Press Release

Bolton Announces Appointment of James E. Downing as Chief Executive Officer

Issued by Bolton

Dec. 1, 2021

Baltimore, MD - BOLTON, a full-service employee benefits, actuarial, compensation and investment consulting firm, announced the appointment of James E. Downing as Chief Executive Officer. An experienced and successful business leader, Mr. Downing will succeed Robert G. Bolton who has held the position since the company’s founding in 1981, and will assume responsibilities on January 1, 2022. Mr. Bolton will continue to serve as Chairman of the Board.

Bolton has served both public and private sector clients, including not-for-profit and labor organizations, and various state and federal government agencies, for more than 40 years. Their expertise focuses primarily on pension and retirement plans, heath and benefits, investment and compensation consulting for organizations across numerous sectors and industries.

“Since joining Bolton in 2016, James has consistently made contributions beyond his scope of responsibility,” according to Mr. Bolton. “The rate with which he has progressed as a leader in this organization reflects his ability to seamlessly assume each new role and deliver in a way that embodies our core values. James will continue our legacy of providing excellent service to our clients and will move our great organization forward into the next chapter when he assumes the role of CEO.”

Mr. Downing joined Bolton in 2016 after gaining broad and extensive industry experience in leadership positions at Stanley Black & Decker and McCormick & Company. He received a BS in Economics from Towson University, and is a 2009 graduate of the Greater Baltimore Leadership Committee. Additionally, he serves the community as a Board member of Mid-Atlantic Business Group on Health, and as a Committee member with The Y of Central Maryland. James has been on Bolton’s Board of Directors since January 1, 2021.

“I’ve had the privilege of being a part of Bolton during an exciting time in its history,” Downing shared. “When I started in 2016, the company was experiencing a major shift as the leaders who started and built the company looked to retire. Since that time, we’ve transferred invaluable knowledge and experience from those leaders and built a new leadership team together. Simultaneously, we’ve brought rigor to our strategic planning activities and have set a course to drive Bolton forward. I cannot think of a greater personal and professional compliment than being trusted to lead the company toward continued success.”

Bolton’s internal structure will stay the same as a result of this change. “This is the natural progression of our evolution as a company,” added Mr. Bolton,” Our values, culture, and strong commitment to our clients will continue.”

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