Retirement Industry People Moves

Art by Subin Yang

Orion Advisor Solutions Adds TAMP Provider

Orion Advisor Solutions has announced several partnerships, including with Brinker Capital, an investment management company, to create a combined technology and turnkey asset management program (TAMP) provider.

Genstar Capital, a San Francisco-based private equity firm, will invest in the combined business, as will Orion’s existing financial partner, global growth private equity firm TA Associates. Brinker Capital’s founder, Charles Widger, and other members of Brinker Capital’s management, including Noreen D. Beaman, CEO, will invest in the combined business, alongside continued investment from Eric Clarke, Orion’s CEO, and the rest of the Orion team.

”We are entering this transaction from a position of strength, and the growth across our key product areas continues to demonstrate success,” Beaman says. “By marrying our proprietary strategies with Orion’s best-in-class technology and open-architecture investment platform, we’ll be combining our unique strengths to enable clients working with both of our companies to continue building strong, profitable and future-ready advisory businesses.”

Cetera Selects Business Development Head

Cetera has named John Pierce its new head of Business Development, reporting to Tim Stinson, head of Wealth Management and Recruiting and a member of Cetera’s executive team.

Pierce will be responsible for driving Cetera’s financial professional recruiting strategy. He has led recruiting organizations focused on highly successful financial practices, and his leadership experience encompasses executive roles at several of the largest wealth management firms in the industry. Pierce received his doctorate in education from the University of Pennsylvania and holds a master’s degree from the University of London and a bachelor’s of business administration from the University of Cincinnati Carl H. Lindner College of Business. 

“I’ve always been of the belief that great stories lead to quality recruiting and Cetera has a great story to tell,” says Pierce. “Cetera’s unique organizational model provides the agility of a small firm with the resources and scale of a large enterprise backed by a growth and service mindset. These industry-leading attributes are highly attractive to leading financial professionals. Cetera has shown me it is, and will continue to be, a destination of choice that every financial professional should consider.”

MassMutual Advisors Association Appoints President

MassMutual Advisors Association has appointed Adam Goetz as president of the association for the 2020-2021 one-year term. The MassMutual Advisors Association is a national, independent organization that advocates for its national network of financial professionals and clients.  

Goetz is a partner at Burstin & Goetz in Pittsburgh, a chartered life underwriter (CLU) and Retirement Income Certified Professional (RICP), and serves as a registered investment adviser (RIA). He has served on MassMutual’s Advisors Association for over a decade, most recently as vice president/treasurer and secretary.

“Now, more than ever, people are looking to MassMutual and their affiliated advisers to provide financial security for their families, protect their businesses and optimize market opportunities,” Goetz explains. “It’s an honor to lead an organization that coordinates the efforts of financial professionals who are on the front lines with the company’s clients.”

As leader of this oldest-in-the-industry association, Goetz will advocate for opportunities and issues related to client experience, adviser development, technology, product offerings, and wealth and financial planning strategies.

Goetz also serves as board member and past president of the Financial Industries Network, and board member of the Pittsburgh Chapter of Risk Management Association. He is a member of the Pittsburgh Chapter of the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors. Goetz is a graduate of Clemson University and member of the Phi Kappa Tau national fraternity. 

Hall Benefits Law Names Lead ERISA Counsel and COO

Hall Benefits Law has added Robert Forman as lead ERISA [Employee Retirement Income Security Act] counsel and Kenneth Beaver as chief operating officer.

Forman’s primary responsibility at Hall Benefits Law is ensuring day-to-day legal operations run smoothly.

Forman graduated from Haverford College, earned his juris doctor degree from the University of Michigan Law School and earned his Master of Laws (LLM) in taxation from the University of Florida.

Beaver has over 20 years of experience working as a law firm executive. His duties with Hall Benefits Law include oversight of human resources (HR), operations, finance, information technology (IT) and facilities management. He is tasked with supporting the attorneys and staff to help them achieve their professional goals.

Aegon Asset Management Appoints New Global CIO

Aegon Asset Management has appointed Russell Morrison as its new global chief investment officer (CIO).

Morrison has held positions at Barings and in the fixed income divisions at First Union Bank, Ernst & Young Management Consultants and North Carolina National Bank.

Following Morrison’s appointment, Kirk Buese, the current interim global CIO for fixed income, will retire from the business after 33 years’ service. Buese took responsibility for the platform on an interim basis during the recruitment process, having previously stated his desire to retire this year. He will remain with the business for a short period to ensure a smooth transition.

“Russ has a wealth of experience running multi-geographic teams, managing private and publicly listed fixed income assets for general account and third-party clients worldwide,” says CEO Bas NieuweWeme. “His appointment to this new role represents the culmination of the integration of our regional-based teams into our global fixed income platform. I would also like to wish Kirk a very long and happy retirement and thank him for leading the global team on the interim basis, but also for his considerable contribution to the business over the last three decades.”

“I am looking forward to working with the team at Aegon Asset Management as we look to maximize the full potential of our global fixed income team, bringing their expertise and knowledge to our clients across the globe,” Morrison says.