05/20/2026 | News release | Distributed by Public on 05/20/2026 07:18
Nationwide Retirement Solutions announces that Adam Lacks has been appointed associate vice president (AVP) of Product Development for government markets, effective April 27. In this role, he will report to Hutch Schafer and lead product strategy, design and development for the Retirement Solutions business supported on the DCdirect recordkeeping platform.
Lacks will oversee the development of new products, features and capabilities designed to keep Nationwide's retirement plans business aligned with and ahead of the evolving public sector defined contribution marketplace. He will also work closely with Sales, Operations, Legal, Finance, Marketing and Technology to help deliver solutions, advance key initiatives, and drive consistent execution and adoption.
"Adam brings a strong combination of product expertise, finance acumen and deep experience in our government market. He understands what our partners, plan sponsors and participants need, and he knows how to translate those insights into practical solutions," said Schafer, vice president of Retirement Solutions product development. "With Adam leading our public sector product strategy, we're well positioned to continue evolving our offerings, delivering meaningful innovation and helping public sector clients achieve better retirement outcomes."
Before stepping into this role, Lacks served as AVP, Retirement Solutions Finance, where he led pricing strategy across retentions, acquisitions, plan enhancements, Stable Value Wrap and Nationwide Trust Company. Prior, he was in Retirement Solutions where he led the Government Solutions Center, where his teams delivered award-winning service1 and implemented key technology and process improvements.
Lacks holds a Master of Science in Management from The American College and a bachelor's degree in political science from Ohio University, where he was recognized as a Collegiate Distinguished Military Graduate. He also maintains FINRA Series 6 and 26 registrations.
Nationwide Retirement Solutions helps secure financial futures for approximately three million participants in 30,000 retirement plans with $250 billion in assets, across full-service recordkeeping, investment solutions, and pension risk transfer2. Nationwide remains No. 1 in public 457 plans (based on the number of plans)3 with an average tenure of 29 years2. The company also continues to maintain significant presence in private 401(k), nonprofit 403(b) markets, and pension risk transfer.
For 50 years, Nationwide has remained committed to continually improving its retirement solutions and service experience to better support individuals preparing for and living in retirement. The company offers a diversified portfolio of solutions that complement its traditional recordkeeping and education services. Nationwide's goal is to help participants prepare for retirement by providing investment solutions and services designed to support long-term growth, risk management and income planning. These offerings include mutual funds, managed accounts, pension risk transfer capabilities, fixed and stable value solutions, and lifetime income options.
Visit nrsforu.com for more information about the tools and services Nationwide provides to retirement plan participants.
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1DALBAR, Inc. recognized Nationwide Retirement Solutions with the 2025 Plan Participant Service Award, its 12th consecutive year receiving the honor.
2Nationwide Financial (Dec. 31, 2025)
3PLANSPONSOR 2025 Recordkeeping Survey