Horizon Investments, LLC, is today announcing three key promotions within its Consulting team, which provides customized investment support to the firm’s growing roster of consulting clients.

Austin Fitch has been promoted from Head of the Portfolio Strategy Group to Managing Director, Consulting Solutions; Morgan Smith has been promoted from Senior Portfolio Strategist to Head of the Portfolio Strategy Group; and John Bryant has been promoted from Portfolio Strategist to Senior Portfolio Strategist. All three promotions are effective immediately.

Mr. Fitch has been part of the Horizon team since 2011, and in his new role will continue to help the firm’s top clients think creatively about investment solutions while also helping advisors who desire to innovate and scale their businesses to efficiently grow their enterprise value. Prior to this role, Mr. Fitch has led a team focused on developing customized investment solutions in addition to supporting the firm’s product development initiatives. Mr. Fitch holds the Chartered Financial Analyst designation, an MBA with a concentration in Finance from the University of Tennessee, and a BS in Mathematics and a BA in Finance from Wofford College.

“As one of the longest tenured employees at Horizon Investments, it has been a pleasure to watch Austin continue to develop as a leader and expand his knowledge base. As the consulting team’s first analyst, Austin has helped build a successful practice designed to empower the firm’s top clients,” said Kevin Blocker, Head of Consulting Solutions at Horizon Investments. “We are excited for him to take on this expanded role focused on helping some of our most successful financial advisor clients continue to effectively grow their businesses.”

Mr. Smith has been part of the Horizon team since 2017, and in his new role he leads Horizon’s investment management function for the firm’s consulting clients. He is responsible for development of strategy and direction for the Portfolio Strategy Group, investment solution idea generation and implementation, and communication strategy as to the value of these applications. Prior to joining Horizon, Smith was a portfolio manager for NBT Bank, managing assets on behalf of private wealth as well as institutional clients. He holds the Chartered Financial Analyst designation and an MBA and a BS in Management with a concentration in Finance from Binghamton University.

“As one of the first portfolio strategists to join the team, Morgan has demonstrated exceptional commitment to the growth of the firm’s consulting practice,” said Blocker. “We are excited to see Morgan take on a more formal leadership role within the team and continue to help drive scale, efficiency, and innovation in the solutions we offer to clients. Under his direction, this team will play a key role in the continued success of the firm.”

In Mr. Bryant’s new role, he will be responsible for delivering customized portfolio construction support and investment solution idea generation and implementation to the firm’s largest clients. Prior to joining Horizon Investments, he served as Client Relationship Consultant with TIAA in its Individual Advisory Services group. Mr. Bryant holds the Chartered Financial Analyst designation and a BS in Finance from Wake Forest University.

“John joined the team during a period of significant growth and his contributions have been critical to the continued success of the firm’s consulting offering,” added Blocker. “He has shown a strong ability to handle both the analytical and client engagement functions of the portfolio strategist role. We are excited to watch him continue to grow, expanding his reach and impact across our client base.”

About Horizon Investments

Horizon Investments, a registered investment adviser with approximately $7 billion assets under advisement as of September 30, 2021, is a pioneer in providing modern goals-based investment management designed to help financial advisors and their clients achieve their financial goals. Through its goals-based investment solutions, Horizon aims to simplify communication and improve the investing experience across a variety of market environments. Horizon’s investment process balances quantitative expertise with a qualitative perspective, including both macroeconomic and fundamental analysis. Financial advisors turn to Horizon for innovative risk mitigation, retirement income, and asset allocation strategies. Horizon’s GAIN PROTECT SPEND® framework, combined with its multi-disciplined investment process, has been a cornerstone of Horizon’s portfolio offerings for over a decade.