Putnam Investments Wins Top Honors from DALBAR for Excellence in Sales Support

BOSTON, January 22, 2020 – Putnam Investments announced today that, for the second consecutive year, it has earned DALBAR’s Excellence in Sales Support Award, which recognizes financial services companies for providing industry-leading support to the advisor community through the inbound sales desk. Putnam was named one of only four financial services companies to earn the 2019 award from DALBAR, an independent market research firm which for more than three decades has identified those companies that provide the highest level of service within the industry.

“Our organization is proud to be honored by DALBAR with this award, which reflects our unyielding focus on providing the retail marketplace with quality, comprehensive support in their sales efforts,” said Scott C. Sipple, Head of Putnam Retail Management. “The highly dedicated team at Putnam’s Client Engagement Center (CEC) works tirelessly to make sure that our advisors have all of the information, insight and resources necessary to successfully address their clients’ critical financial goals.”

Putnam’s Client Engagement Center (CEC) strives to deliver premier value-add content and services to financial advisors across the country, utilizing a consultative approach in the areas of investment, practice, and wealth management.

The DALBAR Excellence in Sales Support Award recognizes outstanding service provided by an organization’s inbound sales desk with a specific focus on level of expertise, ability to communicate effectively, active listening techniques, and overall proficiency in meeting the advisors’ underlying needs. To qualify for the award, firms were required to provide a superior standard of service for the entire year.

About DALBAR

DALBAR, Inc. is the financial community’s leading independent expert for evaluating, auditing and rating business practices, investor behavior, and product quality. Launched in 1976, DALBAR has earned a reputation for consistent and unbiased evaluations of investment companies, registered investment advisers, insurance companies, broker/dealers, retirement plan providers and financial professionals. DALBAR awards are recognized as marks of a superior standard of care in the financial community.

About Putnam Investments

Founded in 1937, Putnam Investments is a global money management firm with over 80 years of investment experience. At the end of December 2019, Putnam had $182 billion in assets under management. Putnam has offices in Boston, London, Frankfurt, Tokyo, Singapore and Sydney. For more information, visit putnam.com.


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Putnam Investments Receives Total Client Experience Award From DALBAR for the Ninth Consecutive Year

BOSTON, January 15, 2020Putnam Investments today announced that it has received the DALBAR Total Client Experience award for the ninth straight year, in recognition of the firm’s commitment to providing an exceptional all-around contact center experience for its retail mutual fund clients. Putnam is the sole recipient of the award based on a multi-dimensional analysis of mutual fund customer service, particularly focused on three key areas: quality, accuracy and client security.

“One of Putnam’s key priorities is always ensuring that our clients’ total experience is first-rate and we are delighted to be recognized by DALBAR for this distinction for the ninth consecutive year,” said Michael Woodall, Chief of Operations at Putnam Investments. “Each and every day, our world-class service team strives to deliver top-of-the-line expertise, capabilities and resources to our most valuable asset – our clients. It’s a hallmark of the Putnam brand.”

Putnam has been recognized by DALBAR for mutual fund service quality for 30 consecutive years. The continuous acknowledgement of Putnam’s work in this area includes being named a DALBAR Mutual Fund Service Award winner and recipient of DALBAR’s Total Client Experience Award.

DALBAR is the financial community’s leading independent expert for evaluating, auditing and rating business practices, customer performance, product quality and service.

The award is based on DALBAR’s measurement of the complete experience of the customer, evaluating the level of professionalism that is demonstrated by the financial services firm’s personnel and the follow through — the accurate execution of transactions and requests while ensuring thorough security protocols. For the 30th consecutive year, Putnam has received a DALBAR service quality award continuing its longstanding commitment to industry-leading consistency and reliability.

Key award criteria includes:

  • Authenticating caller’s properly to protect their shareholder’s privacy and assets
  • Engaging shareholders through friendly, personable interactions
  • Communicating effectively
  • Providing complete and accurate account details to ensure that shareholders are able to make informed decisions
  • Completing all transactions accurately according to shareholder instructions

About DALBAR

DALBAR, Inc. is the financial community’s leading independent expert for evaluating, auditing and rating business practices, customer performance, product quality and service. Launched in 1976, DALBAR has earned a reputation for consistent and unbiased evaluations of investment companies, registered investment advisers, insurance companies, broker/dealers, retirement plan providers and financial professionals. DALBAR awards are recognized as marks of excellence in the financial community.

About Putnam Investments

Founded in 1937, Putnam Investments is a global money management firm with over 80 years of investment experience. At the end of December 2019, Putnam had $182 billion in assets under management. Putnam has offices in Boston, London, Frankfurt, Tokyo, Singapore and Sydney. For more information, visit putnam.com.


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Putnam Investments Appoints Scott C. Sipple Head of Putnam Retail Management

BOSTON, January 14, 2020Putnam Investments today named Scott C. Sipple as Head of Putnam Retail Management (PRM), effective immediately. Sipple will be based in Boston and report to Putnam President and CEO Robert L. Reynolds.

Sipple, who had been serving as President of Great-West Investments, will be responsible for the full breadth of Putnam’s retail mutual fund distribution business, including Regional Advisor Consulting, Relationship Management, Business Development and the firm’s Client Engagement Center. Under Sipple’s leadership, Putnam will further its efforts in addressing the evolving needs of wirehouses, regional and independent broker dealers, banks, insurance companies and RIAs across the country.

“As a firm that places its clients first and foremost every day, we are very pleased to welcome Scott back to Putnam to lead the charge in serving the broad range of asset management needs of the retail marketplace,” said Reynolds. “Scott brings extraordinary leadership experience to his new role, along with a thoughtful, results-driven approach that will ultimately help achieve successful outcomes for financial advisors and investors.

Sipple, age 57, comes to the firm having been President of Great-West Investments, where he led Empower Retirement’s efforts on investment, income and advice solutions within the retirement market.

Earlier, he served as Head of Global Investment Strategies at Putnam Investments, where his responsibilities spanned the firm’s U.S. retail, retirement and global institutional businesses. Additionally, Sipple had oversight of the investment strategies teams across equity, fixed income, and global asset allocation, as well as product development and strategy. He was also responsible for the Portfolio Solutions Group, capital markets analysis and wealth management advisory services during his 2009-2017 tenure at Putnam.

From 2004 to 2009, Sipple held leadership positions at Fidelity Investments, including heading investment consulting services and subsequently the institutional bank division, providing retirement record-keeping and investment solutions to institutional banks. Before joining Fidelity, Sipple had leadership roles at AllianceBernstein from 1998 to 2004, including overseeing Regent Investors Services, global portfolio strategy and product management, and senior portfolio management. He is a graduate of Dartmouth College.

Previously, Putnam Retail Management was led by William T. Connolly, who retired from the firm in December.

About Putnam Investments

Founded in 1937, Putnam Investments is a global money management firm with over 80 years of investment experience. At the end of December 2019, Putnam had $182 billion in assets under management. Putnam has offices in Boston, London, Frankfurt, Tokyo, Singapore and Sydney. For more information, visit putnam.com.


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