Executives from Bisys' FRC unit and Pacific Life have signed on at Russell Investment Group. The new hires at the Tacoma, Washington-based manager of managers will focus on creating institutional partnerships and marketing to individual investors. Russell executives said that both of the hires will play "key roles" in the expansion of Russell's national distribution network.

"Russell is committed to growing its US mutual funds business, and, as part of that expansion, we intend to make every effort to provide a high level of support, products and services for our distribution network," explained Greg Stark, head of US Individual Investor Services.

Whitney Dow is a new director of new business partnerships at Russell. He will research and qualify new distribution opportunities for Russell's suite of investment solutions -- including retirement platforms, managed accounts, institutional and insurance funds -- and the establishment of procedures to facilitate effective launches of new distribution relationships.

Dow reports to Tim Noonan, managing director of advisory alliances. He was most recently vice president of relationship development for the western U.S. at Financial Research Corp. (FRC), a Boston-based unit of Bisys.

Neil Bathon, president of FRC, said that Dow left the consulting firm a few weeks ago and that FRC is actively seeking to hire a number of analysts, including one to replace Dow.

"He [Dow] was very talented, at some point he was going to be picked off," said Bathon. Dow had worked from a Portland, Oregon office.

"Whitney's energy and creativity will help Russell focus in on our best set of new distributor relationships," said Noonan. "Whitney brings a broad industry perspective to the Russell team which will deepen the number and success of new relationships across our advisory alliances group."

Jim Dunnigan joins Russell as director of marketing for its US Individual Investor Services group and reports to Craig Wainscott, managing director of knowledge capital.

He will oversee all marketing efforts involving Russell's US intermediary business, and will lead an expanding marketing effort for Russell's LifePoints Funds and other multi-manager investment products.

Dunnigan had led marketing communications for the Annuities/Mutual Funds Division of Pacific Life. At the insurer, he completed a successful suite-wide redesign of all annuities and mutual fund product packages.

"Jim will transfer his experience and expertise to help Russell broaden our efforts to communicate and connect with our distribution alliances," said Wainscott. "Russell remains deeply committed to providing distribution alliances with all the tools they need to help improve the financial security of their clients and to develop and manage their businesses, and Jim's charter is to help us do just that."  

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