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WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Insured Retirement Institute (IRI) announced changes to its board of directors today, including a new chair and vice chair.

Terri Fiedler, President, Financial Distributors for Corebridge Financial, is the newly elected chair. Phil Pellegrino, Executive Director, Head of Insured Solutions, UBS Financial Services, Inc., is the new vice chair.

In addition to the board officer changes, Board Member Robert Pettman, Executive Vice President, Wealth Management Solutions, Investor and Investment Solutions at LPL Financial was elected to the IRI Executive Committee.

Katherine Roy, Principal of Retirement Products, Edward Jones, and Bob McGowan, Managing Director and Head of the Americas Institutional Partnership Sales, State Street Global Advisors, were elected as first-time members to the IRI Board of Directors.

Roy is a principal in wealth management advice and solutions, where she is responsible for retirement products, including IRAs, protected income, workplace, and retirement income solutions. Before joining Edward Jones, she held leadership positions with JP Morgan and Merrill Lynch.

McGowan joined State Street Global Advisors in 2017 and worked at UBS Global Asset Management and Deutsche Asset Management before that.

Fiedler succeeds John Kennedy, President, Lincoln Financial Distributors and Head of Brand, who becomes immediate past chair and remains on the IRI Executive Committee. Paula Nelson, Managing Director & Head of Strategic Growth, Global Atlantic Financial Group, will continue as Treasurer/Secretary.

“IRI’s board of directors is highly engaged and committed to the success of our industry,” said Wayne Chopus, IRI President and CEO. “I am grateful to Terri Fiedler for taking on the role of board chair. She is among our most accomplished industry leaders and a long-serving IRI board member who will seamlessly assume this new role and provide critical strategic guidance to address the most pressing industry issues.”

Fiedler joined the board of directors in 2016 and was elected to the association’s executive committee in 2020. She became the board vice chair in 2021. Pellegrino joined the executive committee in 2021 and has served on the board of directors since 2017. Kennedy joined the board of directors in 2016, then the executive committee in 2019, and has served as chair since 2021.

“I also want to thank our outgoing chair, John Kennedy, for his leadership. During his term, the industry faced a particularly challenging time as we continued to navigate the unprecedented pandemic that forced adaptations to meet clients’ needs while advancing our industry’s key priorities,” Chopus added.

“I am pleased to have the opportunity to chair the IRI’s board, especially since Corebridge Financial and IRI have a shared commitment to extending financial wellness and retirement security to all,” said Fiedler. “Our industry plays such an important role in moving financial dreams forward, and I am excited to help IRI continue its work to expand the use of protected lifetime income and to promote access to professional financial guidance and education.”

“It has been an honor to lead the IRI board over the past 18 months, working collaboratively with my fellow directors to support IRI’s mission,” said Kennedy. “We’ve faced considerable headwinds as an industry. Yet, the challenges have only strengthened IRI’s commitment to advocacy, awareness and education for protected lifetime income for Americans.”

“The pace of industry changes, challenges, and opportunities is rapid and requires strong leadership and insight to navigate toward successful outcomes,” Chopus said. “I am thankful that IRI has an incredible team of industry leaders who dedicate time, energy, and expertise to ensure that IRI focuses on the issues that matter most and executes accordingly. I look forward to working with Terri, Phil, and Rob in their new board leadership roles, and I welcome Katherine and Bob as our newest board members. They will undoubtedly bring new perspectives and ideas to shape our strategic goals.”

Complete listing of the IRI Board of Directors.

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Contact: Dan Zielinski

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