TIAA, a leading provider of secure retirements and outcome-focused investment solutions to millions of people and thousands of institutions, appointed Derek Ferguson as Chief Administrative Officer.

Ferguson joins on October 4 from Robin Hood Foundation, New York’s largest poverty fighting organization, where he is interim Chief Executive Officer & Chief Operating Officer. As CAO, a new role at TIAA, Ferguson and his team will be responsible for leading the evolution of the company’s strategy, planning and delivering strategic initiatives and overseeing the operations of the office of the CEO. Based in New York, he will report to TIAA President and CEO Thasunda Brown Duckett and join the company’s Executive Committee.

“I am excited and grateful to have Derek take on an important new role that will greatly enhance how we serve our clients and also elevate our colleagues’ experience by driving seamless collaboration across teams and functions,” said Duckett. “He is a dynamic, entrepreneurial leader whose diverse experiences will bring welcome, fresh perspectives to our mission-driven company.”

Before joining Robin Hood Foundation, Ferguson was Chief Growth Officer and CFO of Combs Enterprises, where he managed various business ventures and brands on behalf of entertainment artist and entrepreneur Sean “Diddy” Combs. He also served as COO at Revolt Media & TV, a television broadcasting company founded by Combs. Earlier, he was VP of Finance and Operations for BMG Special Products, a division of BMG Entertainment. Before that he counseled consumer products companies and retailers on strategy at Bain & Company.