Paul Hatch Head of Investment Products, Morgan Stanley Smith Barney

To have a successful distribution program, a mutual fund must have platform space. Morgan Stanley's marriage to Smith Barney, formalized in June, collapsed the then-five wirehouses into four. That deal also magnified the influence of Smith Barney lifer Paul Hatch.

Hatch had reported directly to Sallie Krawchek -- now a top executive at Bank of America (Merrill Lynch). Going into 2010 he continues to head the investment product arm for the combined brokerage. In that role he charts the course for fund firms sold through the wirehouse's 18,500-strong broker force.

Hatch joined the Smith Barney in 1984 after a short career in the Navy. He is a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy where he studied engineering and political science. 

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