Russell Investments appoints new Chief Human Resources Officer with broad mandate

Global asset manager Russell Investments has announced that Gene Raffone has joined the firm as global Chief Human Resources Officer. Raffone brings nearly three decades of experience working with companies that place human capital at the epicenter of the value proposition delivered to clients. He joins Russell Investments at a time when the asset management industry is in transition and the firm is well positioned to grow in response to investor demands for outcome-oriented solutions. Recognizing the critical importance of world-class talent management in the current competitive landscape, Raffone has been given a broad mandate in his new role. Based in Seattle, he will report directly to Chairman and CEO Michelle Seitz and serve as a member of the firm’s Executive Committee.

“As a firm, our culture and our people have always been a differentiator, and as we look to the path of transformation and growth ahead, our stand-out talent will be ever more critical to our long-term success,” said Seitz. “Gene brings to our executive leadership team a global perspective, analytical rigor and a track record of building high performance teams across organizations. His addition will allow us to chart new opportunities for our firm, and importantly, our associates globally.”

Raffone joins Russell Investments from Navigant, a global professional services firm, where he served as vice president, Chief Human Capital Officer, overseeing all aspects of the firm’s people agenda since 2013. With a global workforce of nearly 6,000 employees serving clients in more than 40 countries, Navigant has been recognized among the Top 50 Consulting Firms by Vault (2016) and one of America’s Best Midsize Employers according to Forbes (2017). While at Navigant, Raffone led change initiatives focused on reengineering processes to support globally scalable business solutions, and the creation of human resources centers of excellence and shared services. He also designed and implemented leadership selection, development and succession planning throughout senior levels of the organization.

Commenting on his new role, Raffone said, “It is incredibly exciting to be joining Russell Investments at this pivotal point in the firm’s evolution, especially amid the broader shifts in the global asset management industry. Russell Investments has long been a standard bearer for the strategically important role of culture and people to an organization. I look forward to working alongside the executive team to nurture that cultural foundation to deliver opportunities for associates and excellence to clients.”

Prior to Navigant, Raffone spent 23 years with Accenture in several human resources roles across both specific practice areas and global functions, where his responsibilities spanned performance and career management, employee engagement and executive compensation strategy.

About Russell Investments

Russell Investments, a global asset manager, offers multi-asset portfolios and services which include advice, investments and implementation. Russell Investments stands with institutional investors, financial advisors and individuals working with their advisors—using the firm’s core capabilities that extend across capital market insights, manager research, asset allocation, portfolio implementation and factor exposures—to help each achieve their desired investment outcomes. The firm has more than $298 billion in assets under management (as of 3/31/2018).

Headquartered in Seattle, Washington, Russell Investments operates globally with 21 offices, providing investment services in the world’s major financial centers such as London, Paris, Amsterdam, Sydney, Tokyo, Shanghai, Toronto and New York. For more information about how Russell Investments helps to improve financial security for people, visit russellinvestments.com or follow @Russell_Invest.