ING Investment Management Builds Institutional Team, Hires Two Professionals Including New Role in Global Consultant Relations

ING Investment Management today announced two senior hires in its institutional business as the firm seeks to further build and strengthen its relationships with the institutional investment consultant community in the US and internationally.

Brian Baskir has joined the firm in the new position of Senior Vice President and Head of Global Consultant Relations, with responsibility for the US and global institutional investment consultant relations efforts, and Michael Beckerman has been added as a Vice President on the Consultant Relations team reporting to Baskir.

"We are very excited to add such talented and experienced professionals to our institutional team at this time," said Erica Evans, Head of the US institutional business for ING Investment Management. "We are continuing to strengthen relationships with the consultant community, which has always played a pivotal role in the development of our business. For the first time, we have global management and coordination of consultant relations to serve clients and their advisors on a unified basis around the world. Since we market such a broad range of global strategies, the guidance of independent investment consultants is especially vital to many institutional investors."

Baskir, who reports to Evans, joins ING Investment Management from Invesco, where he most recently served as Managing Director and Head of US Consultant Relations. Earlier in his career, Baskir worked for Old Mutual in an array of positions including Senior VP and Director of Consultant Relations. In addition to his experience in the asset management business, Brian has an extensive background in actuarial practice and employee benefits, making him exceptionally well versed in the complex issues facing institutional plan sponsors today.

Beckerman joins the firm from Columbia Asset Management/US Trust where he most recently served as Vice President in Consultant Relations, responsible for primary coverage of over 40 consulting firms, including relationships with both field consultants and research departments. Earlier in his career, he held institutional sales positions with John A. Levin & Co. and Goldman Sachs.

"Brian's expertise building and enhancing relationships with the consultant community will be invaluable as we move forward growing our business," said Evans. "And, Michael's deep knowledge of the investment needs of a broad array of institutional clients is a welcome addition to our consulting team."

About ING

ING is a global financial institution of Dutch origin offering banking, investments, life insurance and retirement services to over 85 million private, corporate and institutional clients in over 40 countries. With a diverse workforce of more than 110,000 people, ING is dedicated to setting the standard in helping our clients manage their financial future.

In the U.S., the ING (NYSE: ING) family of companies offers a comprehensive array of financial services to retail and institutional clients, which includes life insurance, retirement plans, mutual funds, managed accounts, alternative investments, direct banking, institutional investment management, annuities, employee benefits and financial planning. ING holds top-tier rankings in key U.S. markets and serves approximately 30 million customers across the nation. For more information, visit www.ing.com/US.

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SOURCE: ING

CONTACT: Press inquiries: Dana E. Ripley, ING Insurance U.S., Office:
+1-770-980-4865, or Cell: +1-404-788-9624, Dana.ripley@us.ing.com

Web Site: http://www.ing.com/US