Jason Crane
Head of Core Retirement
Jason Crane leads Core Retirement, the Ascensus-branded Defined Contribution business serving plan sponsors, advisors, and millions of retirement savers. He joined Ascensus in 2018 as Head of Retirement Distribution and assumed his current role in 2024. He has more than 25 years of industry experience, previously holding leadership roles with Transamerica. Jason graduated from Miami University with a degree in Psychology and Philosophy.
Peg Creonte
President of Government Savings
Peg is responsible for setting the vision and strategy for Government Savings and charting its course for future growth. Peg joined Ascensus in 2004 and has served in leadership roles across business development, platform development, and system implementation. Prior to Ascensus, she held leadership and consulting roles in software and semiconductor firms. Peg holds a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Tufts University and an M.B.A. from Cornell University.
Mike Dunn
President, Newport, an Ascensus company
Mike oversees the strategic direction and operations for the Newport line of business, including contemporary non-qualified retirement plan solutions and COLI/BOLI services. He previously served as Head of Institutional Insurance with MassMutual Financial Group, serving in a number of product, sales, and executive leadership roles of increasing responsibility over a nearly 20-year career. Mike earned a master’s degree in finance and international business from University of Connecticut, and a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and German from Hamilton College.
Jim Gearin
Chief Operating Officer
Jim oversees Ascensus’ service and operations area, which spans all locations and business lines within the areas of service, operations, integration, facilities, and project management. His 30+ years of experience includes service and operations leadership roles within the defined contribution, defined benefit, health, and retail segments. Jim earned his bachelor’s degree in management from Lesley University.
Phillip Gillespie
Chief Legal, Risk and Compliance Officer
Phil heads Ascensus’ legal, risk management, and compliance department. He joined Ascensus in February 2025 and most recently served as Senior Counsel in the Investment Management and Securities Practice Group of Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr. Phil brings more than 30 years of industry experience as a general counsel and commercial business partner, in private practice, and as a regulator. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Foreign Services from Georgetown University and was awarded his Juris Doctor from Tulane Law School.
Nick Good
President
As President of Ascensus, Nick is responsible for overseeing all facets of its Retirement, FuturePlan, Enterprise Solutions, and Government Savings lines of business, as well as the Digital, Marketing & Analytics center of excellence. He has more than 25 years of experience in the retirement, investment, and insurance industries. Prior to joining Ascensus, Nick most recently served as Chief Executive Officer for Pendal Group, a global asset manager. Nick earned both his bachelor's and master's degrees in Biochemistry from Oxford University.
Marc Mehlman
Chief Financial Officer
Marc Mehlman oversees Ascensus’ finance, accounting, and facilities teams as Chief Financial Officer. Marc joined Ascensus in January 2024, and most recently served as Chief Financial Officer for Avantax Wealth Management (formerly known as Blucora). He brings more than 20 years of industry experience, including prior leadership roles with Thomson Reuters and Sanford C. Bernstein. Mehlman earned his bachelor’s degree from Binghamton University and his MBA from the NYU Leonard N. Stern School of Business.
David Musto
Chair and CEO
As Chair and CEO of Ascensus, David is responsible for overall leadership of the Ascensus organization, strategic investment and growth, M&A and other expansion opportunities, operational delivery of enterprise capabilities, and accelerated technology and solution innovation. He has more than 30 years of experience in the retirement, investment, and insurance industries. Prior to joining Ascensus, David was president of Great-West Investments. He earned a master’s degree in finance and international business from NYU, Stern School of Business, and a bachelor’s degree in finance from The College of William and Mary.
Raghav Nandagopal
Chief Corporate Development Officer
Raghav leads corporate development and M&A strategy across the organization. He has over 25 years of industry and private equity experience at firms including Broadridge, US Trust/Bank of America, McKinsey, and ATT Capital. He holds an M.S. from Penn State, an M.B.A. from University of Bombay, and a B.S. from University of Madras. Raghav has also completed the SII Executive Development Program at the Wharton School of The University of Pennsylvania.
Emily Pachuta
Chief Marketing Officer
Emily leads Ascensus’ digital, marketing, and analytics capabilities designed to accelerate business growth, improve partner and saver outcomes, and strengthen the firm’s reputation. She joined Ascensus in June 2024 and has over 20 years of financial services experience, including prior leadership roles with Invesco, BlackRock, UBS, Lincoln Financial Group, and Merrill Lynch. Emily holds a B.A. from Yale University and a Masters in Fine Arts degree from New York University.
Kasey Price
President of FuturePlan by Ascensus
Kasey is responsible for the strategic direction of FuturePlan by Ascensus and was previously head of sales from 2017-2022. Prior to joining FuturePlan in 2017, Kasey was founding partner and CEO of Georgia-based Retirement Strategies Incorporated, where she built a TPA firm known for strong strategic partnerships with advisors and recordkeepers. Kasey holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics and Corporate Finance from Augusta State University.
John Schroeder
Chief Information Officer
John joined Ascensus in 2004 and is responsible for Information Technology. His 20 years of financial services and banking experience includes time spent at Bank One (JP Morgan Chase) and Advanta. He has also held senior IT roles at UPS and a management consulting firm. John holds a B.S. in Computer Science from Rutgers University.
Amy Walker
Chief Human Resources Officer
Amy joined Ascensus in 2001 and is responsible for Human Resources. The HR team works as a strategic partner with the business units to create and support appropriate recruitment, retention, performance management, and ongoing training and development initiatives. Amy holds a B.S. in Business Administration with a concentration in Human Resources from Shippensburg University.
