Natixis Global Associates has appointed Matt Coldren, executive vice president, to head its retirement strategy group.

Coldren will retain his current responsibilities as executive vice president of global relationships, which includes the relationship management, portfolio metrics and adviser academy groups.

With the addition of his new responsibilities, Coldren will oversee all retirement sales, product and marketing strategies with the company's distribution partners and the general market.

"Our retirement plan business has increased significantly - by over 36 per cent so far this year - and we continue to note the increasing importance of the retirement marketplace to our key distribution partners," says David Giunta, president and chief executive officer of Natixis Global Associates. "Matt's appointment will bring his extensive experience as head of global relationships to bear as the new head of NGA's growing retirement strategies group. We will be well served by his knowledge and expertise as we partner with clients to maximize and strengthen their presence in the retirement market."

"NGA's track record as a veteran in distribution services paired with our growing suite of retirement services can create distinct corporate-wide benefits to meet the needs of our clients," adds Coldren. "The opportunities of today's USD16trn retirement marketplace are evidenced by the growth of our retirement unit, which this year will add eight new employees, including five external wholesalers."

Since joining the firm in 2004, Coldren has held a number of positions at Natixis, including most recently leading the firm's global relationships effort.

Prior to joining Natixis, Coldren was vice president and national account manager at MFS Investment Management. He was also previously with Delaware Investments as a vice president and relationship manager.