Chris Doran has joined Westwood Holdings Group as head of ETF distribution and national accounts, Westwood, which launched its first two ETFs earlier this year, announced Aug. 12.
Doran, a managing director, reports to Dave Linton, managing director and head of distribution at Westwood. The addition of Doran further reinforces Westwood’s commitment to expanding its ETF platform, the firm said in a news release. Doran started at Westwood in the newly created role on July 15, a spokesman for the firm said.
Westwood launched its first ETF, the $43.5 million Westwood Salient Enhanced Midstream Income ETF, known by the ticker symbol MDST, in April and its second, the $13.1 million Westwood Salient Enhanced Energy Income ETF, which has the ticker symbol WEEI, in May.
Doran has more than 25 years of financial services industry experience and served as a key figure in the early adoption and growth of ETFs, the release said.
In 2005, he joined PowerShares Capital Management, which was subsequently acquired by the firm now known as Invesco, as the eastern sales manager. He then served as head of PowerShares’ national retail sales at Invesco, the release said.
Most recently, Doran was a managing director at SEI, where his role involved building relationships with key individuals and organizations, the release said. A spokeswoman for SEI declined to comment about a replacement.
Doran brings with him “a wealth of experience and relationships in the ETF space,” said Brian O. Casey, CEO of Westwood, in the release.
“His track record of building and leading high-performing sales teams, developing sales strategies and fostering strategic partnerships with clients, we believe, will be invaluable as we continue to grow our ETF business and expand the reach of our existing mutual funds and separately managed accounts,” Casey said.
Founded in 1983, Westwood offers a variety of investment solutions to institutional investors, private wealth clients and financial intermediaries, the release said. It specializes in several distinct investment capabilities: U.S. value equity, multiasset, energy and real assets, income alternatives, tactical absolute return and managed investment solutions, which are available via separate accounts, the Westwood Funds family of mutual funds, ETFs and other pooled vehicles, the release said.
As of June 30, Westwood had assets under management and advisement totaling $16.8 billion, with AUM representing $15.8 billion of that.
