Our Team

Catherine Collinson

CEO and President

Catherine Collinson is CEO and president of nonprofit Transamerica Institute and Transamerica Center for Retirement Studies. Catherine is a retirement and market trends expert and champion for Americans who are at risk of not achieving a financially secure retirement. She oversees all research and outreach initiatives, including the Annual Transamerica Retirement Survey.

With more than two decades of retirement industry-related experience, Catherine has become a nationally recognized voice on retirement trends. Catherine is regularly cited by top media outlets on aging and retirement-related topics, speaks at industry conferences, and authors articles in leading industry journals. She has testified before Congress on matters related to employer-sponsored retirement plans among small business, which have featured the need to raise awareness of the Saver’s Credit among those who would benefit most from the important tax credit. She co-hosts ClearPath: Your Roadmap to Health and Wealth on WYPR, Baltimore’s NPR news station.

In 2018, Catherine was recognized an Influencer in Aging by PBS Next Avenue for her work in continuing to push beyond traditional boundaries and change our society's understanding of what it means to grow older. In 2016, she was honored with a Hero Award from the Women’s Institute for a Secure Retirement (WISER) for her tireless efforts in helping improve retirement security among women. In 2015, Catherine joined the Advisory Board of the Milken Institute’s Center for the Future of Aging.

Catherine is employed by Transamerica Corporation. Since joining the organization in 1995, she has held a number of positions and has identified and implemented short- and long-term strategic initiatives, including the founding of the nonprofit Transamerica Institute and its Transamerica Center for Retirement Studies. Prior to her employment at Transamerica, Catherine spent nearly a decade at The Walt Disney Company, serving in information services and business planning posts.

Catherine earned her bachelor’s degree in British and American literature at Scripps College, Claremont, California, and her master’s of business administration at the University of California, Irvine.

Patti Vogt Rowey

Vice President

Patti Vogt Rowey serves as vice president of Transamerica Institute.  Patti is a retirement and aging expert for Transamerica Center for Retirement Studies and strives to help all Americans increase their knowledge about saving for a financially secure future. Additionally, Patti is an advocate for experienced employees and finding ways to support employers to create and foster multi-generational workforces.

Patti has more than 20 years of retirement experience, specializing in research covering a broad range of stakeholders, including retirement plan participants and sponsors, financial advisors, retirees – and future savers. Patti is adept at analyzing and interpreting research and translating that information into actionable plans. She helps manage and execute research initiatives, including the Annual Transamerica Retirement Survey.

Patti volunteers for Los Angeles-based community organizations, including the Assistance League of Los Angeles, which provides social services to individuals with critical needs, and where she previously served on the Board of Directors.

Patti is employed by Transamerica Corporation. Prior to joining Transamerica in 2011, Patti spent 17 years at American Funds Distributors, a subsidiary of Capital Group, serving as market research manager.

Patti earned her bachelor’s degree in political science at the University of California, Irvine, and a certificate in marketing from UCLA.

Heidi Cho 

Millennial Retirement Expert and Senior Research and Content Analyst

Heidi Cho is Senior Research & Content Analyst at Transamerica Institute and its Transamerica Center for Retirement Studies. Her work spans supporting all research and outreach initiatives, including the Annual Transamerica Retirement Survey; overseeing social media strategy and creative materials; and optimizing and maintaining the website.

Her interests include the multidimensional nature of successful aging and longevity – ranging from healthy aging and financial well-being, to age-inclusive employment strategies. She is also an advocate for improving financial literacy among young adults and creating a generation of habitual savers for retirement.

Heidi is employed by Transamerica Corporation. She joined Transamerica in 2012 as an intern at Transamerica Center for Retirement Studies, and joined the team full time in 2014. Prior to working at Transamerica, she served as research assistant at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles Marine Diversity Center and as a health services coordinator at the USC Office for Health Promotion Strategy.

Heidi earned her bachelor’s degree in Neuroscience and minor in Art History from the University of Southern California (USC), and a certificate in Advanced Concepts in an Aging Society from the USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology and American Society on Aging.

Mihaela Vincze

Health Care Content Developer

Mihaela Vincze serves as Health Care Content Developer for Transamerica Institute. With a broad range of experience in public health, she leads the development and implementation of the organization’s health and wellness-related initiatives. She is passionate about advancing world health, and building engaged, collaborative communities. Her ambition is to inspire and empower individuals to achieve the best outcomes in their health and financial well-being.

Mihaela is employed by Transamerica Corporation. Prior to joining the organization in 2019, she served as a graduate assistant at Building Infrastructure Leading to Diversity & Promoting Opportunities for Diversity in Education and Research (BUILD PODER), a National Institute of Health biomedical research program. She created infectious disease modules and oversaw teams of undergraduate students who implemented them in underserved schools.

Mihaela previously specialized in the development of health-related curriculum, as well as academic and community engagement. During college, she was an active volunteer, peer health educator, and grassroots organizer for reproductive justice. She then joined a federally qualified health center, leading efforts to expand the reach of prevention services through community outreach and education.

Mihaela earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in public health from California State University, Northridge, and a certificate in Strategic Social Media Marketing from Boston University.

Elizabeth Jackson

Administrative Assistant

Elizabeth “Liz” Jackson provides administrative, production, and project support to nonprofit Transamerica Institute and its Transamerica Center for Retirement Studies. She is passionate about helping people make informed decisions about their health and financial well-being. She earned her bachelor’s degree in sociology at University of California Los Angeles. She also holds a professional certification in Human Resources Management from California State University Long Beach.

Liz is employed by Transamerica Corporation. Prior to joining Transamerica in 2019, Liz worked for Toyota Motor North America as an assistant in its R&D engineering divisions for 14 years.

Outside of work, Liz dedicates much of her time volunteering in ministry outreach activities at her church.