New York, N.Y.—May 28, 2026—The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America® (Guardian) today announced it has appointed Nancy DeRusso as Head of Client Solutions, a role central to furthering the firm’s holistic planning approach to wealth management.
In this role, DeRusso will provide senior leadership across Guardian’s protection and wealth strategy, helping shape how planning, investment capabilities, and intellectual capital come together to support advice that extends across clients’ full financial lives. Her focus will be on strengthening the advisor and client experience and supporting the delivery of personalized, integrated guidance that brings together wealth, insurance, and long‑term outcomes.
“Nancy brings deep experience in financial planning and a strong understanding of how advisors help clients navigate complex financial decisions,” said Mike Perry, Head of Client Solutions and Wealth Management at Guardian. “Her perspective closely aligns with Guardian’s protection‑first philosophy and will be critical as we continue to scale holistic planning in ways that are practical for advisors and meaningful for clients.”
DeRusso joins Guardian from Goldman Sachs Ayco, where she held senior leadership roles for more than two decades, most recently as Head of Financial Planning, Financial Wellness, and SurvivorSupport®. Her career spans holistic financial planning, digital advice, advisor development, and enterprise relationship management, as well as direct experience advising ultra‑high‑net‑worth families. She was named managing director following Ayco’s full integration with Goldman Sachs in 2021.
DeRusso is a Certified Financial Planner™ professional and holds a Master of Science in Personal Financial Planning from the College for Financial Planning, along with a Juris Doctor from Albany Law School and a Bachelor of Arts from the University at Albany. She serves on the CFP Board’s Financial Advice Working Group and the Corporate Advisory Council for the Foundation for Financial Planning.
“Throughout my career, I’ve focused on supporting long-term outcomes for clients while empowering advisors to deliver thoughtful, personalized guidance,” said Nancy DeRusso, Head of Client Solutions at Guardian. “That perspective, grounded in listening and continuous learning, shapes how I’m stepping into this role. I look forward to advancing Guardian’s holistic planning approach to address the evolving needs of clients and advisors.”
DeRusso’s appointment follows a series of strategic steps Guardian has taken to strengthen its wealth management platform around protection‑first, holistic planning, including:
Enhancing the advisor and client experience through investments that improve productivity and accelerate new capabilities, including Guardian’s strategic partnership with Avantos, focused on enabling advisors to deliver more personalized, planning‑led advice at scale.
Deepening advanced planning and investment capabilities through the establishment of Guardian Wealth Advanced Markets, which serves as a center of expertise for complex planning as well as the development of intellectual capital and thought leadership, including Guardian Wealth Insights: The Year Ahead and Income by Design.
Continuing the evolution of Guardian’s wealth management offering, including the rebrand of Park Avenue Securities to Park Avenue® Wealth Management, ensuring that how the firm shows up in the market truly reflects the depth of expertise and guidance its advisors deliver every day.
Forging strategic partnerships with industry leaders Janus Henderson, Hamilton Lane, and HPS Investment Partners that broaden advisor and client access to differentiated investment capabilities and institutional resources aligned with evolving needs.
Together, these efforts reflect Guardian’s continued focus on delivering advice that starts with protection and planning, helping clients and families achieve financial confidence over the long term.
Media contact:
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About Guardian
Guardian is making a difference in people’s lives across the US as a leading mutual company, providing life and disability insurance, dental and workforce benefits, retirement and wealth solutions. But we offer more than products. We partner with our customers to inspire well-being® —mind, body, and wallet®. Since 1860, when a community of immigrants joined together to protect their families and companies, we have embraced the spirit of mutuality as a mindset. We provide solutions that build financial confidence for individuals, strengthen businesses, and help employees thrive. Working as your partner, we invest in you, holding ourselves accountable not to shareholders, but to your long-term well-being. All of our colleagues share this mindset. Our collaborative culture extends beyond our workplace to uplift communities all around us. Because we believe value grows when it’s shared. We're here for you today and we'll be here to deliver on our promises tomorrow. Our commitments rest on a strong financial foundation, which includes a 2026 dividend allocation of $1.7 billion, the largest in the company’s history. For more information, visit guardianlife.com or follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube.