OppenheimerFunds [profile] is developing a value-add program for financial advisors called CEO Advisor Institute. The New York City-based mutual fund firm tapped wirehouse veteran Paul Blease as director of the CEO Advisor Institute program. Blease reports to John McDonough, director of national sales.

Blease will help support OppenheimerFunds' distribution efforts through value-added services.

John McDonough OppenheimerFunds Director of National Sales

Prior to joining OppenheimerFunds, Blease was with Smith Barney as director of advanced business development. There, he worked with the top 20 percent of the brokerage's FAs and designed development and consulting programs. Earlier, he was a branch and complex manager and FA at Merrill Lynch.

CEO Advisor Institute is an offshoot of OppenheimerFunds' CEO Solutions program, a learning platform it rolled out this year for its 100 external and 100 internal wholesalers.

Inspired by the Dan Pink book "A Whole New Mind," the CEO Solutions program teaches OppenheimerFunds' sales team to activate both left brain and right brain strengths and think like a CEO. McDonough recently won a Learning in Practice Award from Chief Learning Officer magazine for the program.

OppenheimerFunds initially worked with Blease as a consultant for CEO Solutions. Now, the firm brought him on board as director of CEO Advisor Institute.

"Paul will be a coach for our wholesalers and he will also develop the curriclum for advisors around the concept of whole brain thinking," McDonough said.

The CEO Advisor Institute will deliver its content via presentations, modules, newsletters and podcasts. The formal launch will take place in the middle of the first quarter.

Explaining the program's name, McDonough said: "If you took a snapshot of FAs performing their craft throughout the day, they are either in the CEO mode of managing their practice, or they're advising clients."

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Company Press Release

OppenheimerFunds Expands Distribution Team with Senior Hire

Paul Blease joins as Director of the CEO Advisor Institute to Enhance Distribution Efforts

OppenheimerFunds, Inc. announced today that Paul Blease has joined the firm's Distribution group as Director of the CEO Advisor Institute. Mr. Blease will help support the expansion of the firm's sophisticated distribution capabilities, providing innovative value-added services through online distribution channels and creating content for industry and firm-wide initiatives including the recently launched and award-winning CEO Solutions platform. Mr. Blease will report to John McDonough, Director of National Sales at OppenheimerFunds.

"Increasingly, advisors are looking for more sophisticated strategies to simplify the complex investment environment, build deeper relationships with clients and differentiate themselves from their competition," said Mr. McDonough. "Paul's experience leading advisors and providing strategic insights on transformational leadership will be instrumental in enhancing our existing team's expertise. He is well positioned to drive the growth of our innovative distribution platform and help our wholesalers and advisors leverage sophisticated management strategies necessary for success in the industry."

Mr. Blease has more than 25 years of experience in the financial services industry and joins OppenheimerFunds from Smith Barney where he served as Director of Advanced Business Development. In this role, Mr. Blease worked with the top 20 percent of the firm's financial advisors by designing the Team Development and Consulting Programs as well as The Smith Barney Institute and Vista Programs. Prior to Smith Barney, Mr. Blease served as Branch and Complex Manager and Financial Advisor at Merrill Lynch with a focus on delivering tactical business training and direction to advisors and managers. Mr. Blease began his career as a Unit Manager at Principal Financial Group.

Mr. Blease added: "I am continually impressed by OppenheimerFunds' success at leveraging new technologies and thinking to bring value to advisors. In my new role, I hope to further drive awareness and appreciation for the combination of 'whole-brain thinking' and a sophisticated, highly systemized practice among wholesalers and advisors. I look forward to helping the team continue to grow and identify differentiated opportunities that will help financial advisors navigate the increasingly complex and globalized marketplace."

 

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