World Investment Advisors (WIA), leading financial advisory firm and division of World Insurance Associates LLC (World), announced the appointment of Edward (Ed) Walters as President. Walters will oversee WIA's operations, growth initiatives, and advisor and client experience platforms, while working closely with the executive team to expand its presence as a leading force in wealth management.

As part of this announcement, current WIA CEO Troy Hammond will step down at the end of the year. To support a pre-planned leadership transition, he will remain with the firm until then, collaborating closely with Walters to provide WIA continuity and ensure a smooth handoff.

"Ed is a visionary leader with a proven track record of executing successful strategies that transform financial services businesses," said Rich Eknoian, CEO of World Insurance Associates. "We are confident Ed's leadership will accelerate our ability to deliver innovative solutions, empower advisors and create long-term value for our clients and stakeholders. I am deeply grateful to Troy Hammond, whose contributions to World Investment Advisors over the years have been immense."

Walters is a seasoned C-suite leader with more than 20 years of experience driving transformational growth across some of the industry's most respected firms, including Osaic, Lincoln Financial Group, T. Rowe Price, Janney Montgomery Scott and Ferris Baker Watts. He has developed a reputation for building sophisticated centralized wealth platforms, launching innovative products, accelerating growth within organizations, and creating new levels of scale and profitability.

Notably, Walters served as Chief Operating Officer & Head of Wealth Management at the $70 billion Lincoln Financial Network, part of the Lincoln Financial Group. In that role, he executed a growth strategy that quintupled earnings while leading over 200 associates and supporting approximately 1,500 financial professionals.