ST. PAUL: Securian Asset Management Inc. announced that Sean O’Connell will succeed David Kuplic as president and CEO of Securian Asset Management—and chief investment officer for Securian Financial—on July 1, 2021.
Kuplic is retiring after 17 years of service with Securian Financial and a 37-year career in the investment industry.
“It has been an honor to lead such a talented team of professionals delivering strong value for our clients, and I am looking forward to watching the firm’s continued success under Sean O’Connell,” he said. “Sean is a dedicated, longtime Securian Asset Management leader with mastery of our business, clients and industry.”
O’Connell has deep experience with multiple facets of Securian Asset Management. He joined the firm in 1993, when it was known as Advantus Capital Management, as a senior analyst specializing in real estate investments.
Named vice president in 2003, O’Connell developed expertise in a variety of asset classes and managed analysts covering real estate, structured finance research and security recommendations.
He was promoted to his current position as chief investment officer in 2020, charged with overseeing the general account assets of Securian Financial. O’Connell also currently leads the firm’s private market strategies, including commercial mortgage loans, private credit and alternative investments.
O’Connell earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and he holds the Chartered Financial Analyst® designation. He volunteers for Catholic Charities of St. Paul and Minneapolis as a member of the nonprofit’s Investment Committee and is a former member of the City of Minnetonka Planning Commission.
“I thank David for his leadership and mentorship over the years and wish him well with his retirement plans. We are working closely together to ensure a smooth and seamless transition, and clients can expect our expert investment execution and exceptional service to continue,” said O’Connell.
Securian Asset Management is an institutional asset manager based in St. Paul, Minn., that specializes in public and private fixed income, commercial real estate debt and equity, pension solutions and alternative investments strategies, with more than $50 billion assets under management as of December 31, 2020.