MutualFundWire.com: Touchstone Ends its Hunt for a New Fund Chief

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Saturday, August 1, 2009

Touchstone Ends its Hunt for a New Fund Chief

Touchstone Investments has hired Pioneer Investments veteran Steve Graziano as the new leader of its mutual fund business. Graziano will start at the Cincinnati-based firm August 3. He steps into the shoes formerly filled by Gene Needles, who went on to join American Beacon Advisors as president and CEO in April.

Jim Ogle of PrincetonOne conducted the search for Touchstone, according to an industry source.

Jill McGruder, president and CEO of Touchstone parent IFS Financial Services, served as Touchstone's interim chief while the search was ongoing.

Graziano, who spent 14 years with Pioneer, will oversee, among others, distribution, product management, marketing and acquisition activities.

Most recently, Graziano was executive vice president and head of retail distribution and strategic marketing at Pioneer. He earlier served as chief marketing officer at the Boston-based investment manager, and president of its distribution unit.

He was part of the team that led the sale of Pioneer Group to Unicredito Italiano in May 2000.

Graziano left Pioneer at the end of last year, according to Pioneer spokeswoman Alyssa McNeil.

"No one has replaced his position," McNeil said. As for his duties in retail distribution, these have been assumed by Joseph Kringdon, who joined Pioneer in June of last year from Putnam.

Before joining Pioneer, Graziano worked at Fidelity as chief marketing officer and earlier co-founded Boston Research Group.

Company Press Release

CINCINNATI, July 31 /PRNewswire/ -- Touchstone Investments, a member of Western & Southern Financial Group, announced today that Steven M. Graziano will join the company as president effective Monday, Aug. 3, 2009. In this role, he will be leading all aspects of distribution, product management, marketing, administration, advisory services and relationship management as well as acquisition activities.

"We are pleased to have Steve join our firm," said Jill T. McGruder, president and chief executive officer of IFS Financial Services, Inc. "With more than 30 years of proven financial services experience directing business development and product management initiatives, Steve has the leadership and vision needed for Touchstone's continued success and future growth."

Graziano joins Touchstone from Pioneer Investment Management in Boston, Mass., where he most recently held the position of executive vice president and head of retail distribution and strategic marketing after serving as chief marketing officer. Graziano also served as president of Pioneer Funds Distributor (a subsidiary of Pioneer Investment Management). Prior to his career with Pioneer, Graziano held positions with Fidelity Investments and Boston Research Group.

Graziano earned a bachelor of business administration in marketing from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Mass.

About Touchstone Investments

Touchstone Investments is a mutual fund company committed to providing access to institutional money managers who act in a sub-advisory capacity through a variety of strategically focused mutual funds across styles and asset classes. While its sub-advisors are held to strict performance standards, they work with a large measure of independence and operate within their own demonstrated areas of expertise. Touchstone regularly reviews fund results including investment returns, investment style adherence and competitive positioning and continually monitors its funds in what it believes to be the best interest of shareholders. The Touchstone Funds are offered nationally through intermediaries including broker-dealers, financial planners, registered investment advisors and institutions by Touchstone Securities, Inc.(1) and advised by Touchstone Advisors, Inc.(2) Touchstone, Touchstone Funds and Touchstone Investments are federal service mark registrations and applications owned by IFS Financial Services, Inc.

Touchstone Securities, Inc., Touchstone Advisors, Inc., and IFS Financial Services, Inc., are members of Western & Southern Financial Group, a diversified family of financial services companies whose heritage dates back to 1888 and whose assets owned, managed and under care exceed $42 billion as of Dec. 31, 2008. For more information, please visit www.touchstoneinvestments.com.