Hunter Named President, CEO of Westrock Group
Financial services holding company Westrock Group has promoted Donald H. Hunter, Jr. from chief operating officer to chief executive officer and president of the firm and its broker/dealer and wealth management subsidiary, Westrock Advisors. Hunter, who was COO beginning in 1997, replaces Gregory Martino, who will become a consultant to the firm.
"I'm excited to be leading Westrock at a time when institutional and individual investors are looking for the best partner they can find," Hunter said. "The events of the last year have rearranged the competitive landscape. Size no longer provides the advantage it once did. We will be able to bring nimble solutions to our clients, recruit outstanding talent, develop new business lines and make strategic partnerships that will lay the foundation for Westrock's long-term success."
Hunter joined Westrock in 1995 as a managing director and became a partner in 1997. Having begun his career at Drexel Burnham Lambert in 1989, he worked as a broker for a number of leading investment houses, including Oppenheimer & Co. and Shearson Lehman Brothers.
Great-West Retirement Hires Eight Wholesalers, Names White Director
Great-West Retirement Services has hired eight additional internal wholesalers to support the external sales force and the financial advisers and third-party administrators they serve. The additions increase the internal to external wholesaler ratio form 2:1 to 3:1.
In addition, the firm has appointed Kevin White regional sales director for Tennessee.
"By adding to our internal wholesaler team," said Bill Harmon, vice president of 401(k) sales, "we're able to provide increased service and support to both our sale force and their distributors. Financial advisers and TPAs are critical to our sales success, so we work very hard to assist them." He noted that small- to mid-market prospects rose more than 49% in the second quarter compared with a year earlier.
The new hires are: Mike Burke, serving California; Edward Carlson, serving Louisiana and Texas; Bob Fitzpatrick, covering Arizona, Idaho, North Dakota, New Mexico and Montana; Tom Geiger, serving Illinois, Iowa and Wisconsin; Trevor Millberg, covering the greater Washington area; Jeremy Oaster, covering Alabama, Oregon and Washington; Gina Schimpf, serving New England; and Amy Turley, covering Colorado, Nebraska, Utah and Wyoming.
Great-West now has a total of 20 internal wholesalers. Some of the new internal wholesalers were promoted, and others hail from Allianz, 1st Global, IKON Financial Services, The Hartford, Lincoln Financial Group and Oppenheimer.
Commenting on White's appointment, Harmon added, "I'm very pleased that Kevin has joined the Great-West Retirement Services team. His background will further strengthen our ability to deliver retirement plan solutions to the corporate market."
White comes to the firm from ING, where he served for more than 12 years as a regional vice president for retirement plan sales in central and west Tennessee and in Mississippi. His experience spans 18 years in the securities business, with the last 15 specializing solely in the retirement plan industry.
Based in Nashville, Tenn., White is responsible for developing 401(k) plan business through brokers, financial advisers, consultants, wirehouses and third-party administrators. He attended the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, where he earned a bachelor's degree in finance. He also holds FINRA Series 7, 24, 63, 65 and life insurance licenses.
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