Joe has 35 years of experience in the insurance industry in positions that have spanned accounting, finance, operations, and product management.  An accountant by formal training, Joe started his career at KPMG Peat Marwick in Philadelphia where he conducted financial audits for clients across several industries including financial services.  It was during this time that Joe became a certified public accountant.

After KPMG, Joe moved into financial reporting roles for several life insurance companies before heading to Merrill Lynch in 1997.  At Merrill, Joe progressed through the finance organization for the Merrill Lynch Insurance Group and held the roles of Financial Reporting Manager, Controller, and Chief Financial Officer.  These roles included responsibilities for the Merrill Lynch Life Insurance Companies, as well as its insurance distribution arm – Merrill Lynch Life Agency, Inc.  In 2007, Joe was a primary contributor to the sale of the Merrill Lynch Life Insurance Companies to Aegon USA.

Upon the announcement of that sale, moved into distribution management and became the Chief Operating Officer for life insurance and annuity distribution.  In 2016, Joe became head of life insurance product management and became President of Merrill Lynch Life Agency, Inc.  All in, Joe spent 26 years at Merrill split between finance and operations/product management responsibilities.  Joe’s tenure was highlighted by initiatives to improve the financial advisor and client experience by making it easier to do business.

Joe joined GFI in October 2024 and currently leads efforts in finance, operations, and compliance.