Former JPMorgan, BlackRock execs join Human Interest Advisors board

The RIA subsidiary of small business 401(k) plans provider Human Interest, Inc. has appointed two retirement and investment industry veterans to its board.

Human Interest Advisors, whose services are offered alongside its parent firm’s plan administration and recordkeeping services, has added the former executives from JPMorgan Asset Management and BlackRock to augment the experience of the leadership team of the growing unit.

Anne Lester has 30 years of experience in the retirement industry and joins from JPAM where she was a managing director and portfolio manager and led the launch of the firm’s SmartRetirement Target Date franchise. She has also recently become a published author with her first book ‘Your Best Financial Life.’

“I believe that everyone deserves to have access to a secure financial future. That’s why I’m so excited to join HIA’s Board of Directors and use the breadth of my experience to help ensure that employees of small and mid-sized businesses across the U.S. have access to affordable retirement plans,” she said.

Lester is joined on the board by Richard Arney, currently a director at Accial Capital, an investor in asset-backed fintech lending portfolios in emerging markets. He was previously with BlackRock where he served on the Corporate Governance and Responsible Investment Committee and has also held roles at McKinsey & Company, Accenture, and the California State Senate.

“I’m very excited to be in this role at HIA where I’m hopeful to put my years of investment and governance experience to support companies and employees in their retirement investment journey,” says Richard.

EXPANDING FIRM

In 2023, HIA added Ronnie Cox from Pensionmark Financial Group as its investment director and Kristin Burnett from Protego Trust Bank and Russell Investments as chief compliance officer.

“With the addition of Anne Lester and Richard Arney to our board, we’re doubling down on helping everyday Americans achieve their financial goals,” said Klinton Miyao, head of HIA. "Anne and Richard's commitment to HIA’s mission and culture of compliance combined with their expertise will be a tremendous asset as we continue to build out our investment services platform to help participants make informed investment decisions.”