John Hancock Retirement, a division of Manulife Wealth & Asset Management, appointed Abigail Benham as head of strategic partnerships, effective February 1.
This new position was created in response to changes within the retirement space, where providers and partners are increasingly converging. The role is designed to address market trends and meet the needs of financial advisors, third-party administrators (TPAs), and other intermediaries within the retirement sector.
In her new role, Benham will oversee strategic partnerships, managing relationships with broker-dealers, registered investment advisors, aggregators, consultants, TPAs, defined contribution investment only (DCIO) partners and payroll firms.
She will report directly to Wayne Park, CEO of John Hancock Retirement, and will join the organization’s leadership team.
CEO Park highlighted Benham’s experience with the company, saying that she had been a valuable asset for the company for the past 26 years.
“Her relationships with industry stakeholders, coupled with her thoughtful and proactive leadership, make her the ideal candidate to spearhead our strategic partnership efforts,” he said. “We are excited to explore new opportunities for our stakeholders as a result of Abigail’s new mandate.”
As part of the change, the TPA Services team will now report to Benham, while the National Accounts team will continue to report to her as well.
Commenting on her new role, Benham stated: “I am thrilled to take on this new role at John Hancock Retirement, where I will continue to advance our commitment to being the partner of choice for financial advisors and TPAs.”
“Amid the evolving retirement landscape, as well as the shifting needs of our clients, we recognize the invaluable expertise our partners bring to employer retirement programs,” she added. “We are committed to supporting them in enhancing the overall experience and helping participants achieve the best possible retirement outcomes.”
John Hancock Retirement is the US retirement business of Manulife Financial Corporation, an international financial services provider. It has been serving the industry for more than 50 years. As of September 30, 2024, it has serviced more than 57,000 retirement plans with over 3.2 million participants and more than $238 billion in assets under management and administration.
