New York, New York, United States, July 2026 — Aquarian Holdings has appointed Kate Friedmann as Managing Director, Chief Human Resources Officer – Aquarian Investments and Enterprise Capability Lead. In her new role, she will serve as Chief Human Resources Officer for Aquarian’s investment platform while partnering with executive leadership to shape enterprise-wide human capital strategy, leadership capability, and organizational growth.
Kate Friedmann brings nearly three decades of experience in human capital, organizational transformation, executive compensation, change management, and leadership development across global financial services and consulting organizations.
Prior to joining Aquarian Holdings, Kate spent almost seven years with Apollo Global Management Inc., most recently serving as Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer, Human Capital. In this role, she led Human Capital operations and Total Rewards Strategy & Operations, partnering with executive leadership to strengthen the firm’s employee value proposition, organizational effectiveness, and enterprise people strategy.
Before Apollo, she served as Vice President – Organizational Development at AllianceBernstein, where she led enterprise initiatives spanning leadership development, performance management, employee engagement, onboarding, culture transformation, and organizational effectiveness.
Earlier, Kate was Vice President – Organizational Effectiveness, Compensation & Benefits at News Corp. She played a pivotal role in integrating HR operations, total rewards, HR technology, and global mobility programs following the company’s separation from 21st Century Fox, helping establish the people infrastructure for the newly independent organization.
She also held the position of Vice President – Change Management Lead, Vendor Management Office at Goldman Sachs, where she led enterprise-wide change management, executive communications, governance adoption, and global training programs supporting more than 2,000 employees.
Earlier in her career, Kate worked as Manager, Organization & Talent at Deloitte, advising global clients on organizational design, talent strategy, and business transformation initiatives.
She began her consulting career with EY as Manager – Performance & Reward, specializing in executive compensation, total rewards, HR due diligence, and people advisory support for mergers, acquisitions, and divestitures.
Kate Friedmann holds an MBA in Strategic and Change Management from The Wharton School.
About Aquarian Holdings
Aquarian Holdings is a diversified global holding company with a strategic portfolio spanning insurance and asset management solutions. Through its insurance businesses and investment platform, the firm provides life and annuity solutions while deploying capital across the capital structure to support high-quality companies. As of December 31, 2025, Aquarian and its affiliated advisers managed approximately US$26.9 billion in book value assets under management.
Read Also : When HR “Produces Nothing”: A Response to Jennifer Sey’s Anti-HR Vision
The Fine Balance: Navigating Work, Life, and Mental Wellbeing
Mind the Leadership Gap – From Learning to Real-World Impact
How the Adecco Group is empowering its employees for the future of work
