Gary Werkman Iowa Chapter. by Tax Executive Staff October 16, 2026 After graduation from the University of Northern Iowa, Gary Werkman spent ten years in public accounting. "During that time, my former wife and I, both from the same small Iowa town, had our first child and decided to live close to home," he recalls. "In those years, I worked for a few firms in the region, including a smaller company and RSM McGladrey. However, when I look back on it now, I was clearly searching for my true direction within the profession." A leap of faith. Then Werkman was presented with an opportunity to join Transamerica. "The firm's US headquarters included a site close to home, so I decided to go for the job," he says. From the start, Werkman welcomed the change from public to in-house tax. "For example, in public accounting, there was always this exhausting tax season grind from January to April. Not that working in-house isn't cyclical, but it doesn't feel as intense for as long of periods of time," he says. "Also, there are only so many opportunities to be a tax accountant in Iowa. Transamerica was the best opportunity, even though I had never worked in insurance tax. Fortunately, Transamerica's head of tax, Art Schneider, believed in educating people and encouraging them to grow their technical abilities." One employee educational initiative that Werkman pursued was an online master of taxation program through Golden Gate University. "This was in the early 2000s, when programs like this were rare," he explains. "And within Iowa at the time, there were no conventional means to obtain a master's in tax." He adds that the road to his advanced degree was not easy. "I had an active family life as well as my day job at Transamerica. It took me about six years to finish, basically completing one class per year," he says. Werkman notes that he was fortunate. "I was with Transamerica for twenty-two years. I had established relationships and great leaders and teachers, like Art and his successor, Dave Schulz," he says. "They were not only brilliant but good people who believed in developing others. They nurtured that in me." 'Jumping into the fire' Werkman thought he would retire from Transamerica, until The Standard, the workplace benefits provider, contacted him in 2022. "They were looking for a senior director of tax, which was my position at Transamerica. Initially, I wasn't interested. In fact, I jokingly told the recruiter, 'Well, if your top job becomes open, give me a call,'" he says. "Three months later, they did, reaching out about interviewing me for their vice president of tax. I was a little hesitant at first, but when I went into interviews and talked to their CFO, I clicked with him. I felt this organization had the right energy. "However, I didn't realize at the time how much I was jumping into the fire. As a new employee I soon found myself working for a company that was heavily into mergers and acquisitions," he recalls. "My second day on the job, I got an email early in the morning asking me to sign a nondisclosure agreement. That same morning, I jumped on a call with the CEO, who announced that the firm was kicking off due diligence on a potential acquisition - the first in a series of acquisitions, totaling three billion dollars, in which I would eventually be involved in the upcoming three years." Making connections with TEI. Werkman says that his experiences with Schneider and Schulz at Transamerica instilled in him a belief in the value of continuing education and networking. "That's what led me to join TEI," he says. "I also realized that being involved with the local chapter, even though meetings in Des Moines were then a two hours' drive from my home, was a means to share my experiences, ask questions, and engage with other tax professionals." Since joining the Iowa Chapter's leadership, Werkman has seen an evolution in how the chapter operates. "As everyone knows, the pandemic changed how we work and how we communicate. We couldn't meet in person, so we quickly introduced virtual platforms for our activities. That transition was interesting, exciting, and challenging. Then, as we started to come out of the pandemic, we wondered how best to move forward - whether it be in person or a hybrid of virtual and face-to-face," he says. He is currently on the Iowa Chapter's board of directors. Werkman says that chapter leadership has always recognized that TEI members are spread throughout Iowa and that the distance between Des Moines and the rest of the state is a barrier. "Post-pandemic, we decided, as a board, to maintain the virtual option. We don't want to keep people from getting together in person but, at the same time, we wanted to make it easy for people who are not in the Des Moines metro area to participate," he explains. That option, he adds, works well for him. "Since I joined The Standard, I've moved to the Davenport area, which means I'm now three hours away from Des Moines. I can still participate, but I'm not losing six hours of drive time for a two- or three-hour chapter event." Life beyond work. Werkman notes that he has remarried and that he and his wife love golfing. "In our free time, you'll probably find us on the course," he says. More important, however, is his relationship with his family. "Between us, my wife and I have five kids and eight grandkids under the age of seven," he says. "We try to spend as much time as possible with them. While we're fortunate that some of them are nearby, the others are spread out, from the Twin Cities to Atlanta. While it's not easy, we do our best to stay connected because, ultimately, being with them is what we love the most." Things to know about Gary Werkman. Title: Vice President and Chief Tax Officer Organization: The Standard TEI Chapter: Iowa Education: BA, accounting, University of Northern Iowa; MTax, Golden Gate University Birthplace: Grundy Center, Iowa Hobbies: Golf, spending time with kids and grandkids, listening to audiobooks, following college sports

Transamerica celebrates 25 years in pooled plans, builds on a legacy of expanding retirement access. Oct 05, 2026, 09:01 ET A quarter century after entering the pooled plan market, Transamerica is turning strong momentum into new opportunities to help employers and retirement savers BALTIMORE, Oct. 5, 2026 /PRNewswire/ - Transamerica is marking 25 years of helping employers expand access to workplace retirement benefits through pooled plan solutions, a milestone that underscores the company's longstanding commitment to creating more opportunities for Americans to prepare for their future amid evolving retirement needs. As pooled plan solutions become a popular and important option for employers seeking to offer retirement benefits, Transamerica is increasing its investment in the people, resources and capabilities that support its pooled plan business, strengthening the specialized support available to advisors, employers and distribution partners. The company's 25 years of experience in pooled plans builds on a broader retirement business that has served employers and retirement plan participants for decades. "Over the past 25 years, we've learned that the best pooled plan solutions are built around the needs of employers and the challenges they face," said Darren Zino, Head of Retirement Distribution at Transamerica. "In that time, we've built the resources, support and insights needed to help employers navigate the complexities of offering retirement benefits with confidence. We're carrying our experience forward through innovation and new ways to support employers as they navigate retirement plan complexity, making it easier for more employers to offer workplace retirement benefits and helping more Americans save for the future." Experience Built to Meet Employers' Needs Workplace retirement plans remain one of the most important ways Americans save for the future, yet many employers continue to face administrative, fiduciary and operational barriers to offering them. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 41% of private-sector employees at businesses with fewer than 100 employees lack access to retirement benefits.[1] Pooled retirement plans can help address that gap by reducing many of the complexities associated with providing a workplace retirement plan. For 25 years, Transamerica has enhanced its pooled retirement capabilities by listening to employers and their participants, collaborating across the retirement ecosystem and investing in solutions that respond to changing needs. Its offerings have expanded from Multiple Employer Plans (MEPs), Group Plan Solution(SM)(GPS) and Retirement Plan Exchange(R) structures to Pooled Employer Plans (PEPs) introduced under the Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement (SECURE) Act of 2019, which helped reshape the pooled plan market following years of advocacy by Transamerica and industry peers. Transamerica's pooled plan capabilities are supported by dedicated professionals across client engagement, fiduciary services, legal, marketing, operations, product, recordkeeping, and sales. The company also works with third-party administrators, advisors, fiduciaries and other retirement industry partners to understand the needs of employers and other stakeholders. This experience and collaboration are reflected in the growth of Transamerica's pooled plan business. In PLANSPONSOR's 2026 Recordkeeping Survey, Transamerica ranked No. 1 in PEP adopting employers for the second consecutive year and was among the industry's leading recordkeepers across multiple pooled plan measures, including the most MEP and PEP contracts serviced and the most MEP participants serviced. The survey also showed that Transamerica achieved the highest year-over-year growth rates in pooled plan assets and participants.[2] Over the past five years, Transamerica's pooled plan assets have grown nearly 61%, from $21.3 billion in 2021 to $34.2 billion in 2025, while the number of adopting employers has increased nearly 40%. Building on Pooled Plan Momentum To support the growing demand for pooled plans, Transamerica is deepening the integration of pooled plan solutions across its broader retirement business, connecting expertise across product, distribution, operations and client support to better serve employers and retirement plan partners. Under the leadership of Stanley Kim, Director and Pooled Plan Practice Leader at Transamerica, these efforts build on the company's existing capabilities and 25 years of experience in the market. "Pooled plans can help simplify many of the challenges that come with offering a retirement plan, making them an important option for employers looking to provide retirement benefits," said Kim. "As demand for these solutions continues to grow, we're working alongside advisors, TPAs and other retirement plan partners to strengthen the support available to employers and expand access to retirement savings for more workers." Employer demand underscores the opportunity ahead. According to 2026 research from the nonprofit Transamerica Institute, nearly half (48%) of employers that do not currently sponsor a standalone retirement plan say they would consider joining a PEP, MEP or defined contribution group as an alternative.[3] To help broaden understanding of pooled plan solutions among employers and advisors, Transamerica is also highlighting these offerings through a new advertising campaign focused on the role pooled plans can play in expanding access to workplace retirement benefits. Additional information about Transamerica's pooled plan offerings is available on its pooled plans webpage. As retirement needs evolve, Transamerica is combining its 25 years of pooled plan experience with new insights and innovation to help more employers offer workplace retirement benefits and expand access to retirement savings for more Americans. [1] Employee Benefits in the United States, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, September 2025 [2] 2026 Recordkeeping Survey, PLANSPONSOR, July 2026 [3] Employers, Workers, and the New World of Work, Transamerica Institute, May 2026. Transamerica Institute is a nonprofit, private operating foundation. About Transamerica Transamerica believes everyone deserves the opportunity to live their best life. It's what inspires us to be a champion for helping everyday Americans thrive. As a leading provider of life insurance, retirement, and investment solutions for more than 10 million Americans, we help people make the most of what's important to them. Supporting our customers' financial futures with innovative products and services has been our mission for more than 120 years. In 2025, Transamerica fulfilled its promises to customers, paying more than $52.6 billion in insurance, retirement, and annuity claims and benefits, including return of customer-paid annuity premiums. Transamerica is part of the Aegon group of companies. Aegon is an international financial services holding company. SOURCE Transamerica