AllianceBernstein Holding L.P. and AllianceBernstein L.P. have announced that Onur Erzan, President, has been appointed President and Chief Executive Officer of AB, effective April 1, 2027. According to the firm, he will succeed Seth Bernstein, who will retire on March 31, 2027, after nearly a decade at the helm of the firm. Bernstein will continue to serve on AB’s Board of Directors.
“Onur is an exceptional leader with broad experience in asset management and insurance. Since joining AB, he has helped define the firm’s strategy, expand its capabilities, and position the business for sustained growth. At the same time, this transition provides an opportunity to recognize Seth’s extraordinary contributions over the past decade. He has led AB through a period of significant growth and helped strengthen the partnership between Equitable and AB at a decisive moment for our company. I thank Seth for his leadership and am pleased that he will continue to serve on AB’s Board of Directors,” said Mark Pearson, CEO of Equitable Holdings and member of AB’s Board of Directors.
During his tenure as CEO, Bernstein supervised a period of deep transformation at AB. Under his leadership, the firm has continued to evolve beyond its traditional roots in active public markets asset management to become a leading, diversified global investment manager with scaled businesses across public markets, private alternative assets, private wealth management, insurance asset management, and retirement solutions. Furthermore, Bernstein drove structural improvements in the firm’s profitability by relocating AB’s headquarters to Nashville, establishing and developing AB India, and transforming Bernstein Research into a joint venture with Société Générale. Bernstein also promoted initiatives to reinforce the firm’s culture, broaden its global distribution platform, and open new avenues of profitable growth, with AB’s assets under management nearly doubling to top $919 billion as of August 31, 2026.
“It has been the privilege of my life to lead this extraordinary firm,” said Bernstein. “Over the past decade, we have expanded our reach, strengthened our distribution, and developed durable growth engines that enable us to better serve our clients around the world. I am thrilled that Onur is taking the reins to lead AB into this next phase, as he has played a key role in our strategy and led much of its execution. He embodies many of the values that I believe distinguish AB’s success: putting our clients’ interests first, applying a rigorous intellectual process to the decisions we make, and demanding excellence in everything we do. I have full confidence in Onur’s leadership and in the opportunities ahead for this firm.”
Onur assumed the role of President in January 2026 and oversees AB’s Private Wealth Management, Global Private Alternatives, and Global Asset Management Distribution businesses, as well as the firm’s Strategy and Corporate Development functions. He has served on the Executive Committee of Equitable Holdings since 2021 and, following the closing of the previously announced merger between Equitable Holdings and Corebridge Financial, will join the company’s executive leadership team led by CEO Marc Costantini.
“It is an honor to lead AB at such a decisive moment in our history. For nearly six decades, AB has been distinguished by investment excellence, intellectual rigor, and a collaborative culture relentlessly focused on clients. In an environment where the wealth and asset management industry is undergoing rapid transformation—with clients seeking closer relationships, broader capabilities, and more integrated solutions—AB is uniquely positioned to deliver the insight, capabilities, and collaboration they need to achieve differentiated outcomes. I look forward with excitement to writing the next chapter of AB’s history alongside our talented and dedicated colleagues around the world,” stated Erzan.
Since joining AB in 2021, Erzan has helped define and execute the firm’s global asset management distribution strategy, in addition to playing a key role in AB’s expansion into new business areas, including the launch of its active ETF offering, the creation of an integrated insurance asset management division, and the expansion of AB’s private credit and broader retirement income generation solutions. As head of Bernstein Private Wealth Management, Erzan significantly strengthened the firm’s capabilities aimed at ultra-high-net-worth clients, global families, and family offices through tailored solutions. Likewise, he played a fundamental role in strengthening Bernstein’s external partnerships with international banking institutions and custodians, while expanding the reach of its wealth management business and client coverage capabilities.
Prior to joining AB, Erzan spent 20 years at McKinsey & Company, where he most recently served as Senior Partner and co-led the Global Wealth & Asset Management practice. In that role, he advised prominent global asset managers, wealth management firms, insurers, and retirement-focused financial institutions on M&A operations, transformation processes, and long-term growth and value creation initiatives. Beyond his professional responsibilities, he maintains a strong commitment to the community and has served on the boards of directors of Graham Windham and Turkish Philanthropy Funds. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Middle East Technical University in Ankara, Turkey, and an MBA from Columbia Business School.
