World Investment Advisors announced that it named Edward (Ed) Walters as President, with responsibility for the firm’s operations, growth initiatives, and advisor and client experience platforms. World Investment Advisors is a division of World Insurance Associates.
The firm also announced that CEO Troy Hammond will step down, but remain through the end of the year to assist with the leadership transition.
Walters previously served as Chief Operating Officer and Head of Wealth Management at Lincoln Financial Network, where he led operations and business support functions for a network of about 1,500 financial professionals. Osaic bought Lincoln Wealth from Lincoln National Corporation in a deal that was finalized in May 2024. At the time, Osaic said approximately $115 billion in assets moved to Osaic. Walters joined Osaic’s leadership team as part of that transaction and left the firm in May of this year, according to his LinkedIn profile.
“Ed is a visionary leader with a proven track record of executing successful strategies that transform financial services businesses,” said Rich Eknoian, CEO of World Insurance Associates. “We are confident Ed’s leadership will accelerate our ability to deliver innovative solutions, empower advisors, and create long-term value for our clients and stakeholders.”
“I am honored to join World Investment Advisors at such an exciting stage in its evolution,” Walters said. “Together, we will build a platform designed to serve multigenerational investors, thoughtfully use technology to meet clients where they are and deliver superior, consistent service that strengthens the advisor–client relationship.”
World Investment Advisors – formerly Pensionmark Financial Group – includes more than 630 financial professionals with over 100 offices. It has about $56 billion in assets, according to its September Form ADV.
Janeesa Hollingshead, Contributing Editor at Wealth Solutions Report, can be reached at editor@wealthsolutionsreport.com.
