Key contributions throughout her 20 years with the firm were centered around driving profitable growth, combined with commitment to the interests of Hartford Funds’ products and shareholders. Prior to joining Hartford Funds, Furlong worked at KPMG LLP in the audit practice.

As Hartford Funds’ first COO, Overholt is responsible for ensuring “operational excellence” across the organization and overall leadership for the firm’s technology, fund treasury, transfer agent, dealer/client support and corporate risk functions. Overholt previously held a variety of roles over six years at Vanguard, including head of enterprise risk strategy.

Northern Trust Names Head of Product Strategy

Xiangrong (Sharon) Jin

Northern Trust Asset Management announced that Xiangrong (Sharon) Jin has been hired as head of strategy. Jin will lead NTAM’s global product strategy organization with a focus on driving innovation and a goal of achieving scalable growth and creating client-centric solutions. She will report to Paula Kar, NTAM’s global head of product.

Jin will lead product strategy across all asset classes, investment strategies, vehicles and geographies, as well as partner with NTAM’s investment and distribution teams to enhance product development and commercialization.

Jin has nearly 20 years of asset management experience, including 15 years with Goldman Sachs Asset Management in senior leadership roles in portfolio strategy and client portfolio management.

SEI Attracts New Executive Vice President

SEI announced that Michael Lane will join the firm, effective September 16, as an executive vice president and head of asset management, reporting to CEO Ryan Hicke.

As a member of the executive management team, Lane will be responsible for the business and growth strategy for the company’s adviser and institutional businesses in North America, as well as leading SEI’s investment management teams globally.

With 35 years of industry experience, Lane most recently served as head of iShares U.S. wealth advisory at Blackrock, overseeing revenue growth, client expansion, solution development, implementation and due diligence across multiple products and asset classes. Prior to joining Blackrock, he held a number of roles at Dimensional Fund Advisors, leading the development of the retirement, broker/dealer, bank and turnkey asset management program businesses. 

“Michael is a widely respected industry leader who brings extensive wealth management experience across the markets we serve, and his leadership, knowledge, and perspectives will help us capitalize on these opportunities and execute our strategy to drive strategic growth for our company, clients, and shareholders,” said Hicke in a statement.

Group Plan Systems Hires Senior Fiduciary Consultant

Haley Erickson

Group Plans Systems, an independent fiduciary for employer-sponsored retirement plans, hired Haley Erickson as a senior fiduciary consultant. Erickson began working at GPS effective June 24.

Erickson brings more than 15 years of experience in third-party administration to GPS.

“We’re very excited to add Haley to our growing team at GPS,” said Pete Swisher, managing partner at GPS, in a statement. “As our existing plans grow, and as we develop new plans, adding wide and deep TPA expertise was a priority for us.”

GPS has multiple active pooled retirement solutions, including pooled employer plans for which GPS serves as the pooled plan provider, with more in development. As an independent operational fiduciary, GPS works with multiple recordkeepers and TPAs.

In addition to Erickson, GPS also recently hired Amanda Fillmore as a fiduciary consultant, and Aditi Pokharkar became a full-time fiduciary analyst upon graduating from college earlier this year.

Nationwide Names Leaders to Emerging Markets Team

Carah Brody

Steve Ebert

The Nationwide Retirement Solutions team responsible for emerging markets announced that Steve Ebert has been named western divisional vice president, and Carah Brody will assume additional leadership responsibility for emerging markets operations, project management and business transformation. The division is focused on adviser-sold 401(k) plans with less than $25 million in assets, according to the company.

Ebert, who previously led sales for the not-for-profit sector with more than $25 million in assets at Nationwide, will now report to Kevin Devine, vice president for emerging market sales.

Brody, currently vice president of business operations on the Retirement Solutions senior leadership team, will have a newly defined set of responsibilities focused on “end-to-end relationship management for the adviser-sold, small market 401(k) business.”