Austin Ayers

Austin Ayers, CFP®, SHRM-CP®, currently serves as the Lead Compliance Analyst & Branch Examiner at Guardian Life since September 2022. Prior experience includes serving as Regional Compliance Director at Principal Financial Group from 2015 to September 2022, overseeing compliance for a region with around 400 licensed professionals across eight states. Austin also held roles as Project Manager for a broker-dealer transition at Stavis and Cohen Financial, Corporate Services Manager at Emerging Markets Communications, Operations Manager for AIG's Project Ignite, and Managing Director of Compliance & Supervision at IMG Financial Group. Additional experience encompasses various compliance and training projects at smaller firms following the Great Recession, as well as positions at Stanford Group and Kanaly Trust Company, where financial planning and compliance were key responsibilities. Austin holds a Master's in Financial Planning and a Bachelor's in Human Development and Family Studies from Texas Tech University.