StepStone Group Appoints Head of U.S. Defined Contribution
StepStone Group Inc., a global private markets investment firm, has named Taylor Benson as head of U.S. Defined Contribution. In this role, Benson will lead the continued expansion of StepStone’s retirement efforts, working closely with stakeholders across the retirement ecosystem.
Benson joins StepStone from BlackRock, where she spent more than seven years and most recently served as managing director and head of the East Coast Institutional Defined Contribution Team. Prior to BlackRock, she was a Principal at Galliard Capital Management, where she led new business development and consultant relations. Benson brings experience across recordkeeping, investment consulting, and asset management within the retirement industry. “Retirement challenges have become more acute, and fiduciaries are increasingly focused on solutions that improve outcomes, not just access,” said Benson. “Private markets can play a constructive role in retirement portfolios when implemented thoughtfully within a disciplined fiduciary framework. I am excited to join StepStone at a pivotal moment for the retirement industry.”
StepStone’s approach emphasizes open architecture and portfolio construction that is diversified across managers, vintages, sectors, and regions. The firm draws on its global platform across private equity, infrastructure, private debt, and real estate.
“We are delighted to welcome Taylor to StepStone,” said Brett Schlemovitz, Partner and President of StepStone Private Wealth. “Recent advances in product design, operating infrastructure, and regulation have created a clearer path to integrating institutional private markets expertise into retirement programs. Our focus is not only on access, but on helping fiduciaries implement private markets in a way that supports governance standards and improves long-term participant outcomes.”
As part of the broader retirement effort, StepStone is initially developing a suite of retirement-focused collective investment trust (CIT) structures across private equity, infrastructure, and private debt.
Amanda Umpierrez is the Managing Editor of 401(k) Specialist magazine. She is a financial services reporter with nearly a decade of experience and a passion for telling stories and reporting news.