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Here's a quick look at employee benefits industry moves: who'sbeen promoted, hired, partnered, acquired, funded, formed and more.All contribute to this dynamic industry's evolution as it faceschange and opportunity.

ThompsonHine announced that Dominic DeMattieshas joined the firm's Employee Benefits & ExecutiveCompensation (EBEC) practice, based in Washington D.C.  Inaddition to extensive private practice experience, he previouslyworked at the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of theBenefits Tax Counsel.

StandardInsurance Company (The Standard) announced the followingpromotions:

• Christopher Beaulieu to Vice President of Individual Annuitiesand Fixed Income
• Julie Briggs to Assistant Vice President of Retirement PlansActuarial and Finance
• Greg Chandler to Vice President of Information Technology
• Jans Dykhouse to Assistant Vice President of Sales Operationsand Dental
• Stephanie Flora to Vice President of Internal Auditing
• Maria Gonzalez to Vice President of Retirement PlansServices
• A.J. Ijaz to Vice President of Retirement Plans
• Laxman Prakash to Assistant Vice President and ChiefInformation Security Officer
• Kathleen Quetel to Second Vice President of RiskUnderwriting

PrincipalFinancial Group announced senior management promotionseffective immediately within Principal International in Asia andU.S. Insurance Solutions:

• Thomas Cheong to senior vice president, Principal and presidentof Principal Asia
• Kara Hoogensen to senior vice president, Principal in charge ofSpecialty Benefits for U.S. Insurance Solutions

Purdue University's College of Pharmacy and Aprecia Pharmaceuticals,LLC are launching a comprehensive collaboration on future 3Dprinted pharmaceutical equipment and medications. The agreementbrings together an exchange of faculty and research scholars;access to highly-educated students; and joint collaborations inresearch and discovery, learning and teaching, engagement andtechnical assistance.

TheMinnesota Health Action Group (The Action Group) and AiRCare Healthare partnering to offer AiRCare's solution for mental health toMinnesota employers. The collaboration aims to help Minnesotans getfast access to mental health services when they need it, whileimproving short- and long-term outcomes related to remission fromdepression and anxiety.

Mavenannounced it has closed $45 million in Series C funding, led byIcon Ventures, with participation from existing investors Sequoia,Oak HC/FT, Spring Mountain Capital, Female Founders Fund, HarmonyPartners, and individual strategic investors Reese Witherspoon,Natalie Portman, Mindy Kaling, and Anne Wojcicki. The funding willsupport its  growth and deepen investment in itscore digital programs across fertility, maternity, and otherareas.

Franklin Resources announced a definitive agreement toacquire Legg Mason for $50.00 per share of commonstock in an all-cash transaction. Franklin Templeton will preservethe autonomy of Legg Mason's affiliates, ensuring that theirinvestment philosophies, processes and brands remain unchanged.Following the closing of the transaction, Jenny Johnson willcontinue to serve as president and CEO, and Greg Johnson willcontinue to serve as executive chairman of the Board of FranklinResources, Inc. EnTrust Global, a Legg Mason affiliate will repurchaseits business, which will be acquired by its management atclosing.

Empower Retirement has teamed up with E*TRADE toenable employers to  offer their employees integratedfinancial benefits with a consolidated view of their EmpowerRetirement and E*TRADE stock plan accounts. The alliance aims tohelp employees to model their stock plan and retirement planbalances into their retirement projections. It will be offered toemployers who provide equity compensation plans through E*TRADE andretirement plan services from Empower.

CeriFi hasnamed Matthew Given as chief executive officer,based in Atlanta.In his new role, Given will lead CeriFi'sportfolio of training and certification companies, including DaltonEducation, Money Education, Keir Financial Education andPassPerfect, and the Association of Certified Financial CrimeSpecialists (ACFCS).

BlueKey Wealth Advisors announced the formation of itssmall to middle-market, private equity firm, BlueKey EquityPartners. The new endeavor specializes in small andmid-capital growth companies. Its focus is on private lending, corereal estate and business investment.

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