DPL Financial Partners, a platform specializing in commission-free annuities, announced the appointment of two insurance industry veterans to newly created leadership positions as the firm approaches $7 billion in assets under administration. Mark Forman joins as Head of Experience, and Kendal Wetzel assumes the role of Head of Sales Strategy and Operations. The hires signal DPL's intent to deepen its service infrastructure and scale its operations amid growing demand from registered investment advisers (RIAs) for commission-free insurance solutions.
Forman will lead initiatives to enhance the experience of DPL's member advisors, strategic partners, and consumers. He brings extensive experience in advisor and consumer engagement, having led experience initiatives at Jefferson National and later at Nationwide Financial. He also served nearly six years as Chief Marketing Officer at RetireOne and most recently was CMO at Optifino. In a statement, Forman said commission-free annuities and other insurance solutions can transform advisors' practices and help solve critical retirement challenges, adding that he looks forward to collaborating with DPL's members and partners.
Wetzel joins with significant distribution experience, having previously served as VP of Sales Operations and Enablement at Jackson National Life Distributors and Director of RIA Distribution at Allianz Life. She will lead sales operations and enablement, aligning teams, processes, and technology to support DPL's continued growth. Wetzel said she has spent her career working with carriers and has watched DPL move the industry forward with unique solutions for RIAs, a segment she is passionate about. She added that she is eager to help build the systems and infrastructure to support momentum as advisor and consumer demand increases.
DPL Founder and CEO David Lau said the firm continues to make significant investments to modernize and simplify the annuity experience, and that the team is critical to that mission. He noted that both Forman and Wetzel know the RIA market well and bring expertise in tailoring annuity and insurance solutions to its unique needs. The appointments reflect DPL's commitment to delivering an experience that supports advisor and client success at every stage of growth, Lau added.
The leadership additions come as DPL supports more than 8,500 RIA firms directly and through integrations with wealth management platforms including Orion and Black Diamond. The firm's flagship platform, Avenew, offers a transparent marketplace for low-cost solutions from leading carriers. With $7 billion in assets under administration in sight, the new roles underscore DPL's focus on operational scale and service quality. For more information, visit dplfp.com.
