FORTY Under 40: Lily Quinlan

Lily Quinlan, vice president, investment adviser, PNC Insurance Solutions Group.

Quinlan works with captive and commercial insurance clients, managing investment portfolios and communicating about investment objectives, global markets and investment risk management.

After graduating from the University of Texas at Austin, Quinlan joined PNC asset management group in 2020 and the insurance solutions group in 2023 after working for various client types in the investment office.

Quinlan and her husband enjoy living in Dallas, where she is an active participant in the CFA Society of DFW.

Looking back at your journey over the past year, what accomplishment are you most proud of, and how has becoming a FORTY Under 40 finalist influenced your perspective on that achievement?

I won PNC’s 2025 market all-star award last year. This was awarded on the basis of personal achievement, but the skill of the broader insurance solutions group encouraged the individual development and collaboration with peers that helped me earn the title.

Becoming a FORTY Under 40 finalist has reinforced my belief that I am a strong player on a proven team. Having now spent a few years in the captive industry, I’ve seen how our investment approach has influenced the landscape, and am proud to be a part of that. My capabilities are clear to colleagues across the bank, and the FORTY Under 40 finalist title is another reinforcement.

What key challenge did you face in your work this year? How did you overcome it and what did it teach you about leadership at this stage of your career?

The past year has presented the positive challenge of becoming a knowledge resource. As our insurance client book continues to grow, we’ve brought on new team members. There is an extensive training period due to the bespoke nature of our investment portfolios and the various intricacies we must know about regulations, accounting, liability profiles, etc. 

More established members of the team are tasked with much of this knowledge transfer. It is a rewarding process, but can be intensive.

Trust encourages clients to communicate their risk tolerance, liquidity needs, and other information that we can use to further optimise their portfolios.

In what ways have you tried to push innovation or rethink traditional approaches within your sector, and what impact has that had on your team or organisation?

PNC’s liability-driven approach to insurance portfolio construction really looks “under the hood” of each client’s liability profile. The output of our enterprise financial modelling process allows our advisory team to invest with confidence, and clients are able to focus on other aspects of the business with the knowledge that PNC is managing their portfolio prudently. This trust encourages clients to communicate their risk tolerance, liquidity needs, and other information that we can use to further optimise their portfolios; there is a positive feedback loop in our process.

How do you see your role evolving over the next three to five years, and what initiatives are you most excited to pursue as you continue to grow professionally?

I’ll continue to strive for the strong investment results and client relationships that make a great adviser. My goal is to transition into a more senior position, mentoring younger advisers along the way. I’ve been involved in our systems evolution and I’m excited to see what kind of efficiencies this will create.

Many of the FORTY Under 40 winners are recognised for both business success and broader impact — how do you balance professional excellence with contributions to your community or industry landscape?

Being successful at your job while also being involved in your community can be a tough balancing act, but the sacrifice is rewarded once you see the impact you’ve made. Whether it’s time spent at a client’s board meeting or building a home with Habitat for Humanity, you come away knowing that you’ve played a part in a bigger process. Losing a few hours of sleep along the way doesn’t seem like a big deal any more.

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