Board of Directors
David Stone, Chairman
As former senior legal counsel to major life insurance companies, mutual funds and broker dealers, David has more than 20 years of financial services experience. He also specializes in annuity product development and distribution.
Before co-founding Aria, David was chief legal counsel for all of Charles Schwab’s insurance and risk management initiatives. He was a member of the firm’s Insurance Services management team as well as a co-leader of a cross-enterprise internal team that developed Schwab-branded financial products to be wrapped with annuity guarantees.
Before his tenure with Schwab, David was in-house counsel at Allstate Financial. He served as lead counsel on product-development projects for broker dealers and bank distributors.
David is a frequent speaker at industry conferences and an active participant on committees dedicated to retirement income–product solutions.
Alan Spoon, Board Member
Alan is a general partner in the Boston office of Polaris. He focuses on investments in information technology with an emphasis on revenue-stage companies, digital media, e-commerce, distance learning and financial services.
Alan’s professional experience in operating, strategy and investments spans more than 20 years. He joined Polaris in spring 2000 after having supported the team as an early advisor and initial investor since 1996.
He came to the firm from The Washington Post Company, where he worked for 18 years. While there, he served as president and board member; chief financial officer; president of Newsweek; supervising executive for Kaplan educational services; head of marketing for The Washington Post; and head of Corporate Business Development.
Alan was also responsible for early-stage technology investments in cellular (Cellular One and digital PCS), distance learning and educational software, and information and e-commerce services (including Washingtonpost.com, Citysearch.com, Cars.com, Exchange.com, Junglee, BrassRing and WebTV).
Before working for The Washington Post Company, he was an officer at The Boston Consulting Group, an international management-consulting firm specializing in corporate strategy.
Alan’s professional background comprises extensive board memberships as well. He represents Polaris as a director of Art.com, Focus Financial Partners, Ice.com, LegalZoom, Paratek Adaptive RF, Phreesia and Remedy Health Media.
He led Polaris’ investment in Internet Brands (INET, NASDAQ; Hellman Friedman), TechTarget, Inc. (TTGT, NASDAQ), LRN and Earth Networks (Weatherbug). He also led Polaris’ investment in Matrics, Inc. (RFID), which was sold to Symbol Technologies and Cushcraft Corporation (wireless antennae), which was sold to Laird Technologies.
Externally, Alan now sits on the boards of Danaher Corporation (DHR) and IAC/InterActive Corp (IACI). In the not-for-profit sector, he is a member and former vice chairman of the Smithsonian Institution Board of Regents, a trustee on the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Corporation and a member of both The Council on Foreign Relations and The Committee for Economic Development (CED).
His previous external board service included Getty Images, Human Genome Sciences, Inc. (HGSI), International Data Group (IDG) and American Management Systems, Inc.
Prior not-for-profit board membership included WETA (Washington, D.C., public television and radio) and the Norwood School (Bethesda, MD), where Alan served as chairman.
David Hopewell, Board Member
David is Chief Financial Officer for the Individual Savings & Retirement (IS&R) Division of AEGON Americas, operating under the Transamerica brand name. He is responsible for all Actuarial and Financial Reporting functions of IS&R as well as the Institutional Relationship Sales Team and New Initiatives efforts.
He had previously worked for AEGON’s Investment Division, where he oversaw VA hedging for AEGON retail VA worldwide. David began his career as a product-development actuary in his native Louisville, Kentucky. He later joined AEGON through the acquisition of Providian in 1997.
David left AEGON in 2001, and rejoined in 2006 from Ernst and Young’s Insurance Advisory practice where he performed risk management consulting and audit services. David is a Fellow of the Society of Actuaries. He also holds the Chartered Financial Analyst designation.
Timothy C. Pfeifer, Board Member
Tim is Founder and President of Pfeifer Advisory LLC. He focuses on creating and structuring life insurance and retirement product solutions for life insurers, financial services companies, and distribution organizations.
Tim is a Fellow of the Society of Actuaries and has served on that organization’s Board of Govenors. Prior to formation of his own firm, Tim was a Principal of Milliman, Inc. and a Consultant with Tillinghast, a Towers Perrin Company.
Over his career of 30-plus years, Tim has been involved in most of the product innovations that have shaped the direction of the life insurance industry. He is considered a Thought Leader in connection with industry product and market direction, and is a widely sought-after speaker and author.
