MINNEAPOLIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Allianz Life Insurance Company of North America (Allianz Life®) today announced it has hired two executives to join the leadership team for Allianz Investment Management (AIM) US, adding Stephanie Thomes as vice president, Head of Alternative Investments and Johan Grahn as assistant vice president, Portfolio Management. In their respective roles, Thomes and Grahn will assist with management of more than $100 billion of insurance assets for Allianz Life, Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty and San Francisco Reinsurance. Thomes and Grahn will both report to Rosanne Kropp, vice president of Investment Strategy for AIM.
“We’re excited to bring this level of experience into an already strong investment management team,” said Kropp. “I’m confident that Stephanie and Johan will provide the global perspective and asset management expertise that will support our ability to deliver on our long-term promises.”
In her role as Head of Alternative Investments, Thomes will be responsible for leading AIM’s efforts in growing their alternative assets portfolio. Thomes will direct activities in sourcing, analyzing and purchasing alternative assets, expanding those alternatives, and overseeing the portfolio management of all complex assets. She will also lead a team of analysts and investment managers.
Prior to joining AIM, Thomes was with Black River Asset Management where she was a director in private equity risk management. While there, she managed the valuation process for complex, international private equity investments, co-managed the sale of distressed portfolios, and collaborated on capital deployment across the globe. Prior to her role at Black River, Thomes was a senior analyst at Carval Investors, LLC.
Thomes received her MBA from the University of Minnesota, Carlson School of Business and her Bachelor of Business Administration from St. Cloud State University.
In his role as assistant vice president, Portfolio Management, Grahn will be responsible for managing the variable annuity fund of funds portfolio as well as the development and communication of investment strategies. He’ll also focus on strategic investment initiatives related to the company’s general account assets.
Prior to Allianz Life, Grahn was AVP and portfolio manager at MetLife where he managed a team of analysts overseeing more than $30 billion of dynamically managed multi-asset portfolios and served as a portfolio manager on several fund of fund portfolios with assets totaling approximately $50 billion. Prior to MetLife, Johan was an investment analyst with Prime Buchholz & Associates, an institutional investment consulting firm.
Grahn has an MBA from Bryant University and a Bachelor of Science degree in International Business from Johnson & Wales University, both located in Rhode Island.
About Allianz Life Insurance Company of North America
Allianz Life Insurance Company of North America, one of FORTUNE’s 100 Best Companies to Work For in 2016, has been keeping its promises since 1896. Today, it carries on that tradition, helping Americans achieve their retirement income and protection goals with a variety of annuities and life insurance products. In 2015, Allianz Life provided a total of $2.4 billion in benefit payments that supported policyholders’ financial objectives. As a leading provider of fixed index annuities, Allianz Life is part of Allianz SE, a global leader in the financial services industry with 142,000 employees in more than 70 countries worldwide. More than 85 million private and corporate customers rely on Allianz knowledge, global reach, and capital strength to help them make the most of financial opportunities.
