Studdard joins the firm following an 18-year career in enterprise architecture and AI-enabled transformation, most recently serving as Managing Partner at SailOne Solutions. His mandate includes overseeing the company’s enterprise data initiatives, cybersecurity posture, and the technical integration of future acquisitions. CEO Mark Agustin highlighted the hire as a strategic move to differentiate Blue Ridge’s services as it balances organic growth with an expanding portfolio of retirement and equity plans.

Beyond internal operations, Studdard will focus on deploying practical AI applications to enhance client-facing services. The appointment arrives as Blue Ridge manages over $87 billion in assets across 17,500 plans. By prioritizing technological resilience and data strategy, the firm intends to modernize its delivery model, which currently supports more than 1.2 million plan participants.