Nationwide Funds Group Expands Sales Team

Five new wholesalers to help drive retail mutual fund growth

KING of PRUSSIA, Pa.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nationwide Funds Group, the mutual fund business of Nationwide Financial, today announced it has hired five new wholesalers. The new wholesalers will support financial advisors in all distribution channels to drive retail sales growth for Nationwide Funds.

“We are expanding our sales team as a result of the strong growth of our retail mutual fund business”

"We are expanding our sales team as a result of the strong growth of our retail mutual fund business,” said Michael Spangler, president of Nationwide Funds Group. “With our recent expansion of investment offerings, including the successful adoptions of the UBS Global Equity Fund and UBS High Yield Fund into the Nationwide Global Equity Fund and Nationwide High Yield Bond Fund, and more expansion planned for 2013, we continue to execute on our strategy of offering a complete lineup of funds that provide long-term, above average performance at below average cost.”

Additions to the mutual funds sales team include:

Chris Finch will serve as the divisional vice president for the West Coast, where he will lead a team of mutual fund wholesalers. Finch has worked in the financial services industry since 1995, and joined Nationwide from John Hancock where he was a senior vice president. He completed the Securities Industry Institute program at the Wharton School of Business in 2009.

Kumar Jagdeo II will serve the Michigan territory as a regional vice president. Jagdeo joins Nationwide from Alliance Bernstein, where he was a top wholesaler. He earned a master’s degree in finance from Rider University and a bachelor’s degree from Richard Stockton College. He also holds a Certified Investment Management Analyst® (CIMA) designation and is a member of the Investment Management Consultants Association (IMCA).

Court West will serve as a regional vice president for the Philadelphia, New Jersey and Delaware territories. West is an accomplished distribution and relationship leader with more than 20 years of experience distributing separately managed accounts, mutual funds, exchange-traded funds and alternative investment products. He was previously with Salient Partners where he worked as a regional vice president. West is a graduate of Hampden-Sydney College, and is an Accredited Investment Fiduciary® (AIF).

Glen Cohen will serve as a regional vice president for the New York City and Long Island territories. Before joining Nationwide, Cohen was a regional sales director for Fifth Third Asset Management where he focused on the distribution of separately managed accounts and mutual fund products. He earned a bachelor’s degree in finance from Arizona State University.

Robert Black will serve as a regional vice president for the Virginia, Maryland and Washington, D.C. territories. Black has spent the past 19 years helping financial advisors build client relationships and grow their businesses. He joins Nationwide from Putnam Investments, where he worked as a regional marketing director. Black earned his undergraduate degree in finance from The Ohio State University. He is a member of IMCA and a current candidate for the CIMA® designation.

“At Nationwide Financial, we add more value to our relationships with advisors by providing them with a consultative sales process,” said Karen Heath-Wade, vice president of mutual fund sales for Nationwide Financial. “Chris, Kumar, Court, Glen and Robert are excellent additions to our team, and will play an important role in helping us increase mutual fund sales among key advisors.”

About Nationwide Funds Group

Based in the Philadelphia area, Nationwide Funds Group is the mutual fund business of Nationwide Financial Services Inc., a leading provider of long-term savings and retirement products and a Nationwide Insurance company. A strategic partner to advisors, Nationwide Funds Group provides a full family of subadvised mutual funds designed to help meet the unique investment goals and risk tolerances of their investor clients. As of December 31, 2012, Nationwide Funds Group manages 91 funds with approximately $45 billion in assets.

About Nationwide

Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company, based in Columbus, Ohio, is one of the largest and strongest diversified insurance and financial services organizations in the U.S. and is rated A+ by both A.M. Best and Standard & Poor’s. The company provides customers a full range of insurance and financial services, including auto insurance, motorcycle, boat, homeowners, pet, life insurance, farm, commercial insurance, annuities, mortgages, mutual funds, pensions, long-term savings plans and specialty health services. For more information, visit www.nationwide.com.

NFG comprises Nationwide Fund Advisors, Nationwide Fund Distributors LLC and Nationwide Fund Management, LLC. Together they provide advisory, distribution and administration services, respectively, to Nationwide Funds.

Nationwide Funds distributed by Nationwide Fund Distributors LLC (NFD), member FINRA, King of Prussia, PA.

Nationwide, Nationwide Financial, the Nationwide framemark, Nationwide Funds and Nationwide Funds Group are service marks of Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company.