A fundster chief in Colorado is on the rise within a Dutch multinational as his $65-billion-AUM* shop realigns.

Marijn Paul Smit Transamerica Asset Management, Inc. President, CEO, Chairman

Marijn Smit is joining the board of Aegon Asset Management, MFWire. Smit already serves as head of Denver-based Transamerica Asset Management [profile], and The Hague-based Aegon Ltd. is the parent of all of Cedar Rapids, Iowa-based Transamerica.

Smit's start date on the Aegon AM board was January 1, a Transamerica spokesperson writes to MFWire. The spokesperson adds that Smit now reports to Shawn Johnson, CEO of Aegon AM, which has $384 billion in AUM**.

"Mr. Smit is on the board in his capacity as head of Transamerica Asset Management (TAM), which is now a business unit within Aegon AM. The Management Board is responsible for setting and executing on the strategic direction of the business," the Transamerica spokesperson writes. "Mr. Smit is not replacing anyone, but was added to the management board following a realignment of Transamerica Asset Management as part of Aegon AM."

Aegon AM's board now has 11 members, the Transamerica spokesperson writes.

"The Aegon AM management board is comprised of the leadership team of Aegon AM and each member has a long history in the financial services industry with extensive experience in the areas they lead," the spokesperson adds.

Smit joined Aegon in 2004 and later led the Aegon and Transamerica stable value businesses and Transamerica investments and retirement's investment solutions business, before taking over Transamerica AM in 2014 as president and CEO. Earlier, he had stints with ABN AMRO, Robert Fleming Securities, and Coopers & Lybrand. He is an alumnus of the University of Groningen.

*As of December 31, 2024, per Transamerica AM's September 2025 form ADV. That AUM comes from 109 "investment companies" (aka mutual funds and ETFs) and 24 other "pooled investment vehicles" (like CITs).

**As of September 30, 2025. 

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