As State Street Global Advisors continues to grow its ETF business, ETF industry veteran Sue Thompson has been named its head of Americas Distribution for SPDR ETFs.
Thompson started in the newly created role on Monday in Boston where she will report to Rory Tobin, State Street’s Global Head of SPDR ETFs.
She will be responsible for developing and leading the SPDR ETF distribution strategy across all client channels in the Americas, including institutional, intermediary and strategic relationships.
Thompson told ETF Trends she was excited about the future for the SPDRs business. “It’s a great platform with a history of innovation,” Thompson said.
She added that Ron O’Hanley, State Street Corporation president and COO, Cyrus Taraporavela, SSGA President & CEO and Rory Tobin all share the same vision for what the SPDR business can bring to the investing public.
“I am delighted to be a part of realizing that vision,” she told ETF Trends. “The two things that have struck me most about SSGA so far is (1) the openness and warmth I have experienced; and (2) how smart and thoughtful everyone is.”
In her more than 20 year career, Thompson has held senior positions at BlackRock, where she was responsible for growing the iShares franchise with the intermediary and institutional asset manager channels in the Americas. Prior to BlackRock, Thompson worked at Vanguard, where she held a number of positions, culminating in a senior role in developing its ETF business.
She holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting from the University of Washington, and is a graduate of the University of California, Davis School of Law and a member of the California State Bar Association.
Thompson is also active in supporting female executives within the ETF industry, serving on the board of Women in ETFs, where she was a founding member.
SPDR manages more than $629 billion in global ETF assets under management, offering all investors access to the investment leadership of SSGA through more than 240 ETFs.
“Sue is one of the most well respected people in our industry,” said Tom Lydon, Founder of ETF Trends. “I’m so excited to see the impact she’ll have at State Street.”