Vestmark, a leading provider of portfolio management tools and trading software, has named Agnes Hong as Chief Investment Officer and Head of Advisory Services for Vestmark Advisory Solutions (VAS), Vestmark's registered investment advisor.
In her new role at VAS, Ms. Hong will be responsible for managing the development and growth of new service offerings related to direct indexing, including ESG preferences and other client-driven customizations, and tax transition services for wealth management enterprises and their clients. She will also oversee advisor services including model trading and the Vestmark Manager Marketplace. She will report to Vestmark CEO Mike Blundin.
"Agnes brings a unique combination of expertise in investment management and technology, with a deep understanding of the tools financial advisors need to provide personalized portfolios to clients at scale," Mr. Blundin said. "Her experience leading high-performance teams delivering indexing strategies, separately managed accounts, tax management, ESG portfolios, optimization tools and risk modeling will position Vestmark for success as we pioneer new solutions to address client preferences."
Ms. Hong brings over 20 years of experience in asset management and technology and is a CFA® Charterholder, a Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst (CAIA) and holds the CFA UK Level 4 Certificate in ESG Investing. Ms. Hong comes to Vestmark from Vanguard, where she served as Senior Portfolio Manager and a member of the senior leadership team at Equity Investment Group, responsible for portfolio management and trading of $5 trillion of assets under management in ETFs, index mutual funds, SMAs, ESG strategies and target date funds. She served as global champion for ESG product strategy and brings a deep understanding in all aspects of direct indexing.
Prior to Vanguard, Ms. Hong was Vice President, Head of Passive Equity Portfolio Management at Charles Schwab Investment Management, where she launched and managed Schwab's entire suite of equity ETFs and grew Schwab's ETF AUM from zero to over $100 billion and helped it become the fifth largest ETF issuer during her tenure. Prior to Schwab, she was Portfolio Manager for Global Index Equities and Quant Active Equities at BlackRock. She has also worked as a Senior Product Manager and Management Consultant serving financial services clients.
"I am excited to join Vestmark to expand its investment capabilities and further its mission to improve investor outcomes," Ms. Hong said. "Vestmark is uniquely positioned to provide personalized portfolios and customized tax management at scale, combining deep investment experience with innovative, scalable and robust technology. I look forward to being part of its next phase of growth and evolution."
