Wilbanks Partners Recruits Chief Marketing Officer for PGIM Investments
November 21, 2019 – As business becomes more global and complex, and power shifts from producers of goods and services to consumers, the chief marketing officer’s job of planning and coordinating marketing activities has become more challenging — and much more influential.
Recently, Stamford, Conn-based executive search firm Wilbanks Partners, LLC, placed Ray Ahn as CMO of PGIM Investments, a global manufacturer and fund distributor of PGIM, the $1.3 trillion global investment management business of Prudential Financial.
With more than 25 years of investment management marketing experience, Mr. Ahn has a demonstrated history of working in the investment management industry. Most recently, he was with Capital Group/American Funds. In this position, he led the firm’s build-out of its international marketing function, as well as led product marketing teams in the U.S. Before that, Mr. Ahn served as head of strategic communications at ProShares. Prior to this, he was vice president of marketing for both T. Rowe Price and BlackRock. He also gained early experience in related roles with FleishmanHillard and Allan Towers Associates.
“PGIM Investments is committed to bringing the best to our clients,” said Stuart Parker, president and CEO of PGIM Investments. “We’re continuing to invest in talent to serve our clients around the world.”
In his position with PGIM Investments, Mr. Ahn will lead the marketing strategy and marketing team expansion for the retail intermediary channels in both the U.S. and internationally.
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PGIM Investments offers more than 100 funds globally across a broad spectrum of asset classes and investment styles. All products draw on PGIM’s globally diversified investment platform that encompasses the expertise of managers across fixed income, equities and real estate. PGIM Investments has grown its mutual fund assets under management from $28 billion to $115 billion over the past 10 years.
Serving Asset and Wealth Management Business
Wilbanks Partners provides a full range of executive recruiting and organizational management consulting services to every segment of the asset and wealth management business. The firm brings expertise across the entire Institutional Investor 300 with a track record of engagements in mutual funds, ETFs, hedge funds, private equity and institutional separate account businesses. Wilbanks Partners’ work in the asset and wealth management sectors has included investments, sales, marketing, financial management, strategy, technology and operations.
Chief Marketing Officers Gaining Momentum As Business Game Changers
Today’s CMO works with the CEO to accelerate the organization and drive transformation. CMOs also collaborate with other members of the C-suite, especially with a company’s top HR executive to shape the company brand.
George Wilbanks is founding partner of Wilbanks Partners. He has spent over 20 years building the asset and wealth management practice at Russell Reynolds Associates to an industry leading position before starting his own firm. Earlier he worked with a venture capital and family office business Agtek International, and then the Dreyfus Corp. in business development as assistant to the chairman.
Chief Marketing Officers
As business becomes more global and complex, and power shifts from producers of goods and services to consumers, the chief marketing officer’s job of planning and coordinating marketing activities has become more challenging, recruiters say. Yet executive search firms are seeing no shortage of assignments for this important C-level position.
Current business landscape demands have only increased the contribution from CMOs, according to the latest research report from Forrester and Heidrick & Struggles. The survey found that CMOs are building strong relationships with the head of product and research and development to prepare their organizations for digital disruption.
“We see CMOs moving beyond functional expertise to assume responsibility for driving overall growth within their organizations,” said Sheryl Pattek, vice president, CMO executive partner at Forrester. “They are evolving into key strategic partners on the executive team, and know that collaboration with the rest of the C-suite will be instrumental to their success.”
Related: The Lancer Group Places Chief Marketing Officer for NAVEX Global
Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief; Dale M. Zupsansky, Managing Editor; and Stephen Sawicki, Managing Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media
