Cihan Kasikara Named COO of American Century

American Century Investments^®, a more than $350 billion global asset manager*, has named Cihan Kasikara its new chief operating officer. Reporting to chairman, chief executive officer and president, Jonathan Thomas, Kasikara will oversee American Century’s broader business management, investment operations, technology, transformation, security and administrative functions. He will serve on the firm’s management committee.

“Cihan is a visionary leader who combines strategic thinking with a relentless focus on execution. His outstanding efforts to drive innovation, long-term growth and scalability have influenced everything from client reporting and data architecture to blockchain development and enterprise risk, control, and regulatory frameworks,” said Thomas. “Just as importantly, he has consistently challenged us to think differently, embrace change and position ourselves for the future.”

“I'm excited to take on this role and build on the strong foundation our teams have established. We’ll continue to focus on operating with the agility, discipline and innovation needed to support our long-term growth ambitions in a compliant and risk-managed fashion to best serve clients,” said Kasikara.

Kasikara brings more than 25 years of leadership experience across investment management, operations, technology and transformation, including serving most recently as senior vice president of investment transformation and service delivery at American Century. Prior to joining American Century in 2020, Kasikara held roles at Franklin Templeton in global operations, trade services and risk and controls.

Patrick Bannigan, who has co-currently served as American Century’s COO since 2012 and CFO since 2013, plans to retire in March 2027. Following American Century’s announcement last month, Ben Clouse has assumed the role of CFO, and the appointment of Kasikara marks the successful transition of Patrick Bannigan’s responsibilities ahead of his retirement.

Product leader joins management committee

American Century has also added Glen Casey, the firm’s global head of product and corporate strategy, to the management committee. In his 12 years at American Century, Casey has helped shape a product platform that continues to meet investors where they are, positioning the firm to deliver the innovative solutions clients value most. Casey’s appointment complements the recent expansion of the management committee reporting to Thomas to bring client, distribution and product perspectives closer to the firm's strategic decision-making process. As a part of that expansion, the management committee now includes all three distribution leaders: Kevin Eknaian, head of global institutional and workplace sales; Michael Turner, head of U.S. intermediary distribution; and Rick Luchinsky, head of personal financial solutions and marketing. Together, the changes build a more direct connection to the senior leadership team and the evolving needs of clients.