Awards

Connecting People, Making an Impact

DCIIA celebrates individuals who have distinguished themselves through the meaningful impacts they are making in their organizations, to our industry and in their communities with our annual awards recognition programs.

DCIIA Workplace Excellence Awards

This annual recognition program honors both Leaders and Rising Stars for their work to create community in the office as well as improve the quality of life outside of it. All of the honorees have helped extend access and opportunity to others across the industry.
The Workplace Excellence Awards Ceremony is hosted in conjunction with DCIIA's Innovation Forum.

Learn More About the Ceremony

Cheers to Our Leaders & Rising Stars

2025 Leaders

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Full name
Position

Organization Name

Antonio Arduini
Director

BlackRock

Karen Casillas
Vice President, Financial Advisor

CAPTRUST

Megan Hart
Head of West Region

Allspring Global Investments

Greg Kaplan
President, Retirement Services

Newfront Retirement Services, Inc.

Euphrasie Koffi
Manager

Ascensus

Steven Krichbaum
Director of Research, Equity

T. Rowe Price

Ana Mahony
CEO & Founder

Addition Wealth

Lucian Marinescu
Head of Investments, Institutional & Retirement Solutions

Morningstar Investment Management

Zhi Martinez
Sr. Director, Head of Strategy & Planning, Vanguard Workplace Solutions Advice & Wellness

Vanguard Group

Brendan McCarthy
Head of Nuveen Retirement Investing

Nuveen

Vidur Mehra
SVP - Defined Contribution

PIMCO

Jonathan Nolan
VP, Investment Consulting Services

Francis LLC

Monica Oswald
VP, Retirement Operations

Principal Financial Group

Priya Punatar
Director, Strategic Research

Fidelity Investments

Hunter Richardson
EVP, Chief Administrative Officer

FMOL Health

Bill Ryan
Managing Director, Head of Retirement Solutions

The Carlyle Group

Jeri Savage
Lead Retirement Strategist

MFS

Sue Seitz
Director of Compensation & Benefits

Schwarz Partners

Ed Shehan
Director, Workplace Benefits

Bank of America

Tiffany Shi
Investment Director

Cambridge Associates

Chris Stout
Head of National Markets

Pacific Life

Anuraag Tripathi
CEO and Co-Founder

Manifest

Alvaro Vega
SVP

Callan

Carol Waddell
Head of Retirement Solutions Group

Empower

2025 Rising Stars

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Position

Organization Name

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Position

Organization Name

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Position

Organization Name

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Position

Organization Name

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Position

Organization Name

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Position

Organization Name

Claire Berry
Marketing Associate and Client Manager

Edelman Financial Engines

Jonathon Breland
Director, Financial Services Data Strategy

OneDigital

Stephen Briggs
Business Development Associate

Custodia Financial

Brandon Buckley
Junior Producer

Newfront Retirement Services, Inc.

Christopher Ceder
Senior Retirement Strategist

Goldman Sachs

Sean Cribbin
Head of Retirement Product Solutions

Nuveen

Jonica Crumley
Director, Product Management

Principal Financial Group

Liam Curtin
Regional Director, DCIO CIT Distribution

FIS Reliance Trust

Matthew Dolezalek
Sr. Strategic Relationship Manager

Pacific Life

Pedro Dominguez
Financial Planner

Francis LLC

Kelly Dunmore
Director, Retirement Programs

ITW

Michael Esselman
Chief Investment Officer

OneDigital

Mack Fuller
Managing Director, Senior Portfolio Manager & Head of Sustainable Investing

PineBridge Investments

2024 Leaders

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Full name
Position

Organization Name

Elizabeth Aidoo
Director of DEI and Spanish Language Services, Financial Planner

Francis LLC

Michael Andeberhan
Sustainable Investing Strategist

State Street Global Advisors

Karen Biddle Andres
Director, Impact Strategy and Partnerships; Project Director, Retirement Savings Initiative

Aspen Institute Financial Security Program

Marina Batliwalla
Principal

Mercer

Tyndale Brickey
Women's Connect Group Co-Lead

Allspring Global Investments

Dianna Carr-Coletta
Managing Director

PGIM Private Capital

Christine Collins
Women's Connect Group Co-Lead

Allspring Global Investments

Rebecca Crockett
Senior National Account Manager

Franklin Templeton

Rene Eisele
Vice President, Relationship Management

Corebridge Financial

Kameka Grady
Vice President - People, Culture & Communications

Lincoln Financial

Marci Green
Head of Retirement and Third-Party Insurance Distribution

Goldman Sachs Asset Management

Keith Hennessey
Chief Financial Officer

Bechtel Corp.

Marc Howell
Managing Director, Enhanced Plan Design

Principal

Eriko Hozumi
Managing Director, Deputy General Counsel & Chief Legal Officer, Japan

PineBridge Investments

Katuri Kaye
Shareholder and DEI Director

Trucker Huss, APC

Jamie Kramer
Chief Investment Officer, Global Head of Multi-Asset Solutions

JPMorgan Asset Management

Rich Linton
President & Chief Operating Officer

Empower

Alison Lonstein
Partner

NEPC

Sona Menon
Partner, Head of North America Pension Practice

Cambridge Associates

Maureen O'Brien
Senior Vice President, Corporate Governance & Proxy Voting

Segal Marco Advisors

Beth Pattillo
Director, Retirement and Financial Programs

Leidos

Cheryl Pipia
Head of Global Sales Management

T. Rowe Price

Carmen Rive
Principal

Vanguard

Avery Robinson
Senior Vice President and Head of Real Assets Consulting

Callan

Paula Robinson
Senior Director

WTW

Alejandro Roman
Director, Institutional Retirement Services

S&P Dow Jones Indices

Yemi Rose
Founder, OfColor

Financial Finesse

Hannah Schriner
Managing Principal

Meketa Investment Group

Shams Talib
Executive Vice President, Head of Workplace Consulting and Enterprise DB

Fidelity Investments

Julie Varga
Senior Vice President, Product and Investment Specialist

Morningstar Investment Management

Kai Walker
Managing Director, Workplace Benefits Research and Inclusion Transformation

Bank of America

Jennifer Wing
Director, Strategic Execution & Integration

Pacific Life

Karen Witham
Vice President of Committees & Communications

DCIIA

Bob Zieser
Vice President, Client Services Leadership Specialty Market

Ascensus

Rachel Zou
Director, Multi-Asset Strategies & Solutions, Retirement Solutions

BlackRock

2024 Rising Stars

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Position

Organization Name

Ali Ahmed
Vice President, Global Thought Leadership

Fidelity Investments

Kristin Brooks
Senior Product Development Support Analyst

Pacific Life Insurance Company

Will Chau
Senior DC Investment Strategist

Allspring Global Investments

Jeff Clark
Head of Defined Contribution Research

Vanguard

Madhu Das
Vice President, Quality Engineering

Empower

James Davidson
Senior Communication Consultant

Corebridge Financial

Erika Eill
Vice President & Senior Actuarial Developer, Actuarial Technology & Systems

Segal

Meghan Farrell
Marketing Manager

Allianz Life Insurance Company of North America

Kei Ferguson
Senior Manager, Talent Development, Retirement Plan Services

T. Rowe Price

Ellery Fuliere
Front End Development Lead

Micruity

Debra Gates
Manager, CAPTRUST at Work

CAPTRUST Financial Advisors

Lauren Giordano
Research Analyst

Meketa Investment Group

Edward Jenkins
Vice President, Corporate Communications Manager, EMEA & APAC

PineBridge Investments

AJ Johnson
Business Coordinator IV

Principal Financial Group

Lindsay (LJ) Jones
Assistant Vice President, Capital Markets Research

Callan

Jenny Logan
Senior Client Service Manager

Ascensus

Rylee McCarthy
Senior Communication Manager

Edelman Financial Engines

Kasey Miller
Marketing Manager

Francis LLC

Martin Pasillas
Associate, Institutional Defined Contribution

BlackRock

Brynn Plummer
Vice President/Director, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

AllianceBernstein

Kimberly Robinson
Relationship Manager

New York Life

Michael Sawula
Senior Director of Automated Portfolio Solutions

Morningstar Investment Management

Sidney Smith
Global Program Manager - Global Client Programs

Franklin Templeton

Laura Stibol
Director

Bank of America

Carol Sung
Head of Global Retirement Plans

Bechtel Corp.

Maria Surina
Managing Director

Cambridge Associates

Emily Watson
Senior Director

TIAA Institute

P&I and DCIIA Workplace Excellence Awards

Pensions & Investments (P&I) and the Defined Contribution Institutional Investment Association are introducing the P&I/DCIIA Workplace Excellence Awards for plan sponsors, a new program for 2026 recognizing executives who are strengthening workplace retirement plans and improving outcomes for participants. The awards nominations will launch in the spring and the inaugural awards recipients will debut at the DC West Conference, October 25-27 in Huntington Beach, California.

The initiative marks an evolution of P&I and DCIIA's long-running Excellence & Innovation Awards, first introduced in 2011, and presented annually at DC West. The new Workplace Excellence Awards program broadens the focus to recognize more plan sponsors and highlight leading practices across retirement plan management.

Each year, plan sponsors will be recognized in five categories (below) which will spotlight creative initiatives that don’t fall into the prior categories.

  • Plan Design
  • Investments
  • Technology/Use of AI
  • Financial Wellbeing
  • Bright Idea

The program aims to showcase sponsors advancing innovation and strengthening retirement security for millions of employees across the U.S.

Nominate

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