RiverSource Beefs Up Institutional Team

May 9, 2007 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - RiverSource Investments, LLC, a subsidiary of Ameriprise Financial, Inc., has hired Erik Knutzen as Vice President, Director of Institutional Strategies.

Knutzen, in a newly created position, will focus on the market positioning of key investment strategies for RiverSource Institutional Advisors. He previously worked at Standish Mellon Asset Management as Director of Sales, Marketing, and Client Service. Before joining Standish, he founded Garret Capital Management LLC, a hedge fund management company, and worked at Putnam Investments for nine years where his roles included Managing Director of Institutional Portfolio Management and Investment Service. Prior to Putnam, Knutzen was a vice president and consultant at Jeffrey Slocum & Associates.

Other Hires

Also hired at the firm are Brian Reed as Regional Vice President, Institutional Sales; and Adam Craig as Regional Vice President, Institutional Consultant Relations. Knutzen, Reed, and Craig will report to Chris Keating, Head of Institutional Sales and Client Relationships for RiverSource Investments.

Reed, who joins a team of eight regional vice presidents, will be responsible for leading institutional sales efforts within the western region of the U.S. He will also help enhance the firm’s institutional client service and consultant relations efforts, according to a press release. He previously was Vice President and Senior Marketing Executive at CRT Capital Group, where he was responsible for institutional sales and consultant relations.

Craig will be responsible for managing consultant relationships throughout the U.S. and Canada along with his colleague, Mark Bryant. Previously he was Director of Marketing and Client Relations at Essex Investment Management Co., where he was responsible for overseeing institutional marketing, consultant relations, and client relations. He also worked as an investment consultant at Mercer Investment Consulting for five years and previously at Watson Wyatt for 12 years.

«