EXPERTS
Al Block
Consultant
Al is a consultant with over 20 years of experience in the financial
services industry focusing on product design, development and
implementation.
His engagements include business planning, competitive analysis,
strategic marketing and operational optimization projects to help
clients capitalize on the changing competitive and legislative
landscape in financial services.
Over the past 5 years his specific focus has been in the DC marketplace
and has included engagements covering investments, recordkeeping
and administration, advice and planning and rollover asset retention.
His experience includes positions with Fidelity Investments, and
has consulted for many industry-leading companies including State
Street Research, TIAA-CREF, Fidelity Investments, Prudential/CIGNA,
ING, Barclays Global Investors, Barnett Banks, Deutsche, Scudder,
Lipper, Morningstar, Financial Engines, Linsco Private Ledger
and AARP Financial.
Al earned a BA from St. Anselm College and also holds a MBA from
Boston University.
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Andrea Trachtenberg
Consultant
Andrea Trachtenberg has over 20 years of financial services experience
with special expertise in start up businesses for the asset and
wealth management industry. Currently, she is the President of
Ivory River Group, Ltd., which specializes in merger integration;
strategic marketing; product/channel assessment/rationalization
and recommendations; new product and business development; and
marketing positioning and branding. Her full oversight of technical,
creative, and analytical teams coupled with her experience across
a broad spectrum of organizational environments and distribution
channels allow for quick identification of product/marketing challenges
and opportunities against business goals. Sample clients include
Legg Mason Investment Management, Guardian Insurance/RS Investments,
Morgan Stanley Asset Management, Wachovia Evergreen Investment
Management, TIAA-CREF, and American Express Publishing.
Prior to starting Ivory River Group, Ms. Trachtenberg was Global
Head of Marketing for Lehman Brothers Investment Management Division
and Neuberger Berman Management. She was a senior member of the
executive team involved in the successful acquisition of Neuberger
Berman and built an entire new marketing and communications platform
including a complete company-wide branding strategy for Lehman
Brothers nascent Division.
Before joining Lehman Brothers, she was the Chief Marketing Officer
for Neuberger Berman and is credited with playing an integral
role in Neuberger Berman's significant success and growth, initially
from a private company with assets of approximately $1billion,
to a public company and eventual merger with Lehman Brothers.
At the time of the acquisition, Neuberger Berman had over $125
billion in assets under management and was considered a premier
money management firm in both the packaged asset management (mutual
funds, etc,) and the wealth management arenas. She built from
scratch and directed all marketing functions including strategic
planning, communications, advertising, product marketing and branding
across all distribution channels, and managed a group of 60 Marketing
Professionals. Ms. Trachtenberg is known as a cutting edge leader
in her field, and pioneered many new award winning programs and
services. She was credited for the firm's nomination for "High
Net Worth Leader of the Year".
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Russel DeRemer
Consultant
As a Consultant/Analyst with 18 years of experience in the financial
service industry, Russel has been responsible for client development
and performs various types of research, including financial services
industry analysis utilizing various databases. This research has
included pricing and distribution analysis for mutual funds, as
well as new product evaluation and feasibility studies. He was
responsible for the development and distribution for the report:
"The Defined Contribution Business: Strategies and Opportunities
for an Evolving Future."
Prior to starting Devonshire Financial in 2004, Russel was responsible
for managing the consulting practice at NewRiver. Russel was Chief
Operating Officer at DeRemer + Associates, which merged with NewRiver
in March, 2000. While at DeRemer + Associates, he was responsible
for technology and systems administration and has also assisted
in marketing and business development consulting and sales training
for the financial services industry. He spent over five years
in sales and marketing management at Metropolitan Life Insurance
Company where he was a member of Metropolitan's Leader's Conference.
He joined Metropolitan in 1987 after 8 years in senior marketing
and sales management positions in related service industries.
Russel earned a BS and MS from Syracuse University and also holds
a MBA from Loyola Marymount University. He is a chartered financial
consultant, chartered life underwriter and life underwriter training
council fellow, and he also earned a Series 6 & 63 license. He
is a member of the Syracuse University School of Management Alumni
Board.
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Susan Ryan Block
Consultant
Susan Block is Principal and owner of Marketing Matters, Inc.
An independent marketing communications consultant for over 18
years, Susan has worked exclusively in the financial services
industry helping companies generate assets under management and
build more profitable customer relationships by developing innovative
strategies and tactical marketing programs. Prior to founding
Marketing Matters, Susan worked in marketing research and mutual
fund product marketing at Fidelity Investments for five years.
As President of Marketing Matters, Susan has worked with some
of America's leading financial services companies including, Fidelity
Investments, State Street Global Advisors, John Hancock Funds,
Mutual of Omaha, TIAA-CREF, Dreyfus and more. As a critical team
member, she has helped large financial services organizations
build the infrastructure needed to leverage the electronic communications
channel to drive assets and reduce their servicing costs. Other
specialized expertise includes helping smaller RIA practices strategically
brand their firms and elevate their businesses to grow their assets
under management.
She has strong marketing communications and collateral development
experience working across a broad array of markets and distribution
channels, including personal investments, institutional, registered
investment advisors, hedge funds, banks, and the workplace benefits
marketplace.
Susan earned a BA from Albion College, Albion, Michigan and holds
a MBA from Simmons Graduate School of Management, Boston, Massachusetts.
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