Conning Inc. President Woody E. Bradford is taking over as chief executive, succeeding Salvatore Correnti who moves into an advisory post at the Hartford investment researcher and asset manager. Both moves are effective Jan. 2.
Bradford, a chartered financial analyst, joined Conning two years ago and has spent more than 15 years in the investment sector.
Conning Chairman Jeff Greenberg praised both Bradford, 44, and Correnti, 50, for their past and future endeavors on the company’s behalf.
“Woody has a long record of success in this industry including his work at Conning over the last two years,” Greenberg said in a statement Wednesday. “The board and I believe he is the right leader to move Conning to the next stage of its development.”
Correnti, named vice chairman after running Conning the past decade as CEO, is credited with building its assets under management from $23 billion when he arrived to $85 billion today.
Bradford joined Conning in early 2010 and was promoted to president and chief operating officer in September 2010. Under his watch, officials said, Conning has expanded into Asia through a partnership with Cathay Financial Holdings and later Europe, with the seating of its first European chief investment officer, based in London.
In late November, Conning finalized its purchase of Goodwin Capital Advisors Inc. from Hartford insurer Phoenix Cos. Inc., and assumed management of a chunk of Phoenix’s fixed-income asset portfolio.
Prior to joining Conning, Bradford was an operating partner with Advent International, a  Boston global private equity firm. Previously, he spent 12 years at Putnam Investments where he was head of corporate development and chief operating officer of global distribution.
Bradford is a graduate of Worcester Polytechnic Institute with a BS in chemistry and of the Harvard Business School, where he earned his MBA and graduated as a Baker Scholar.
