Defined Contributions: Sticky Fingers

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This Institutional Investor feature on the defined-contribution market quoted Scanlan extensively in his role as head of BGI’s Americas institutional business. The article’s focus was on the challenge of applying institutional investment disciplines — used in defined-benefit plans — to the defined-contribution marketplace, where participant choice, fee sensitivity, and regulatory complexity create fundamentally different constraints.

Scanlan’s comments reflected his work at BGI on DC product development, including the SponsorMatch annuity product launched around the same period. The piece positions him as one of the leading voices arguing for importing DB investment principles — professional management, cost efficiency, and pooled longevity risk — into the DC system.