The new investment strategy chief at the firm is, among other roles, a regular TV commentator on the CNBC business channel.

Chicago-based wealth management group Hightower has named industry veteran and CNBC contributor Stephanie Link as chief investment strategist and portfolio manager. This is a newly-created executive role. 

Link will be responsible for growing and expanding the firm’s investment solutions group, which provides outsourced chief investment officer services, model portfolios, separate management accounts, investment research and due diligence to Hightower advisors.

Most recently, Link was the senior managing director and head of global equities research at Nuveen, where she co-managed the CREF Stock Variable Annuity Portfolio with $170 billion in assets, managed her own US Core portfolio with $3.7 billion in assets and oversaw 33 investment professionals who collectively managed $40 billion. 

Before Nuveen, Link spent six years as chief investment officer at The Street and was co-portfolio manager of Jim Cramer’s Charitable Trust. She also spent 10 years as managing director of institutional sales and director of research at Prudential Equity Group.

Link is a long-time contributor to CNBC, where she serves as guest host on The Closing Bell, The Halftime Report and Squawk Box.