Principal® Announces Financial Services Leader Pablo Sprenger to Head Latin America

DES MOINES, Iowa--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Principal Financial Group^® today announced Pablo Sprenger will join the company as executive vice president and president of Principal Latin America, effective Nov. 8. In this role, Sprenger will lead teams across three markets – Chile, Brazil, and Mexico – overseeing all aspects of the company's pension and asset management operations, sales and distribution, and growth strategies within the region. Sprenger will report to Pat Halter, president of Principal Asset Management^SM.

Sprenger joins Principal with over 20 years of industry experience, most recently as chief executive officer of SURA Investments. He has held various leadership roles across the region supporting pension, wealth, and asset management across multiple markets. Sprenger will be based in the Principal offices in Santiago, Chile.

“Latin America continues to be an important region for Principal with continued potential to expand our asset management and retirement capabilities across our markets,” said Halter. “Pablo brings deep knowledge of the countries we’re in and the industries and customer segments we serve. His leadership will be critical in driving growth across Latin America and strengthening our relationships in the region with important partners, including joint venture partner Banco do Brasil.”

As part of this transition, Sprenger will work closely with Luis Valdés, executive chairman of Principal Latin America and former president of Principal International, who has led the region on an interim basis since the retirement of Roberto Walker earlier this year.

“As I embark on this exciting journey to lead Latin America for Principal, I am fueled by a vision of growth, a commitment to excellence, and the further evolution of the firm’s culture known for its collaboration, innovation, and client service,” said Sprenger. “Together, we’ll continue to offer a world-class experience that is distinctive to Principal — one that combines local insights and global perspectives, which help us identify the most compelling opportunities for our clients.”

About Pablo Sprenger

Sprenger comes to Principal with more than 20 years of investment industry experience. He previously spent 12 years at SURA Asset Management, most recently as chief executive officer of SURA Investments, the investment and wealth management arm of SURA Asset Management. Prior to this role, Sprenger held leadership positions at SURA Mexico, ING Group Chile, ING Wealth Management, AFP Bansander, Falabella, and AFP Cuprum. Sprenger earned a bachelor's degree in industrial engineering from Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile and Master of Business Administration Degree from Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. He serves on boards in Mexico and Chile, in addition to devoting time as a part-time business lecturer at the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile in Santiago.

About Principal Financial Group^®

Principal Financial Group^® (Nasdaq: PFG) is a global financial company with 19,500 employees¹ passionate about improving the wealth and well-being of people and businesses. In business for more than 140 years, we’re helping more than 61 million customers¹ plan, protect, invest, and retire, while working to support the communities where we do business, and build a diverse, inclusive workforce. Principal^® is proud to be recognized as one of the 2023 World’s Most Ethical Companies^® by Ethisphere², a member of the Bloomberg Gender Equality Index, and a “Best Places to Work in Money Management³.” Learn more about Principal and our commitment to building a better future at principal.com.

¹ As of September 30, 2023
² Ethisphere, 2023
³ Pensions & Investments, 2022