Leadership

Michelle was appointed CEO of LGIM in July 2019. Michelle has spent her career at major global firms and has extensive asset management experience across investments, distribution, product, operations, risk and control functions.

Before joining LGIM, Michelle was CEO, EMEA at Columbia Threadneedle Investments, and a member of the Executive Leadership Team of Ameriprise Financial. Prior to that, she was Chief Risk Officer at M&G Investments and a Director of M&G Group Limited, whom she joined in 2012 from BlackRock. Michelle held a number of leadership positions at BlackRock, and previously at Merrill Lynch Investment Managers and Mercury Asset Management, where her last role was as Chief Operating Officer, International Fixed Income.

Michelle is on the Board of the Investment Association and a member of the FCA’s Practitioner Panel. Michelle holds a BA (Hons) in French from the University of Sheffield.

Aaron Meder became Chief Executive Officer at LGIM America in March 2017.

Prior to this appointment, Aaron was the Head of Investment for LGIM America’s UK affiliate, Legal & General Investment Management (LGIM), where he led all investment teams across Solutions, Index, Active Fixed Income, Active Equity and Multi-Asset. Aaron has held the positions of Global Head of Solutions for LGIM, as well as Head of US Pension Solutions for LGIM America, where he started his career with the firm in 2010.

Prior to joining LGIM America, Aaron was a Managing Director and Head of Asset-Liability Investment Solutions, Americas at UBS Global Asset Management. He began his career as an actuary at Towers Perrin and Watson Wyatt Worldwide. He is a Fellow of the Society of Actuaries, a member of The Economic Club of Chicago and sits on the CEO Leadership Council for The Financial Services Pipeline Initiative. He is a CFA charterholder.

Aaron earned a BS in Actuarial Science from the University of Illinois and an MBA from Northwestern University.

Donald Andrews is the Head of Distribution and Client Solutions at LGIM America. He is responsible for the oversight and direction of prospect, client and consultant engagement, development and structuring of customized investment solutions and product development. The Distribution and Client Solutions group includes the Solutions Strategy, Client Strategy, Insurance Strategy, Distribution, Marketing, Product and Business Management teams. Don is also a member of LGIM America’s Board of Directors.

Don joined LGIM America in 2013 as a Solutions Strategist and has previously been the Head of LDI Strategy, Head of Solutions Strategy, and Head of Client Solutions. Prior to joining LGIM America, Don was a Director in the Structured Solutions Group at UBS Investment Bank. Prior to UBS, he worked as a convertible securities arbitrage trader at Alliance Financial, LLC.

Don earned a BA in History from Yale University and an MBA with concentrations in Analytic Finance, Economics and International Business from The University of Chicago Graduate School of Business.

John Bender is the CIO - Fixed Income and Co-head of Global Fixed Income at LGIM America.

John joined LGIM America in 2006 and was named CIO –Fixed Income in 2013. In 2015, he was appointed Co-head of Global Fixed Income. Prior to joining LGIM America, John was Head of Investment Grade Fixed Income at Aegon USA Investment Management. He started his career at Strong Capital Management, where he held a number of positions including Head of Investment Grade Credit. He was the lead Portfolio Manager for the Strong Corporate Bond Fund.

John earned a BS in Accounting from Marquette University. He is a CFA charterholder.

Leonard Brennan joined the LGIM US Holdings Board as a Non-Executive Director in 2020.

Leonard is an accomplished professional with decades of experience in global asset management. Most recently, he was Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer at Russell Investments. At Russell, he created a new strategy to better position the firm to accelerate growth through a combination of revenue growth and cost reductions. He maintained full responsibility for investment products, marketing, reengineering of the investment strategy and the underlying operational infrastructure. In addition, he provided leadership to the firm’s Executive Committee. Prior to this, he was the President & CEO at Rainier Investment Management. During his tenure, he led the regional equity boutique firm to expand nationally and substantially grow AUM. He began career at Russell Investments in Toronto progressively working through Managing Director of Canada, Managing Director International (based in London) and ultimately Managing Director, Global Private Client (based in US).

Leonard earned a BC from Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada. He is a CFA charterholder and former board member of the Investment Company Institute.

Richard Davis joined the LGIM US Holdings Board as a Non-Executive Director in 2013.

Richard spent forty years in senior positions in the financial services industry before retiring in 2012 from BlackRock. Richard joined BlackRock following the merger with State Street Research & Management (SSRM) in 2005. At SSRM, he served as President and Chief Executive Officer. He previously had been Senior Vice President in charge of the $110 billion fixed income portfolio of MetLife, Inc., SSRM’s parent company. Prior to holding that position, Richard spent eight years at JPMorgan Investment Management and JPMorgan Securities. He had a variety of responsibilities there, including heading the global fixed income sales force for the securities dealer. At the firm’s money management division, he was responsible for client business, risk management and product development. He began his career with The First Boston Corporation, where he spent 19 years in successive management positions and was ultimately responsible for leading sales, trading and research for all fixed income products, and a member of the firm’s Management Committee.

Richard earned a BA from Georgetown University and an MBA from Columbia University. He is a former officer in the U.S. Navy. Richard is the former Chairman of the Board of the Boston Ballet; served as the Chairman for the Georgetown College Board of Advisors; as a Member of Georgetown University’s Board of Regents; as a former Member of the U.S. Treasury Borrowing Committee; and the Board of Directors for the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce.

Kathleen joined the LGIM US Holdings Board as a Non-Executive Director in 2017.

Kathleen most recently served as the Chief Investment Officer for the Benefit Plans at Ford Motor Company. There, she had investment responsibility for approximately $66 billion in global retirement assets, including the $41 billion U.S. pension fund, the sixth largest corporate Defined Benefit plan in the U.S.  Her oversight encompassed more than 68 DB and 65 DC plans across more than 32 countries where Ford does business.

Kathleen was a key architect of Ford’s global pension de-risking strategy, which provided retirement security for nearly half-million participants worldwide, while strengthening the balance sheet and risk profile of the sponsor. Her prior positions at Ford included Global Risk Management Director, Finance VP for Ford Australia, and Controller - North American Engine Operations. She retired from Ford at year-end 2016.

In addition to her LGIM America role, Kathleen joined the LGIMH board as a NED in 2018. She also serves as a Trustee on the JP Morgan Mutual Funds Board and as a member of SSGA’s Advisory Board for their Outsourced-CIO business.

Kathleen earned a BA in Economics, with high distinction, from the University of Virginia, and an MBA from Harvard University Graduate School of Business.

BethAnne Panos is the Head of Human Resources at LGIM America. In her role, she is responsible for HR strategy including talent management, human capital development, HR advisory and employee engagement initiatives across the firm. She is also a member of LGIM America’s Board of Directors and Executive Committee.

BethAnne has over 25 years of industry experience. Prior to joining LGIM America in 2019, she was the Head of Human Resources at Roanoke Insurance. In addition, she was the Head of Human Resources, SVP at Calamos Investments and a Senior Employee Relations Specialist at Edward Hospital.

BethAnne earned a BS in Communications from East Tennessee University and carries several professional certifications.

Chad Rakvin is the Global Head of Index Funds at LGIM. He joined LGIM America in 2013 as the Head of US Index Funds, with responsibility for developing the US index fund management business.

Prior to joining LGIM America, Chad was the Global Equity Index Director at Northern Trust. His responsibilities included managing a diverse group of investment strategies, including US and international large and small cap, emerging markets, global all country and currency overlays. In addition, he oversaw the portfolio management groups in the US, EMEA and Asia Pacific index teams. Prior to Northern Trust, Chad worked at Barclays Global Investors, Dow Jones Indexes and Pennsylvania Financial Advisors.

Chad earned a BS in Finance from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. He is a CFA charterholder.

Emma Rodriguez-Ayala is the General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer at LGIM America. In her role, she is responsible for managing all aspects of legal, governance, risk, compliance and information security for the firm and its employees and clients, and its reputation, assets, and the interests of its stakeholder. Emma is a member of LGIM America’s Executive Committee and Secretary to the Board of Directors.

Emma has more than 15 years of industry experience. Prior to joining LGIM America in 2020, she was a Partner at Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP. In addition, she was General Counsel and Senior Managing Director at Mesirow Advanced Strategies, where she oversaw firm legal, regulatory, governance and compliance affairs. Emma is a trustee of WTTW/WFMT (Chicago PBS) and serves on the boards of the Chicago Metropolitan Planning Council, the Chicago Chapter of the Association of Latino Professionals for America and Angeles Investors, a national LatinX-focused angel investing group. She is a member of the Latino Corporate Directors Association and the Private Directors Association.

Emma earned a BS in International Business from St. Louis University and a JD from the University of Chicago.

Pat Ryan is the Chief Financial Officer at LGIM America.

Pat joined LGIM America in 2015 and was appointed Finance Director in 2016. Prior to joining LGIM America, he was the International Financial Controller for LGIM in London. His responsibilities covered North America, Asia and Europe (ex UK). Pat started his career with EY in Ireland, in 2003, where he held a number of positions including Audit Senior Manager and was a member of the Accelerated Leadership Program. He managed a significant portfolio of asset management clients at EY.

Pat earned a BBS from the University of Limerick and is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants.

Christine Smith is the Chief Operating Officer at LGIM America. In her role, she provides oversight and strategic leadership of the company’s overall operations and technology functions. She is responsible for partnering with key global stakeholders, maintaining a cohesive operating model, and developing a strong operating infrastructure to support our investment teams and internal stakeholders. She is a member of LGIM America’s Board of Directors and Executive Committee.

Prior to joining LGIM America in 2020, Christine was the Chief Operating Officer at Parametric in Seattle. Previously, she was President and co-founder of BNY Mellon Beta & Transition Management. She has over 25 years of experience working exclusively in the Financial Services Industry. In addition, she has held various positions at Bank of New York Mellon, Bear Stearns and Morgan Stanley.

Christine earned a BA in Management Information Systems from University of Arizona and maintains various FINRA licenses.

Aaron Meder became Chief Executive Officer at LGIM America in March 2017.

Prior to this appointment, Aaron was the Head of Investment for LGIM America’s UK affiliate, Legal & General Investment Management (LGIM), where he led all investment teams across Solutions, Index, Active Fixed Income, Active Equity and Multi-Asset. Aaron has held the positions of Global Head of Solutions for LGIM, as well as Head of US Pension Solutions for LGIM America, where he started his career with the firm in 2010.

Prior to joining LGIM America, Aaron was a Managing Director and Head of Asset-Liability Investment Solutions, Americas at UBS Global Asset Management. He began his career as an actuary at Towers Perrin and Watson Wyatt Worldwide. He is a Fellow of the Society of Actuaries, a member of The Economic Club of Chicago and sits on the CEO Leadership Council for The Financial Services Pipeline Initiative. He is a CFA charterholder.

Aaron earned a BS in Actuarial Science from the University of Illinois and an MBA from Northwestern University.

Donald Andrews is the Head of Distribution and Client Solutions at LGIM America. He is responsible for the oversight and direction of prospect, client and consultant engagement, development and structuring of customized investment solutions and product development. The Distribution and Client Solutions group includes the Solutions Strategy, Client Strategy, Insurance Strategy, Distribution, Marketing, Product and Business Management teams. Don is also a member of LGIM America’s Board of Directors.

Don joined LGIM America in 2013 as a Solutions Strategist and has previously been the Head of LDI Strategy, Head of Solutions Strategy, and Head of Client Solutions. Prior to joining LGIM America, Don was a Director in the Structured Solutions Group at UBS Investment Bank. Prior to UBS, he worked as a convertible securities arbitrage trader at Alliance Financial, LLC.

Don earned a BA in History from Yale University and an MBA with concentrations in Analytic Finance, Economics and International Business from The University of Chicago Graduate School of Business.

Brian Beargie is a Co-Head of Global Investment Grade Credit Research at LGIM America. In his role, he oversees the US Investment Grade Research team while focusing on the energy and taxable municipal sectors.

Brian joined LGIM America in 2007 and was promoted to Director US Investment Grade Credit Research in 2010. He was appointed Co-Head of Global Investment Grade Research in 2014. Prior to joining LGIM America, Brian held other senior research positions in the fund management and brokerage industries. He was a Senior Credit Research Analyst at Allstate Investments. Prior to that, he was a sell-side Senior Credit Research Analyst at JP Morgan Chase and Bank One.

Brian earned a BA in Economics and History from Northwestern University. He is a CFA charterholder.

Greg Behar is the Head of Index Investment Strategy at LGIM America. In his role, he is responsible for providing investment thought leadership to investors and is responsible for developing comprehensive investment solutions and insights across the spectrum of index strategies.

Prior to joining LGIM America in 2015, Greg was a Senior Vice President and Head of Global Equity Investment Strategy at Northern Trust Asset Management. Greg’s team provided investment thought leadership to investors globally and collaborated with investors to provide investment solutions and insights across the spectrum of index, quantitative, and fundamental active equity strategies. Greg was previously a Senior Investment Strategist for the Global Quantitative Management and Global Index Equity teams. Prior to joining Northern Trust, Greg was a Portfolio Specialist for the active quantitative equity strategies at Deutsche Asset Management.

Greg earned a BA in Economics from Binghamton University and serves on various index advisory panels.

John Bender is the CIO - Fixed Income and Co-head of Global Fixed Income at LGIM America.

John joined LGIM America in 2006 and was named CIO –Fixed Income in 2013. In 2015, he was appointed Co-head of Global Fixed Income. Prior to joining LGIM America, John was Head of Investment Grade Fixed Income at Aegon USA Investment Management. He started his career at Strong Capital Management, where he held a number of positions including Head of Investment Grade Credit. He was the lead Portfolio Manager for the Strong Corporate Bond Fund.

John earned a BS in Accounting from Marquette University. He is a CFA charterholder.

Todd Bowker is the Head of Investment Change and Business Management at LGIM America. His team is responsible for the collaboration of portfolio management practices across all investment areas, including governance and investment technology.

Todd joined LGIM America in 2007 and was promoted to Head of Operations in 2012. In 2017, Todd was appointed Head of Investment Change and Business Management. Prior to joining LGIM America, Todd was a Vice President at Northern Trust Co., managing foreign exchange operations for North American FX Desk.  Previously, Todd managed a team that worked closely with investment managers and custodian banks on behalf of the Institutional client base at Northern’s US investment outsourcing area and Investment Manager Liaison Group. Todd held similar positions at Deutsche Bank AG/Bankers Trust prior to joining Northern Trust.

Todd earned a BS in Business Administration and Economics from the University of Vermont.

Julie Canavan is Head of Business Change at LGIM America. In her role, she is responsible for project management, implementation, readiness and reporting of the firm’s business initiatives, with a focus on complex organizational issues that support the enterprise and strategic corporate goals.

Julie joined LGIM America in 2021. Prior to LGIM America, Julie was VP, Manager – Enterprise Tools & Metrics, PMO and Change Management at The Northern Trust Company, where she directed the Project Standards Group (PSG), Enterprise Tools & Metrics (ETM) and Agile Process Office (APO) teams. Prior to this, Julie was VP, Quality Assurance Manager at JPMorgan Chase for a Public Receivables/Lockbox sector of Corporate Investment Bank (CIB).

Julie earned a BS in Biology/Chemistry from Illinois State University.

Rob Capone is the Head of Defined Contribution (DC) at LGIM America. In his role, he leads the US Defined Contribution business and helps grow the firm’s footprint and capabilities within the industry. In addition, he owns the DC strategic planning efforts, focusing upon both market-based and outcome-oriented solutions.

Prior to joining LGIM America in 2021, Rob was a Senior Vice President, Head of Distribution at Great West Investments. During his tenure, he led a team of professionals in facilitating new business growth and service delivery to multiple business segments. Prior to Great West Investments, Rob was a Managing Director and Head of Defined Contribution and Sub Advisory for AQR Capital Management, where he built and led the firm’s entry and effort into the Defined Contribution business and oversaw its existing sub advisory distribution and relationship management business. Prior to this, Rob was an Executive Vice President – Head of Retirement for BNY Mellon Investment Management and a Managing Director of Participant Services at Putnam Investments. He began his career at Fidelity Investments.

Rob sits on the Advisory Council for the George Washington University’s Transformative Leadership in Disruptive Times Program. Rob is a published industry thought leader and a member of the Defined Contribution Institutional Investment Association. He earned an AB in Economics and an MBA from Dartmouth College. He holds FINRA Series 6, 7, 24, 26 and 63 and NFA Series 3 licenses.

Ciaran Carr is the Head of Solutions Strategy at LGIM America. Ciaran and his team of solution strategists support the development of customized investment solutions for LGIM America’s client base.

Ciaran joined LGIM America in 2015 as a Solutions Strategist. In 2018, he was promoted to Senior Solutions Strategist. Prior to joining LGIM America, Ciaran was the Interim CIO of Legal & General Reinsurance in Bermuda, where he was responsible for developing the investment strategy for the new pension risk transfer business. Prior to this role, Ciaran worked in portfolio construction for the LGIM Solutions business in the UK for several years, where he was responsible for designing and implementing risk management solutions for LGIM pension clients.

Ciaran earned an MA (Hons) in Mathematics and Economics from The University of Edinburgh. He is a CFA charterholder.

Danielle Cassidy is the Head of Distribution at LGIM America. In her role, she leads the firm’s business development activities across all client channels, including strategic planning, team management and application of best practices in executing on the firm’s growth mission. In addition, she builds and maintains relationships with institutional plan sponsors (DB & DC) and consultants in the Midwest region.

Prior to joining LGIM America in 2020, Danielle was Managing Director, Head of Fixed Income Specialist Team at UBS Asset Management. At UBS, she was responsible for driving marketing and messaging, overseeing client service and executing business strategy for the firm. Prior to UBS, she was a Vice President, Client Portfolio Manager at J.P. Morgan Asset Management. Earlier in her career, she held positions at Alliance Capital, Lexington Asset Management and Stein Roe & Farnham, Inc.

Danielle earned a BA from the University of Notre Dame and an MBA from the University of Chicago.

David Chapman is the Head of Multi-Asset and LDI at LGIM America. In his role, he is responsible for the oversight of the construction and day-to-day risk management of our asset allocation and LDI solutions, including custom derivative overlays, multi-asset funds for institutions and retirement income solutions for DC.

Prior to joining LGIM America in 2015, Dave was the Chief Investment Officer for ALAS, Inc., a professional liability mutual insurance company. Prior to ALAS, he was with Ascension Investment Management, where he was the Managing Director responsible for asset allocation and investment risk management across a variety of institutional investors and plan sponsors. Dave began his investment career as a Portfolio Manager at BlackRock.

Dave earned a BS in Business Administration from Washington University in St. Louis and an MBA from the University of Michigan. He is a CFA charterholder.

Ryan Gelchion is the Head of Corporate Strategy at LGIM America. In his role, he is responsible for overseeing the firm’s strategic framework, including working with senior leaders to assess new opportunities, develop comprehensive business plans and coordinate across the firm’s long-term initiatives. Previously, Ryan was a Finance Manager, responsible for the financial planning and analysis of the firm’s revenue, expenses, net flows and AUM.

Prior to joining LGIM America in 2016, Ryan worked at Ernst & Young (EY) in the Financial Services Office in Chicago and Boston. Most recently, in the EY Chicago office, he was the lead Audit Manager for a variety of hedge funds and private credit funds.

Ryan earned a BS in Finance and Accounting from Boston College and an MS in Accounting from Notre Dame.

Nancy Gonzales is the Head of Marketing at LGIM America. In her role, she is responsible for all strategic marketing team efforts at both the corporate and channel levels, particularly as it relates to the firm’s growth and development goals.

Prior to joining LGIM America in 2019, Nancy was Managing Director, Head of Marketing and Corporate Communications at Mesirow Financial, where she was responsible for marketing initiatives of over 15 vertical business channels, marketing collateral and corporate communications. She started her career at Brinson Partners/UBS Global Asset Management, where she was responsible for all marketing processes and operations for the Americas, including global presentation system, budgeting systems, and legal and compliance marketing processes for both the institutional and wholesale businesses.

Nancy earned a BS in Management and a minor in Psychology from DePaul University.

John Hoeppner is the Head of US Stewardship and Sustainable Investments at LGIM America. He is the US representative of the Corporate Governance team. John is charged with shaping the firm’s corporate engagements and driving demand for sustainable investing strategies in the US market.

Prior to joining LGIM America in 2018, he led the Impact Investing practice and launched an ESG data and consulting business at Mission Measurement. Prior to this, he held multiple senior product positions in the asset management divisions of UBS and Northern Trust. John championed a range of corporate and product related sustainable investment efforts. He started his investment career at Cambridge Associates on the capital markets research team.

John earned a BCom from McGill University in Montreal, Canada.

Chris Huff is the Head of Client Operations and Analytics at LGIM America. In this role, he is responsible for the technology strategy and operating functions that support the firm’s client-facing activity, including service, investment performance and quantitative solutions.

Chris joined LGIM America in 2014 as Manager of the Investment Analytics and Reporting Team. In 2017, he was promoted to Head of Client Services. Prior to joining LGIM America, Chris held various positions in FactSet Research Systems’ Analytics group, including client consulting, sales and product.

Chris earned his BS in Software Engineering from Fairfield University and MBA from The University of Chicago Booth School of Business.

Jeff Koch is the Deputy CIO - Fixed Income at LGIM America.

Jeff joined LGIM America as a Senior Portfolio Manager in 2012 and was promoted to Co-head of US Fixed Income in 2013. Prior to LGIM America, Jeff worked at LaunchEquity Partners, Metropolitan West Asset Management and Strong Capital Management.

Jeff earned a BS in Economics from the University of Minnesota Morris and an MBA with an emphasis in Finance from Washington University. He is a CFA charterholder.

Shaun Murphy is the Head of US Index Funds at LGIM America.

Shaun joined LGIM America in 2013 as the Director of Index Funds. Prior to joining LGIM America, Shaun held various positions at Northern Trust. Most recently, he was the Head of International Index Equities, where he was responsible for the management of portfolio management groups in the US, EMEA and Asia Pacific. He started his career at State Street Global Advisors in London as an Investment Manager.

Shaun earned a BA with honors in Business Studies from the University of Sunderland. He is a CFA charterholder.

BethAnne Panos is the Head of Human Resources at LGIM America. In her role, she is responsible for HR strategy including talent management, human capital development, HR advisory and employee engagement initiatives across the firm. She is also a member of LGIM America’s Board of Directors and Executive Committee.

BethAnne has over 25 years of industry experience. Prior to joining LGIM America in 2019, she was the Head of Human Resources at Roanoke Insurance. In addition, she was the Head of Human Resources, SVP at Calamos Investments and a Senior Employee Relations Specialist at Edward Hospital.

BethAnne earned a BS in Communications from East Tennessee University and carries several professional certifications.

Emma Rodriguez-Ayala is the General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer at LGIM America. In her role, she is responsible for managing all aspects of legal, governance, risk, compliance and information security for the firm and its employees and clients, and its reputation, assets, and the interests of its stakeholder. Emma is a member of LGIM America’s Executive Committee and Secretary to the Board of Directors.

Emma has more than 15 years of industry experience. Prior to joining LGIM America in 2020, she was a Partner at Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP. In addition, she was General Counsel and Senior Managing Director at Mesirow Advanced Strategies, where she oversaw firm legal, regulatory, governance and compliance affairs. Emma is a trustee of WTTW/WFMT (Chicago PBS) and serves on the boards of the Chicago Metropolitan Planning Council, the Chicago Chapter of the Association of Latino Professionals for America and Angeles Investors, a national LatinX-focused angel investing group. She is a member of the Latino Corporate Directors Association and the Private Directors Association.

Emma earned a BS in International Business from St. Louis University and a JD from the University of Chicago.

Pat Ryan is the Chief Financial Officer at LGIM America.

Pat joined LGIM America in 2015 and was appointed Finance Director in 2016. Prior to joining LGIM America, he was the International Financial Controller for LGIM in London. His responsibilities covered North America, Asia and Europe (ex UK). Pat started his career with EY in Ireland, in 2003, where he held a number of positions including Audit Senior Manager and was a member of the Accelerated Leadership Program. He managed a significant portfolio of asset management clients at EY.

Pat earned a BBS from the University of Limerick and is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants.

Brian Schwartz is the Head of Real Estate Debt, North America at LGIM America. In his role, he is responsible for the development, structuring and implementation of customized solutions to meet client objectives and will be instrumental in contributing to the growth of LGIM America’s global real estate business within the firm’s target markets.

Prior to joining LGIM America in 2019, Brian was a Senior Vice President and Head of Commercial Mortgage Investments for Great-West Life & Annuity. From 2003, he led US commercial mortgage production and portfolio management while setting guidelines, policies, and strategies. Brian began his lending career in Southern California, in 1991, leading to various positions within commercial real estate finance.

Brian earned a BA in sociology from the University of California, Los Angeles and is a member of multiple professional organizations.

Christine Smith is the Chief Operating Officer at LGIM America. In her role, she provides oversight and strategic leadership of the company’s overall operations and technology functions. She is responsible for partnering with key global stakeholders, maintaining a cohesive operating model, and developing a strong operating infrastructure to support our investment teams and internal stakeholders. She is a member of LGIM America’s Board of Directors and Executive Committee.

Prior to joining LGIM America in 2020, Christine was the Chief Operating Officer at Parametric in Seattle. Previously, she was President and co-founder of BNY Mellon Beta & Transition Management. She has over 25 years of experience working exclusively in the Financial Services Industry. In addition, she has held various positions at Bank of New York Mellon, Bear Stearns and Morgan Stanley.

Christine earned a BA in Management Information Systems from University of Arizona and maintains various FINRA licenses.

Kristina St. Charles is the Deputy General Counsel at LGIM America. In her role, she provides legal advice and strategic expertise across all areas of the business with a primary focus on investment fund structures and two main strategy lines – Equity Index and Private Credit. In addition, she assists the General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer on compliance and risk matters.

Prior to joining LGIM America in 2020, Kristina was a Vice President at Sterling Partners, where she managed legal and compliance across a variety of strategies, including private equity, quantitative investing, and venture capital, while assisting portfolio companies as needed. Prior to Sterling Partners, she was a Director, Senior Counsel at Pine River Capital Management, L.P. and an Associate in the Investment Products and Derivatives Group at Sidley Austin, LLP. Kristina is often quoted in industry/legal publications and articles.

Kristina earned a BA in Political Science and Sociology from Northwestern University and a JD, magna cum laude, from the University of Minnesota Law School.

Gregory Turner is the Head of Investment Operations at LGIM America. In his role, he is responsible for all aspects of the firm’s investment operations.

Prior to joining LGIM America in 2017, Greg was an Executive Director at JPMorgan Chase, where he leveraged data and analytics to drive operational efficiency for the Commercial Banking Credit Risk organization. Prior to JPMorgan Chase, Greg led several teams at Goldman Sachs Asset Management in Chicago, managing and optimizing international operations across sales, fund operations and client service functions. He also held various roles at Man Investments, including Global Head of Distribution Service Development and Head of Technology for North America.

Greg earned a BBus in Business Computing and Marketing from University of Southern Queensland in Australia, as well as Diplomas of Market Research and Export Management. In addition, he earned an MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management.

Jake Williams is the Head of Product, US at LGIM America. In his role, he is responsible for the firm’s product strategy. He ensures a smooth delivery of key product launch initiatives and helps drive innovation and competitor insight via our global innovation groups.

Jake joined LGIM America in 2017 from LGIM, where he was a Senior Product Strategy & Development Manager for the product team in London. In this role, he concentrated on the launch of new strategies for LGIM's range of European clients. Prior to this position, Jake spent three years at Blackrock iShares on the Product Research and Innovation team, as well as at HSBC Global Asset Management as an Equity Product Specialist.

Jake earned a BS in Business Management from the University of Bath.

Joseph Wojtena is the Head of Information Technology at LGIM America. In his role, he is responsible for overseeing the firm’s infrastructure, service delivery, application support, business analysis and change management teams while providing strategic IT leadership for LGIM America.

Joe joined LGIM America in 2016 as the Infrastructure Manager with oversight over the firm’s critical infrastructure and technical service delivery. In 2017, he was promoted to Head of Information Technology.

Prior to LGIM America, Joe worked at Sheffield Asset Management as Director of Information Technology, where he was responsible for the tactical and strategic direction for IT. Prior to Sheffield Asset Management, Joe worked at Goldman Sachs for over 14 years, with his last role as a Vice President of Information Technology.

Joe earned a BS in Computer Science from Knox College.

Edward Wood is the Head of Private Credit Investment, North America at LGIM America. In his role, he is responsible for developing and leading the firm’s US Private Credit business, including both corporate and infrastructure private placement investments.

Prior to joining LGIM America in 2017, Ed was a Director in Bank of America Merrill Lynch’s Debt Private Placement Group. During his tenure, he was responsible for originating, structuring and executing complex transactions across a wide range of industries specializing in the energy and power, general industrial, project finance and infrastructure sectors.

Ed earned a BE in Mechanical Engineering from Vanderbilt University and an MBA from the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business. He is a CFA charterholder.