Watson Wyatt Expands US Investment Consulting Shop

Janice Fritz-Snyder and Ron Radcliff have joined the investment consulting practice as research analysts in New York and Atlanta, respectively. In their new roles, each will oversee investment manager research and due diligence.   Additionally, Ruth Falck, a senior consultant who has been with Watson Wyatt for eight years, has recently transferred to New York from the firm’s Chicago office, according to a news release.

Fritz-Snyder was previously at Northern Trust, where she served as director of US Equities. Radcliff most recently worked as an investment services consultant at Nationwide Retirement Solutions, and before that served as director of investment consulting for the ICMA Retirement Corporation.   Ruth has expertise in a broad range of strategic investment issues, including risk budgeting, asset allocation strategy, manager selection and governance.

In Los Angeles, Martha Spano will lead the new investment consulting team and lead and coordinate all aspects of investment consulting services for Watson Wyatt’s western US division . Michael Ford has also joined the Los Angeles office as a senior investment consultant.  

Spano and Ford both have more than 20 years of experience.   Spano has been a pension and asset consultant for more than 20 years, and Ford’s expertise includes investment policy development, investment manager evaluation, strategy formulation, securities analysis and portfolio management.

“The opening of our Los Angeles office underscores the strategic commitment of Watson Wyatt to the growth of our investment practice,” said Howard Crane, Watson Wyatt’s director of investment consulting for the Americas. “In addition, the experience of our new Los Angeles-based staff will broaden the scope of services we offer our clients.”

Overall, the firm has added 10 professionals to its US investment consulting practice.