Following his graduation from Oregon State University, Rod began his career in 1984 as a sales consultant for a leading employee benefits brokerage firm. After leading sales teams in the Northwest and New England, he returned to Oregon to start his own firm. In 1995, he co-founded what became The Partners Group with Bruce Kerr. After leading the company as president for 16 years and CEO for over a decade, he transitioned to Executive Chairman of the Board of Directors for TPG in 2023.
While leading TPG, in 2012 Rod founded C2 Solutions, a group of the nation’s top independent regional benefit firms that drive collaborative solutions in employee benefits consulting. Today, C2 represents one of the nation’s largest privately held firms.
Rod is currently the chairman of the TPG Foundation. He also donated his time and counsel to organizations including the Oregon & SW Washington American Heart Association, The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, Portland Children’s Museum, Portland Rescue Mission, OHSU Medical Group, and The Contingent, to name just a few. He has also served as vice-chair of The Council of Employee Benefits Executives (CEBE).