Sean Baker, Managing Director, is the Head of US Life & Annuity Relationship Management within BlackRock’s Financial Institutions Group (FIG) responsible for covering some of FIG’s most complex general account relationships across US Life, Annuity, and Health clients while providing oversight and strategic direction to the firm’s Retirement Insurance practice.  He is responsible for owning and executing the firm’s growth strategy for our existing general and separate account clients by bringing the best of BlackRock to our insurance partners.

Previously, Sean served as the Head of Retirement Insurance, leading a team of relationship managers and market leaders responsible for driving BlackRock’s retail strategy with life & annuity insurance companies through sub-advised separate account mandates, custom index placement, and wholesale distribution.

Prior to joining BlackRock in November of 2021, Sean was an Executive Director at AQR Capital Management for seven years where he focused on developing and maintaining relationships with the firm’s sub-advisory clients and prospects. Before AQR, he was an Assistant Vice President within Merrill Lynch’s GWIM Capital Markets Group, and an Investment Consultant at TD Ameritrade.

Sean currently represents BlackRock on the Board of Directors for the Insured Retirement Institute (IRI), the leading trade association for the insured retirement industry, where he is one of only a handful of asset manager representatives.

Sean earned a B.A. in Business Administration from Loyola University Maryland and an M.B.A. from Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business.