ASCENSUS - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Internal Sales Consultant
Job Titles:
- Chief Human Resources Officer
Amy joined Ascensus in 2001 and is responsible for Human Resources. The HR team works as a strategic partner with the business units to create and support appropriate recruitment, retention, performance management, and ongoing training and development initiatives. Amy holds a B.S. in Business Administration with a concentration in Human Resources from Shippensburg University.
Job Titles:
- Division VP, Eastern Region
Job Titles:
- Chief Digital, Marketing & Analytics Officer
Carl oversees Ascensus' marketing, digital and advanced analytics capabilities to support delivery of best-in-class client experiences and partner outcomes. He joined Ascensus in 2018, bringing broad domestic and international industry and consulting experience, including tech, automotive, healthcare, energy, tourism, and financial services. Carl has an MBA from Duke University's Fuqua School of Business and a bachelor's degree in Architecture from Cornell University.
Job Titles:
- Internal Sales Consultant
As Chair and CEO of Ascensus, David is responsible for overall leadership of the Ascensus organization, strategic investment and growth, M&A and other expansion opportunities, operational delivery of enterprise capabilities, and accelerated technology and solution innovation. He has more than 30 years of experience in the retirement, investment, and insurance industries. Prior to joining Ascensus, David was president of Great-West Investments. He earned a master's degree in finance and international business from NYU, Stern School of Business, and a bachelor's degree in finance from The College of William and Mary.
Job Titles:
- Internal Sales Consultant
Job Titles:
- Internal Sales Consultant
Job Titles:
- Internal Sales Consultant
Job Titles:
- Head of Core Retirement
- Head of Retirement Distribution
Jason Crane leads Core Retirement, the Ascensus-branded Defined Contribution business serving plan sponsors, advisors, and millions of retirement savers. He joined Ascensus in 2018 as Head of Retirement Distribution and assumed his current role in 2024. He has more than 25 years of industry experience, previously holding leadership roles with Transamerica. Jason graduated from Miami University with a degree in Psychology and Philosophy.
Job Titles:
- Internal Sales Consultant
Jim oversees Ascensus' service and operations area, which spans all locations and business lines within the areas of service, operations, integration, facilities, and project management. His 30+ years of experience includes service and operations leadership roles within the defined contribution, defined benefit, health, and retail segments. Jim earned his bachelor's degree in management from Lesley University.
Job Titles:
- Chief Legal, Risk and Compliance Officer
Joe heads Ascensus' legal, risk management, and compliance department. He has been a corporate and transactional attorney since graduating from New York University School of Law. After graduating, he served as a law firm associate, first with Rogers & Wells and then Fulbright & Jaworski. He then served as assistant general counsel for NYSE-listed Overseas Shipholding Group, Inc. before joining Ascensus in 1999.
Job Titles:
- Chief Information Officer
John joined Ascensus in 2004 and is responsible for Information Technology. His 20 years of financial services and banking experience includes time spent at Bank One (JP Morgan Chase) and Advanta. He has also held senior IT roles at UPS and a management consulting firm. John holds a B.S. in Computer Science from Rutgers University.
Job Titles:
- Internal Sales Consultant
Job Titles:
- Internal Sales Consultant
Job Titles:
- President of FuturePlan by
Kasey is responsible for the strategic direction of FuturePlan by Ascensus and was previously head of sales from 2017-2022. Prior to joining FuturePlan in 2017, Kasey was founding partner and CEO of Georgia-based Retirement Strategies Incorporated, where she built a TPA firm known for strong strategic partnerships with advisors and recordkeepers. Kasey holds a Bachelor's Degree in Economics and Corporate Finance from Augusta State University.
Job Titles:
- Internal Sales Consultant
Job Titles:
- Internal Sales Consultant
Job Titles:
- President of Enterprise Solutions
Kurt Laning oversees the strategic direction and operations for the Enterprise Solutions line of business, including contemporary non-qualified retirement plan solutions and COLI/BOLI services. He has more than 30 years of industry experience, previously serving as president of Clark Consulting, and in product development, defined benefit pension consulting, and third-party marketing firm leadership roles. Kurt graduated from the University of Wisconsin with a degree in actuarial science.
Job Titles:
- Division VP, Western Region
Marc Mehlman oversees Ascensus' finance, accounting, and facilities teams as Chief Financial Officer. Marc joined Ascensus in January 2024, and most recently served as Chief Financial Officer for Avantax Wealth Management (formerly known as Blucora). He brings more than 20 years of industry experience, including prior leadership roles with Thomson Reuters and Sanford C. Bernstein. Mehlman earned his bachelor's degree from Binghamton University and his MBA from the NYU Leonard N. Stern School of Business.
Job Titles:
- Internal Sales Consultant
Job Titles:
- Internal Sales Consultant
Job Titles:
- Head of Business Development
As President of Ascensus, Nick is responsible for overseeing all facets of its Retirement, FuturePlan, Institutional Solutions, and Government Savings lines of business, as well as the Digital, Marketing & Analytics center of excellence. He has more than 25 years of experience in the retirement, investment, and insurance industries. Prior to joining Ascensus, Nick most recently served as Chief Executive Officer for Pendal Group, a global asset manager. Nick earned both his bachelor's and master's degrees in Biochemistry from Oxford University.
Job Titles:
- President of Government Savings
Peg is responsible for setting the vision and strategy for Government Savings and charting its course for future growth. Peg joined Ascensus in 2004 and has served in leadership roles across business development, platform development, and system implementation. Prior to Ascensus, she held leadership and consulting roles in software and semiconductor firms. Peg holds a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Tufts University and an M.B.A. from Cornell University.
Job Titles:
- Chief
- Corporate Development Officer
Raghav leads corporate development and M&A strategy across the organization. He has over 25 years of industry and private equity experience at firms including Broadridge, US Trust/Bank of America, McKinsey, and ATT Capital. He holds an M.S. from Penn State, an M.B.A. from University of Bombay, and a B.S. from University of Madras. Raghav has also completed the SII Executive Development Program at the Wharton School of The University of Pennsylvania.
Job Titles:
- Internal Sales Consultant
Job Titles:
- Internal Sales Consultant