Lincoln Financial Group Taps Two Seasoned Investment Management Executives For Leadership Positions In Fixed Income And Markets And Investment Strategy

RADNOR, Pa., Aug. 26, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Lincoln Financial Group (NYSE: LNC) has announced the appointments of two accomplished investment management executives, effective today. Andrew Yorks, 42, joined the company as senior vice president, serving as the head of Markets and Investment Strategy.  Scott Pelkola, 49, has also joined the organization as senior vice president and head of Fixed Income.

Both individuals will report directly to Ellen Cooper, executive vice president and chief investment officer. They join the company in newly created positions.

"We are thrilled that Andrew and Scott have decided to join Lincoln," said Cooper. "They are both highly accomplished investment professionals with deep backgrounds in asset management, capital markets and insurance. Their wealth of experience will be a benefit to the company and our clients."

Yorks will spearhead the company's overall markets and investment strategy, providing thought leadership and specialized markets expertise across all asset classes.

"Andrew has a long and successful track record of driving results as an investor, innovator, and investment strategist," said Cooper. "We are honored to have Andrew join our team and he will play a pivotal role in delivering value to our organization."

In Pelkola's role as Head of Fixed Income, he is responsible for setting, implementing and providing oversight for Lincoln's fixed income investment strategy. Among his priorities, he will drive and execute a fixed income process to support the company's multi-manager framework that includes portfolio management analytics, an asset allocation framework, and oversight of tactical fixed income asset managers.

"Scott is a talented business leader with vision and strong strategic skills, coupled with broad markets experience as an insurance company portfolio manager, asset allocation strategist, and fixed income specialist," said Cooper.

About Andrew Yorks 
Prior to joining Lincoln, Yorks served as chief investment officer for Four Wood Capital Advisors, LLC and as managing member for Stratum Capital Advisors, LLC – a firm he established while with Sunrise Financial Group. He spent a decade with BlackRock, Inc., where he served as managing director in their portfolio management group, overseeing $14 billion in investment grade, high yield, and emerging market bonds, loans and credit default swaps. He began his career in insurance asset management with Alliance Capital Management L.P., now known as AllianceBernstein Holding L.P.

Yorks earned a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Lehigh University, and a Master of Business Administration, with a major in Finance and Management, from the New York University Stern School of Business.

About Scott Pelkola
Prior to joining Lincoln Financial, Pelkola served as director and portfolio manager in the Investment Department for the Global Portfolio Management Unit of MetLife. Before MetLife, Pelkola served as senior vice president and senior portfolio manager for the Treasury Capital Market department at Washington Mutual Bank. Earlier in his career, Pelkola worked in investment management roles at General Electric and Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance. He began his career at Allstate Life Insurance Company.

Pelkola earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of Wisconsin, and a Master of Business Administration, with a concentration on Investments, from Marquette University. He also earned a Chartered Financial Analyst designation from the CFA Institute in 1998, and he was certified with a Six Sigma Green Belt in 2002.

About Lincoln Financial Group
Lincoln Financial Group is the marketing name for Lincoln National Corporation (NYSE:LNC) and its affiliates. With headquarters in the Philadelphia region, the companies of Lincoln Financial Group had assets under management of $189 billion as of June 30, 2013. Through its affiliated companies, Lincoln Financial Group offers: annuities; life, group life, disability and dental insurance; employer-sponsored retirement plans; savings plans; and comprehensive financial planning and advisory services.

For more information, including a copy of our most recent SEC reports containing our balance sheets, please visit www.lincolnfinancial.com.

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SOURCE Lincoln Financial Group