Press Release

IRI Announces Changes to Board of Directors, Executive Committee

Issued by Insured Retirement Institute [IRI]

June 29, 2023

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Insured Retirement Institute (IRI) announced changes to its board of directors and executive committee.

IRI Board of Directors Executive Committee

Bill Lowe President, Sammons Institutional Group℠ Sammons Financial Group

Bill Lowe is joining the IRI Board of Directors’ Executive Committee. Lowe is President of Sammons Institutional Group℠, Inc. (SIG), a member company of Sammons Financial Group. SIG provides individual retirement solutions to financial professionals in banks and broker/dealers through its wholesale divisions, Sammons Retirement Solutions® and Midland Retirement Distributors℠.

In his over 35 years in the financial services industry, Bill has managed a broker/dealer, run 401(k), IRA, and annuity businesses, and has a successful track record creating and distributing 401(k)s, variable annuities, fixed annuities, life insurance, mutual fund products, and managed accounts. Bill has served on the IRI Board of Directors since 2012 and also is the recipient of the 2023 IRI Industry Champion of Retirement Security Award.

IRI Board of Directors

Melissa Kivett Executive Vice President, Corporate Retirement Solutions & Business Development TIAA

Melissa Kivett is Executive Vice President, Corporate Retirement Solutions & Business Development, TIAA, and is rejoining the IRI Board of Directors. Kivett is a member of the company’s Executive Operating Committee and leads a team at TIAA that’s partnering to expand access to lifetime income to more Americans.

Kivett has held global leadership roles at several Fortune 500 financial services companies that have leveraged her financial acumen and strategic creativity. This includes roles as Chief Strategy Officer, Chief Innovation  Officer, head of Investor Relations, head of Business Development, and head of Strategic Relationship Management. As the head of Investor Relations, she took her company public through an IPO.

Kivett is commonly cited as a trusted strategist and is a published innovator. Her work has been recognized by Innovation Leader magazine and in multiple best practices studies for being a leading strategist and creative by the Corporate Executive Board and the Insurance Advisory Board.

Dylan Tyson President, Prudential Retirement Strategies Prudential Financial

Dylan Tyson is president of the Retirement Strategies business at Prudential, which provides industry-leading solutions for growth and protection to more than two million individual and institutional customers.

Tyson joined Prudential in 1995 and has held advancing leadership roles in the U.S. and internationally, including as president and CEO of Prudential of Taiwan and chief strategy officer for Prudential Life Insurance of Korea. Previously, within Prudential’s legacy retirement businesses, he served as senior vice president and head of Pension Risk Transfer, leading the breakthrough General Motors pension risk transfer transaction, among others.

Throughout his career, he developed broad management and business development experience with guaranteed products, with overall accountability for Prudential’s Payout Annuities, Structured Settlement, and Institutional Stable Value product lines.

“IRI is fortunate to have highly committed members and industry leaders willing to volunteer their time, energy, and passion to provide governance and strategic guidance to our organization,” said Wayne Chopus, IRI President and CEO. “I look forward to working with Bill, Melissa, and Dylan to drive IRI’s agenda forward to help America’s workers and retirees achieve a secure and dignified retirement.”

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