BOSTON, Oct. 3 -- The Insured Retirement Institute issued the following news release:

The Insured Retirement Institute (IRI) today announced the election of Lynne Ford, CEO of ING Individual Retirement as the Chairman of the IRI Board of Directors. Ms. Ford replaces James Shepherdson, Chairman Emeritus of AXA Distributors, LLC and Managing Partner of Crossroads Capital Group, who will remain on the IRI Board as past Chairman until 2013. Mr. Shepherdson is credited with the successful execution of the Association's rebranding, the expansion of IRI's membership and growing the overall financial foundation of IRI.

IRI also announced that Greg P. Cicotte, President of Jackson National Life Distributors; Joseph N. D'Agostino, Managing Director, Investment Products of Morgan Stanley Smith Barney; Will H. Fuller, President & CEO of Lincoln Financial Distributors; John Mulhall, Managing Director, Head of Insurance & Annuities, Merrill Lynch Global wealth Management, and Robert E. Sollmann, Jr., Executive Vice President, Retirement Products of MetLife have been elected to serve a three-year term on the IRI Board.

Departing the Board this year is Terry Mullen, President SunLife Financial Distributors. The changes to the Board were made official at IRI's Annual Meeting in Boston, Massachusetts.

"Jamie began his tenure as Chair while the Association was in the midst of a complete transformation - one that not only redefined the mission and goals of IRI, but also challenged us all to come together to advance the entire industry," said Cathy Weatherford, President and CEO of IRI. "Today, because of Jamie's unwavering leadership and commitment, our association has become the leading association for insured retirement strategies. On behalf of our entire Board of Directors we thank him for his steadfast dedication and look forward to benefiting from his continued role on the Board."

In reflecting on his departure, Shepherdson stated:
"It was an incredible honor to serve as the Chairman of IRI as we executed our goals to achieve a highly successful rebranding. Through the dedicated support of our Board, and membership as a whole, IRI has ascended to become the industry's leading advocate for insured retirement strategies. Over these past two years, IRI has distinguished itself as a thought leader, powerful force in Washington, D.C. and a trusted source of information for the media. I am grateful to have had the opportunity to be a part of this tremendous accomplishment, and look forward to continuing to support the vital work of IRI in my role as Past-Chairman."

"As our new Chair, Lynne brings an exciting dynamic to the leadership of the Association," continued Weatherford. "As we look to harness the collective strength of our diverse membership to meet the historic investor demand for insured retirement strategies, the focus and direction Lynne brings to IRI will undoubtedly help grow the acceptance and use of guaranteed retirement income by financial professionals and investors alike."

Upon accepting her nomination of Board Chairman, Ford commented:
"As our association celebrates 20 years of service and collaboration within the insured retirement industry, I am truly privileged to have the opportunity to serve as Chairman of IRI's Board of Directors. This is an exciting time for our industry - with historic growth in sales and unparalleled consumer demand for guaranteed retirement income strategies. Over the course of the next two years, we will look to leverage these positive opportunities by providing even greater content, information and resources in support of financial professionals throughout the industry. During my tenure as Chair, I look forward to leading an association with a dynamic membership that has shown phenomenal resilience and has proven to be leaders in retirement income planning."

In addition, three outstanding leaders will be inducted into the IRI Hall of Fame. Receiving the honors this year are Thomas M. Marra, a 30-year industry veteran and president and CEO of Symetra Financial Corporation and its insurance subsidiaries; Merry L. Mosbacher, a principal with Edward Jones responsible for the firm's Insurance Marketing department; and, Mark Mackey, who served as president and CEO of NAVA from 1995 to 2008.