Retirement Industry People Moves

Aon Appoints 4 Executives to Reinsurance Team

Steve Hofmann

Alfonso Valera

Aon announced Wednesday that it has named Alfonso Valera as international CEO for reinsurance, responsible for the U.K., EMEA and Asia-Pacific; Steve Hofmann as CEO of Americas for reinsurance, responsible for North America and Latin America; George Attard as global head of strategy for reinsurance; and Tomas Novotny as chairman of international reinsurance.

George Attard

Valera previously served as co-CEO of EMEA for reinsurance and, before that, as CEO and general manager of Aon Re Iberia. Hoffman previously served as U.S. CEO of reinsurance and earlier as U.S. co-president of reinsurance. Attard most recently served as CEO of reinsurance for APAC, following 17 years at Aon leading strategy and client engagement in the region. Novotny has served as co-CEO of EMEA for reinsurance, chairman of the board of Central and Eastern Europe for the firm, and as a broking leader for Aon based in Prague.

Tomas Novotny

“We are delighted to promote Alfonso, Steve, George and Tomas into these important leadership roles as we accelerate the ambition and velocity of our industry-leading reinsurance solutions business,” said Andy Marcell, CEO of global solutions, in a statement. “These appointments reflect the depth and quality of leadership across our firm. Together, they bring decades of leadership experience, deep client relationships, market knowledge and domain expertise.”

Inspira Financial Appoints Chris Herman

Chris Herman

Inspira Financial appointed Chris Herman as executive vice president and head of retirement and wealth, effective July 14. Herman is responsible for overseeing the development and execution of Inspira Financial’s retirement and wealth businesses.

Herman previously served as head of retirement solutions for Bank of America Merrill Lynch, leading the strategic direction and risk management as well as overseeing the bank’s individual retirement account, annuity and education savings and life insurance products lines; and he has held multiple executive and advisory roles at Fidelity Investments, Mercer and Putnam Investments.

“We are thrilled to welcome Chris to Inspira Financial,” said Matt Marek, president of Inspira Financial, in a statement. “A leader of his caliber joining the organization signals the next-level chapter for the company, building upon our strong market presence with a focus on innovation and improved experience for account holders.”

Alliant Hires Betty Wehmann

Betty Wehmann

Alliant Insurance Services has hired Betty Wehmann as a senior vice president within its employee benefits group. Wehmann will be based in Northern California.

She brings expertise in funding mechanisms, with a focus on optimizing benefits performance and driving employee engagement. Wehmann has experience designing and delivering scalable, strategic benefits solutions that support recruitment, retention and long-term cost containment for a national client base. Previously, she served as senior vice president with a national insurance brokerage and consulting firm.

“Betty has a strong track record of helping clients achieve their workforce and financial goals,” said Kevin Overbey, president of the employee benefits group, in a statement. “Her depth of knowledge across various funding strategies and her client-first mindset make her a valuable addition to our growing team in the West.”

Christian Mango Joins OneDigital

Christian Mango

OneDigital announced Monday its appointment of Christian Mango as senior vice president of corporate development. Mango’s role will focus on identifying partner firms, guiding them through the mergers and acquisitions lifecycle, and ensuring cultural and operational alignment.

Mango brings 25 years of financial service leadership experience to OneDigital, most recently serving as executive vice president and national practice leader of retirement plan services at Alera Group, in addition to leading retirement plan services at Alera Investment Advisors LLC, Alera’s wholly owned subsidiary.

“The future of financial services belongs to those who can break down silos and deliver integrated solutions that meet the full spectrum of client needs,” said Mike Sullivan, OneDigital’s co-founder and chief growth officer, in a statement. “Christian brings not only deep industry experience, but also a clear alignment with our mission to help our partners grow by advancing meaningful, scalable financial well-being for the businesses and families we serve.”

Danita Johnson Named Head of Private Markets at NHRS

Danita Johnson

The New Hampshire Retirement System named Danita Johnson as its head of private markets, effective July 14. Johnson reports to Raynald Leveque, the CIO of NHRS.

Johnson’s position, newly created by NHRS, is part of a multi-year effort to bring a larger share of the pension fund’s investment decisionmaking in-house.

Johnson previously served as managing director of investments at the Maryland State Retirement and Pension System, managing an $11 billion real assets portfolio which included the fund’s real estate, infrastructure, energy and natural resources investments. Before working for the Maryland pension system, Johnson held investment leadership roles at Connecticut Retirement Plans and Trust Funds, Franklin Templeton Investments and the New York City Retirement System.

“I am very pleased that Ms. Johnson will bring her private market acumen and deep expertise to the management of NHRS’ investments,” said Jan Goodwin, the NHRS executive director, in a statement. “Private market investments are an important part of our portfolio and help us with investment diversification during these challenging times in the market to ensure that we can pay all of the retirement benefits earned by our members.”