Board of Directors

Teddy Schlanger is a Director of Financial Reporting and Accounting at Venerable. He is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) and Pennsylvania Institute of CPA (PICPA). He leads Venerable’s Accounting Policy and Investment Accounting teams. In those roles, he determines accounting for unique and complex transactions including ones requiring state commissioner approval such as reinsurance, derivatives, reserve basis changes, financing, RSATs, and affiliate transactions. He also manages special projects like NAIC Bond Project, new systems implementations, first-time financial statement audits, and new guidance implementation. Prior to joining Venerable in 2019, he worked for the Tokio Marine Group in P&C financial reporting and at Deloitte auditing insurance and healthcare clients.

While it is clear Teddy knows the numbers, he also knows the importance of community and supporting young people. Teddy has a long history of organizing and serving as a regular Red Cross blood donor. He volunteers as a Little League assistant coach and an active class parent volunteer at his children’s school, He holds a B.A. in History from Davidson College, a Masters of Accountancy from Vanderbilt University, and an MBA from Villanova University.

Bernex Richardson is the Senior Vice President of Career Accelerator and Alumni Relations at Per Scholas and the Founder of Thrive Collaborative. As a nonprofit executive and certified Empowerment Coach, he is deeply committed to advancing equity, expanding access, and creating opportunities that empower individuals and communities to thrive. Since beginning his career with Teach For America in 2009, Bernex has held leadership roles across education, workforce development, and people management in schools, nonprofits, and global tech companies.

He is currently pursuing an Ed.D. in Higher Education Leadership and Practice at the University of North Georgia, where his research focuses on workforce development, upward mobility, and the role institutions play in leading learners to opportunity. This scholar-practitioner perspective informs his executive leadership and strengthens his commitment to building more equitable systems for learning and work.

Bernex holds certifications in Diversity and Inclusion from Cornell University and in Executive Coaching from the Academy of Creative Coaching. He is also an active member of the International Coaching Federation (ICF). His academic background includes a B.S. in Music Education from the University of North Georgia and an M.S.Ed. in Higher Education Management from the University of Pennsylvania.