Cohen & Steers names former American Century CMO Erik Schneberger to lead global marketing push

Cohen & Steers named Erik Schneberger Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer on July 20, 2026, filling a role the New York-based investment manager describes as central to its next chapter of global growth. Schneberger arrives from American Century Investments, where he held the same CMO title, according to the company's announcement via PR Newswire.

The appointment places a 20-plus-year veteran of investment-industry marketing at the helm of Cohen & Steers' worldwide marketing operation. Beyond American Century, Schneberger has held senior marketing posts at OppenheimerFunds, Neuberger Berman, and Morgan Stanley, building expertise across brand strategy, digital innovation, media planning, and client engagement for institutional and wealth management audiences.

Reporting line signals distribution-first mandate

Schneberger reports directly to Daniel Noonan, Executive Vice President and Head of Global Distribution, a structure that places marketing inside the distribution leadership rather than as a standalone corporate function. That alignment matters operationally: it signals the firm expects marketing to work in tight coordination with its sales and distribution teams rather than running brand campaigns in parallel.

Noonan framed the hire as a milestone in assembling the right leadership team for global scale, according to the PR Newswire release. His stated priorities for Schneberger center on integrating teams, modernizing capabilities, and sharpening how Cohen & Steers serves clients across both wealth and institutional channels.

Real assets tailwinds shape the growth context

Cohen & Steers, founded in 1986 and headquartered in New York, specializes in listed and private real estate, preferred securities, infrastructure, resource equities, commodities, and multi-strategy solutions. The firm operates offices in London, Dublin, Hong Kong, Tokyo, and Singapore, giving Schneberger a genuinely global scope from day one.

CEO Joseph Harvey described current market conditions as providing meaningful tailwinds for real assets, framing the firm as entering a next phase of growth with strong momentum, per the PR Newswire announcement. For distribution and marketing teams, that context translates into pressure to move quickly: a favorable macro backdrop for real assets creates a window to expand client relationships and grow brand recognition before the cycle turns.

The CMO appointment follows Cohen & Steers' second-quarter 2026 earnings release, also issued via PR Newswire, suggesting the leadership build-out is happening in concert with active business reporting, not ahead of a quiet period.

What this means for your team

• Institutional and wealth channel teams should expect updated messaging and potentially revised sales collateral as Schneberger reviews brand positioning across regions.
• Intermediary partners working with Cohen & Steers may see changes in how the firm delivers client education content and digital engagement, given Schneberger's track record in digital innovation.
• Procurement and vendor teams supporting marketing technology or media should anticipate a transition period as a new CMO evaluates existing contracts and platforms.
• Competing asset managers in the real assets and alternative income space should take note: a distribution-aligned CMO hire at this stage of the market cycle indicates Cohen & Steers is investing to compete harder for wallet share.