Pontera rolled out a trio of key new hires during the 2024 NAPA 401(k) Summit in Nashville on Monday, announcing that Jerry Bonnabeau is joining the company in a new role as its Head of DC Partnerships, in which he will lead Todd Stablewski, Director, DC Partnerships, and Kevin Amoruso, Director, DC Strategic Relationships.
The New York-based fintech noted that the three of them have nearly 70 years combined experience in the defined contribution (DC) plan industry.
Pontera, which recently joined the National Association of Plan Advisors, announced the hires during the NAPA 401(k) Summit which Bonnabeau and Amoruso are attending alongside other Pontera executives.
“We’re confident that by forging stronger relationships with recordkeepers, Pontera can help more retirement savers pursue better outcomes by turning 401(k) management over to their own personal advisor and receiving holistic financial advice,” said David Goldman, Chief Business Officer, Pontera.
Prior to joining Pontera, Bonnabeau was Chief Growth Officer at Atlas Point, a firm that uses behavioral science to help advisors with client conversations. He previously held leadership positions at Edelman Financial Engines for 16 years, as well as at Putnam Investments and RobustWealth.
Stablewski joins Pontera from Voya Financial, where he was Vice President, Investment Product Partners. Before that, he served in similar roles at MassMutual Financial Group, Mercer, and Fidelity Investments over the course of 25 years.
Amoruso spent nearly 14 years at Principal Financial Group, where he managed relationships with the DC divisions of the industry’s largest retirement plan advisors and broker dealers.
These team additions come as the DC plan business continues to evolve, with sponsors starting to broaden the spectrum of guidance solutions they offer. As the needs of participants shift, plan sponsors recognize many workers could benefit from more personalized guidance, according to a recent Cerulli Associates report.
Pontera’s platform enables recordkeepers and plan sponsors to offer participants access to personalized 401(k) management from their trusted financial advisor.
“We’re excited to join Pontera’s mission to enable more retirement savers to get holistic investment guidance incorporating their full portfolio,” said Bonnabeau. “Studies show professionally managed portfolios can generate significantly higher returns than self-managed accounts, and with 40% of retirement income generated from their 401(k)s, Americans increasingly want these accounts integrated with their overall financial plan.”
A recent survey of DC plan participants found 62% wish they could turn management of their retirement accounts over to a professional, while 52% say they are overwhelmed by plan information. Two-thirds of respondents said employers should provide access to financial professionals and coaching.
Founded in 2012, Pontera invests in the success of retirement savers by enabling secure management of 401(k)s, 403(b)s and other workplace retirement accounts by their financial advisor. Over the past few years, Pontera has announced partnerships with dozens of investment advisory and broker-dealer firms, including several of the industry’s largest retirement plan advisors (RPAs): CAPTRUST, SageView Advisors, and OneDigital.
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