Bret Hester Promoted to Chief Legal Officer of TIAA

John Douglas to Retire; Serve as Special Adviser to CEO through June 2026

NEW YORK, May 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- TIAA, a leading provider of lifetime income, today promoted Bret Hester to Senior Executive Vice President, Chief Legal Officer. Hester succeeds John Douglas, who will remain at TIAA as Special Adviser to the CEO through June 2026.

Effective June 2, 2025, Hester will be responsible for legal, government relations and corporate secretary functions for both TIAA and Nuveen. He will report to CEO Thasunda Brown Duckett, join TIAA's executive committee, and be based in New York.

"John's legal prowess, unwavering dedication to clients, and deep passion for our mission make him an invaluable and trusted partner and I'm delighted that he will continue to serve in an advisory role," said Duckett. "We are also fortunate to be able to draw from our strong internal talent pool to promote Bret, whose deep experience will help us build on this foundation as we continue to fulfill and expand TIAA's mission."

Hester currently serves as Executive Vice President, General Counsel and leads the legal team for TIAA Wealth Management and Advice Solutions, as well as the company's government relations and public policy team.

"I am grateful for Thasunda's and John's support and excited to contribute to both TIAA and Nuveen's enduring legacies and vital missions," said Hester. "I look forward to working alongside the enterprise leadership team and our talented and dedicated law and public policy professionals to help our clients achieve lasting financial security and investment success."

Hester joined TIAA in 2017 from Barclays, where he led the Washington, D.C. office and previously served in the U.S. Treasury Department. He was awarded the Treasury Secretary's Distinguished Service Award for his contributions.

Hester has also worked as a federal prosecutor, chief counsel to a U.S. senator, and as a private attorney. He serves on the boards of the Investment Adviser Association and the Life Insurance Council of New York and is a graduate of Harvard University and Stanford Law School.

About TIAA

TIAA is a leading provider¹ of secure retirements and outcome-focused investment solutions to millions of people and thousands of institutions. It shared $5 billion with participants in 2023, on top of the stated guarantees, and has $1.4 trillion in assets under management (as of 3/31/2025)².

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1. As of June 3, 2024. Based on data in PLANSPONSOR's 2024 DC Recordkeeping Survey, #1 by total 403(b) assets and #1 by 403(b) ERISA plans.
2. As of March 31, 2025, assets under management across Nuveen Investments affiliates and TIAA investment management teams are $1,373 billion.

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SOURCE TIAA