AssetMark Appoints Jason Thomas as CEO and Chief Investment Officer of Savos Investments

CONCORD, Calif., Jan. 8, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- AssetMark, Inc. announced today that it has hired Jason Thomas, Ph.D., CFA, as CEO and Chief Investment Officer of its Savos Investments division. Savos Investments, with $3.8 billion in assets under management and administration, specializes in risk-managed strategies for AssetMark advisors and their clients. He reports to AssetMark Chief Investment Officer Jerry Chafkin and is based in AssetMark's Encino, CA office.

The hiring of Dr. Thomas is the latest move in a strategic plan by AssetMark to increase investment in its people, offering, and platform. In the prior quarter AssetMark announced the hiring of veteran investment manager Jerry Chafkin as CIO and the acquisition of Aris Corporation, a wealth management firm in State College, PA.

"AssetMark is committed to helping the advisors on its platform make excellence in asset management a competitive differentiator," said AssetMark CEO Charles Goldman. "Savos, along with the third-party strategists available on our platform, plays a critical role in this mission."

"Jason's expertise in risk management, together with his energy and breadth of investment experience will help Savos continue to build on its history of product innovation and drawdown control," added Jerry Chafkin, EVP and CIO of AssetMark.

Before joining Savos Investments, Dr. Thomas headed Portfolio Design Labs, a Los Angeles firm he founded to bring institutional risk management concepts to personal financial planning through web-based software. Before that, he served as Chief Investment Officer and Chairman of the Investment Committee at wealth management firm Aspiriant. Prior to his tenure at Aspiriant, Dr. Thomas was Vice President in the Funds Management Group at Wilshire Associates and held positions at Goldman Sachs and the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco. He received an MBA from the Stanford University Graduate School of Business and a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Southern California.

"I feel privileged to join the AssetMark family and to have the opportunity to lead Savos Investments," said Dr. Thomas. "The research-driven investment philosophy and risk-orientation of Savos are very appealing to me."

In his new role, Dr. Thomas will oversee all research, portfolio management, and business activities at Savos. He will also develop plans for a series of speaking engagements and education initiatives on behalf of Savos.

About AssetMark, Inc.
AssetMark, Inc. is an independent provider of innovative investment and consulting solutions serving financial advisors. AssetMark provides investment, relationship and practice management solutions that advisors use to help clients achieve their investment objectives and life goals. AssetMark, Inc., along with its affiliate Aris Wealth Services, Inc., have approximately $25 billion in combined assets on their respective platforms and a history of innovation spanning over 20 years. For more information, visit www.assetmark.com and follow AssetMark on Twitter at www.twitter.com/AssetMark.

About Savos Investments
Savos Investments specializes in risk-managed strategies for AssetMark advisors and their clients. Using both fundamental and quantitative techniques, the group leverages a range of research and a global network of institutional investment management firms to provide strategies and services across multiple investment styles and objectives. For more information, visit www.savosinvestments.com.

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SOURCE AssetMark, Inc.

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