FIRST COMMAND LEADERSHIP

Mark Steffe is the President/CEO of First Command Financial Services, Inc. which provides personal financial coaching to about 290,000 client families around the world. Mark is responsible for guiding the organization in its efforts to make lifelong financial security possible for all military families. First Command accomplishes this by creating lasting bonds with clients through face-to-face coaching and empowering them to develop positive financial behaviors for every stage of their lives. First Command is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, and has more than 175 offices worldwide. First Command, through its subsidiaries, maintains more than $35 billion in managed accounts and mutual funds and has more than $62 billion in life insurance coverage in force, while First Command Bank holds more than $960 million in deposits.

Mark joined First Command as a Senior Vice President and Chief of Staff of Advisor Operations in 2010 and has since played an integral role in evolving the client experience in a digital world. At the same time, he has protected the integrity of the face-to-face coaching that is central to the First Command philosophy. Throughout his subsequent roles as Senior Vice President and Director of Advisor Operations for the Midwest Division and Executive Vice President and National Director of Advisor Operations, Mark helped build strong, collaborative relationships between Advisors and the Home Office. This has been crucial in enabling Advisors to help clients pursue their financial goals more effectively and efficiently. His accomplishments and demonstrated leadership ability led to his promotion to President in 2017 and expanded COO responsibility in 2018.

In January 2020, Mark was appointed as the first CEO in First Command’s history without military service experience. His selection was the result of an ethos of service to the military gained during more than a decade immersed in First Command’s culture, a deep understanding of the challenges faced by our Nation’s military families, and in recognition of the demonstrated leadership skills required to guide the organization in its efforts to make lifelong financial security possible for all military families. On day 70 in his new role, Mark was confronted with a once-in-a-generation crisis as a global pandemic was declared. Under his leadership, First Command rapidly adjusted its operations to continue to help military families pursue financial security amidst a volatile economic landscape in which in-person face-to-face coaching was no longer possible. At the same time, at Mark’s direction, First Command immediately made financial relief programs available to clients to bolster their financial outlook during the crisis.

To ensure that First Command continually adapts to the needs of military families, Mark and his team regularly meet with clients to seek out their perspectives. During his tenure at First Command, Mark has visited more than 50 military installations in 23 U.S. states and three countries. This personal outreach is supplemented by the First Command Financial Behaviors Index®, a monthly survey that assesses the financial behaviors, intentions and attitudes of career military families. Mark also consults regularly with First Command’s Military Advisory Board, a select group of retired senior flag officers and senior enlisted leaders from the Nation’s military services. The 10-member board provides Mark and First Command with an independent perspective on issues relevant to First Command’s work, as well as advice on how to best serve the interests of military clients.

In his role as President/CEO, Mark has spearheaded inclusion initiatives for First Command. Under his leadership, First Command is striving to create a more inclusive culture in which all employees and Advisors feel trusted, valued and empowered. For Mark, advancing equality is not just the right thing to do from a business perspective, but a personal imperative born from a desire for everyone to have the same opportunities he has had in his career. In service of this goal, Mark committed to the CEO ACT!ON pledge for diversity and inclusion in 2020. He also championed the hire of the company’s first Diversity & Inclusion Director. In recognition of Mark’s leadership during the pandemic and on issues of diversity and inclusion, he was nominated as one of the Dallas Business Journal’s Most Inspiring Business Leaders of 2020. Mark was also recognized in 2020 as a member of the Fort Worth 400, an annual list by Fort Worth Inc. magazine of influential community leaders.

Mark actively supports several charitable endeavors, including the annual Spirit of Giving campaign by United Way of Tarrant County and the First Command Educational Foundation (FCEF). United Way of Tarrant County is a local charity focused on providing leadership and harnessing resources to solve persistent social challenges, while FCEF is a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering those who serve our Nation by improving their financial literacy. FCEF accomplishes this goal by offering approximately $130,000 in annual scholarships and financial education to America’s military servicemembers, civilian federal employees and their families. In addition to his philanthropic pursuits, Mark is active in LeaderPrime, which fosters connections among Fort Worth business leaders new to the city or to their roles.

Mark graduated with high honors from the University of Illinois, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance. He holds Series 7, 8, 23, 63 and 65 securities registrations, plus life and health insurance licenses. He completed the Harvard University Advanced Management Program in 2015.

He lives in Fort Worth, Texas along with his wife and five children. On any given day off, you can find him attending one of his children’s sports games or cooking family dinners.

Kirk Olliff is the Executive Vice President and National Director of Advisor Operations at First Command Financial Services. With a focus on company growth, Kirk oversees the company's advisor force. He is also a member of the Executive Leadership Team, which guides the strategy, culture and growth of the company. Taking seriously the company's commitment to coaching clients toward financial security, Kirk is dedicated to assisting the people he directs as they strive to achieve that goal.

Kirk started his First Command career as a Financial Advisor in 1994. Soon after, he was promoted to District Advisor. After serving in this capacity in two different locations, he moved to the corporate office. There, he held the positions of Regional Vice President and Director of Advisor Operations for the Central Division, before assuming his current role.

Prior to joining the company, Kirk served in the United States Army for 20 years as a warrant officer and a commissioned officer.

A graduate of Embry–Riddle University with a Bachelor of Arts degree and a Master of Business Administration degree in Management, Kirk received a certificate in business excellence from the Vanderbilt University Owen Graduate School of Management. He holds series 6, 63, 65 and 26 securities registrations plus state life and health insurance licenses. He is a member of the Financial Planning Association and GAMA International. Married with three children and eight grandchildren, Kirk enjoys hunting, fishing, skiing and spending time with his family.

Jill Lyttle joined First Command Financial Services in September 2010, bringing more than 30 years of experience in human resources leadership to her role.

As Executive Vice President - Human Resources and Leadership Development, Jill leads the Human Resources function at First Command, including leadership development, organizational design and development, human resources consulting, human resources information systems, talent acquisition, compensation and benefits.

An expert in organization and leadership development, performance management, and strategic human resources leadership, Jill previously held executive positions in organizations across various industries. These include Plato Learning, Inc.; Prudential Financial; Cargill, Inc.; US Bank; and International Multifoods.

Jill is a graduate of St. Cloud (Minnesota) University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology and a minor in Business. She has also completed continuing education programs in quality management, organizational change, organizational development, and human resources through the University of St. Thomas, Columbia University, Cornell University, University of Michigan, and the Levinson Institute. She holds certifications in executive coaching, the Meyers-Briggs Type Indicator®, the Birkman Method® assessment tool, and the DDI management development curriculum. She is a member of the American Society of Training and Development, Human Resources Planning Society, Society for Human Resources Management, and HR Executive Forum.

A native Minnesotan, Jill enjoys spending time with her husband, Pat, and their dog, Asia.

Kellie Richter joined First Command Financial Services in 2016 as the Chief Marketing Officer, bringing over 25 years of industry experience.

As Chief Marketing and Client Experience Officer, Kellie is responsible for leading the strategic direction of the company’s marketing efforts to drive growth across all platforms, including brand development and communications market awareness, and designing new programs and systems to improve the client experience, deliver client value creation, and increase client satisfaction and retention.

Previously, Kellie spent seven years as the Chief Marketing Officer for Provasi Capital Partners, a Dallas- based investment company. During this time, she led their rebranding campaign and launched the firm’s first digital and thought leadership programs. Before that, Kellie served as the Senior Vice President of Marketing Strategy at AIG Retirement (formerly VALIC) & AIG Annuity, where she led all aspects of the branding initiatives that transformed AIG VALIC into AIG Retirement. Her career in financial services began in 1990 at Ameriprise Financial Services, and she eventually became the company’s Vice President of Products and Marketing.

A graduate of the University of St. Thomas with a Master of Business Communications degree and St. Cloud State University with a Bachelor of Arts degree, Kellie holds FINRA Series 7, 24 and 63 securities registrations. She is a member of the American Marketing Association, Chief Marketing Officers Forum and Financial Services Institute, where she serves on the marketing committee. Earning extensive recognition for her work, she has received the Stevie Award for Executive Woman of the Year in Financial Services, as well as the American Express Chairman’s Award. She is also a finalist for the American Marketing Association’s CMO of the year.

An active member of her community, Kellie currently serves on the board of the First Command Educational Foundation, an organization that provides financial readiness programs and scholarships for deserving service members. She has also served on the board of The Board Connection, an organization that prepares women for service on public boards, and has coached clients of the Genesis Women’s Shelter in Dallas for job readiness. She also helps young marketers develop their careers through the American Marketing Association mentor program. Kellie is married and has two sons.

Amy Doherty joined First Command Financial Services in October 2019 bringing years of demonstrated successful leadership progression to the company in the arenas of technology, operations, digital transformation, agile transformation, data security and data privacy, and cloud operations.

At First Command, Amy leads the company on several important strategic priorities, including the continuing adaption to a rapidly evolving digital world and effectively aligning technology and business processes for services to our field advisors and clients. As Chief Operating Officer (COO), Amy is tasked with helping First Command effectively adapt to inevitable changes that come with company growth. Amy earned a certificate from Georgetown University in Agile Leadership, which positions her to play a key role in leading First Command’s transformation to agile business practices.

Prior to First Command, Amy served as the Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer at AARP. During her time there, Amy was responsible for IT strategy, operations and information security, and led the transformation of the IT organization from a “cost center” to a “value center” while strengthening the company’s information security infrastructure. With her leadership, the department transitioned to an Agile development methodology, moved services to the cloud, and was named #2 Best Places to Work in IT.

Prior to joining AARP, Amy served in key technology leadership positions at Freddie Mac, CC&F Financial Corp., American Financial Realty Trust, and GMAC Commercial Mortgage.

Amy holds a Bachelor of Science and Master of Business Administration degree from Pennsylvania State University. She has been featured in CIO Magazine, Forbes and Computerworld, and was named on RealComm’s “35 to Watch” list. In 2019, she was recognized as CIO of the Year in the nonprofit/public sector by Capital CIO Leadership Association. She proudly serves as a Sequoyah Fellow for the American Indian Science and Engineering Society. Amy is passionate about empowering women in technology leadership and creating a culture of continuous learning, experimentation, and innovation.

Amy lives in the Fort Worth area with her husband and son. They enjoy traveling, exploring, camping and boating.

As Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer for First Command Financial Services, Sunday is responsible for creating and establishing yearly financial objectives that are aligned with the company’s strategic plan. Sunday also assesses and evaluates the financial performance with regard to long-term operational goals, budgets, and forecasts.

Sunday’s collaborative nature has made her an integral part of the senior executive team, where decision making is crucial. With the ever-changing global economy, Sunday implements essential data needed to identify, develop, and execute analysis of business initiatives or new service offerings.

Sunday is a certified public accountant. She graduated from the University of Texas, Arlington with a bachelor’s degree in business administration with an emphasis in accounting. Sunday then went on to receive her MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. Her studies focused on economics and finance and she spent some time studying abroad in London and Hong Kong.

Prior to First Command, Sunday started her career in the hospitality industry. As an accountant with Meristar Hotels and Resorts, she managed various centralized accounting functions and held several progressive roles throughout her tenure.

At the time Sunday started with First Command in 2005, she was able to test her skills and created a successful analytics team that helped bring the company forward into the power of data and analytics. Although Sunday talks numbers and data, it was the heartfelt mission of the company that spoke to her. The mission of coaching those who serve is close to her heart, because her father served in the Marine Corps.

Today, with the dynamic financial climate that keeps her busy at work, Sunday manages to give back through volunteer actions in her free time. She serves on the board of the First Command Education Foundation, a non-profit that provides financial education to the military, in addition to serving on the board of Casa Mañana, a local theatre company. Sunday is also an ambassador for Chicago Booth School and is involved with the organization Booth Women Advance, where she helps empower other women.

In her free time, Sunday enjoys watching live theatre with and being a stage mom to her daughter Jude. She is also the mother of two rescue puppies, Marley and Max. She lives in Arlington, Texas.

Hugh Simpson joined First Command Financial Services in June 2005. As Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary, Hugh leads First Command’s Legal, Compliance and Internal Audit Team.

Before joining First Command, Hugh served as Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary of Cash America International, Inc., a New York Stock Exchange-traded financial services company based in Fort Worth. During his 15-year tenure at Cash America, he led the Legal and Government Relations team. Prior to that, Hugh was a shareholder with the Fort Worth law firm of Law, Snakard & Gambill P.C., where he practiced corporate and securities and commercial law and represented public and private companies and small businesses.

Hugh graduated from the University of Kansas with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration and Accounting and the University of Texas in Austin with a law degree. He obtained his CPA certificate from the Texas State Board of Public Accountancy. A past chair of the Corporate Counsel Section of the State Bar of Texas, he has spoken before a number of groups on corporate and securities law and corporate governance topics.

He is a past chair of the Board of Directors of the YMCA in downtown Fort Worth and is currently a member of the Board of directors of Junior Achievement of the Chisolm Trail. He has served on boards and committees of several other local organizations.

Hugh and his wife Denise have two sons, Ben and Frank.

As Senior Vice President of Advisor Services, Ed Daffron is responsible for the management and guidance of mission-critical areas including advisor recruiting, development and production of financial plans, and field force training. Since joining First Command in 2003, Ed has served as a Financial Advisor, District Advisor and Registered Principal, Vice President of Division Operations (West), and Vice President of Field Force Training. During that time, he helped hundreds of families pursue their financial goals and was instrumental in recruiting, training and developing scores of Financial Advisors. He has received numerous awards and frequent recognition for outstanding performance.

Understanding that the single most powerful contributor to financial well being is behavior, Ed focuses on establishing behaviors and habits that have proven to be successful—and on eliminating habits and behaviors that have proven otherwise—for both clients and Advisors. He believes that every financial plan, and every financial planning practice, should not only be a direct reflection of the clients’ and Advisors’ core values, but also address their specific goals within established timeframes. Through ongoing coaching, training, encouragement and advising, Ed is ready to assist both clients and Advisors as they pursue their goals through a lifetime financial journey.

Prior to joining First Command, Ed served for four years in the United States Army, where he was in the Army Chemical Corps and attained the rank of first lieutenant. He is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ certificant and a member of the Financial Planning Association and GAMA International, an association for leadership development in the financial services industry. Ed graduated from Tulane University, and he holds Series 6, 7, 24, 26, 63 and 65 securities licenses, plus state life and health insurance licenses. Ed is married with twin boys.

Tim Marling is the Senior Vice President of Strategic Planning at First Command Financial Services. In that role, he is responsible for coordinating the company’s strategic planning process across departments to help executive leaders make critical, strategic and fact-based decisions. He works closely with the CEO to ensure that First Command is properly positioned in the markets it serves.

Tim began working at First Command in 2009. Before assuming his current position, he served as the Vice President of Sales Analytics. Prior to joining First Command, he used his expertise in strategy and analytics to support neuroscience medical research at Stanford University, set derivative pricing for energy securities, conduct valuation and strategic assessment for hedge funds and private equity investments,prepare neural network algorithms for fraud prevention, and coordinate financial and marketing analytics for internet commerce and financial services companies.

A graduate of Stanford University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology with an emphasis in Neuroscience and the SMU Cox School of Business with a Master of Business Administration degree, Tim is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® Professional. He is known for his critical thinking, analytical insights and strategic vision. In 2014, he was recognized as a “Fort Worth Business Press” 40 Under 40 honoree.

Tim and his wife Karrie have two children, a son, Alex, and a daughter, Elizabeth.

James (Jim) Kim joined First Command Bank in 2018 as the executive vice president and head of consumer banking. Jim led the strategic initiatives to provide differentiated solutions for our client families with expanded call center hours, a new suite of credit cards, and a digital VA mortgage program to name a few. Jim was promoted to Bank President in 2020 and took on the role of President and CEO in October 2021 where he is responsible for leading the strategic vision of the bank to help fulfill the corporate vision of providing lifelong financial security for our Nation’s military families.

Jim was born in South Korea and grew up in Malaysia. When he was nine years old, Jim came to the United States. After graduating from high school, Jim entered the United States Military Academy at West Point, ultimately receiving a Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering. During his time at West Point, he was a varsity soccer player with All-Atlantic Conference honors. Upon graduation, Jim served in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers as a second lieutenant with Airborne and Ranger qualifications. He served a combined 12 years on active and reserve duty as a platoon leader, executive officer and company commander. Jim separated from the United States Army as a major.

In 1992, Jim began his banking career with MM&T Bank under the Management Development Program in Buffalo, New York. Jim spent 15 years with the company in the branch distribution, business banking and mortgage departments. During this time, he served as a branch manager, licensed dual employee and regional manager for both branch and business banking.

In 2007, Jim joined PNC Bank as a regional manager for the northeast market in the Bergen County area of New Jersey. After 3 years, his role expanded to include New York state, helping establish PNC’s first branches in New York City. This strategic initiative helped the company better serve the New Jersey commuter market. In 2010, he was promoted to EVP and market manager of Central New Jersey, where he oversaw 158 branches spanning 9 counties and managed 1,000 employees. In 2014, he moved to Washington, D.C, to take on the new role of EVP and market manager of greater Washington.

During his time at PNC, Jim was instrumental to helping the company hire and retain military veterans. In 2010, he represented their Retail Banking Group on the company’s Military Advisory Council. In the four years that followed, PNC increased the hiring of veterans exponentially and took active strides to support reservists and members of the National Guard during their deployment. As a result of the company’s initiative to support veterans, PNC Bank earned the 2014 Department of Defense Freedom Award from Secretary Chuck Hagel.