Former United States senator Joe Manchin III has been appointed to the board of Athene Holding Ltd, the retirement services company formerly domiciled in Bermuda, and has also been named as an adviser to Apollo, the global alternative asset manager.

Athene, headquartered on the island until a move to Delaware in 2023, is the parent to Athene Life Re Ltd, one of Bermuda’s largest annuity reinsurance companies.

The news about Mr Manchin came in a joint announcement from Apollo and Athene, which completed a merger in 2022.

The parties said Mr Manchin will provide advisory services to Apollo on various matters including energy markets, given the firm’s leading role in providing capital to enable the global industrial renaissance.

Mr Manchin served as a senator for West Virginia from 2010 until 2025. He was chairman of the senate energy and natural resources committee, as well as a member of the appropriations, armed services, and veterans’ affairs committees.

Prior to his tenure in the senate, Mr Manchin served as the 34th governor of West Virginia from 2005 until 2010 and as West Virginia secretary of state from 2001 until 2005. He graduated from West Virginia University with a degree in business administration.

Marc Rowan, chief executive of Apollo, said: “Senator Manchin’s distinguished career experience and expertise will be incredibly valuable to Apollo and our clients and partners. We look forward to his contributions to help meet the unprecedented capital need required to drive the global industrial renaissance and support the significant retirement needs of Americans and families around the globe.”

Jim Belardi, chief executive of Athene, said: “Senator Manchin is a great addition to Athene’s board as we address the significant need for next generation retirement products. His public sector experience, expertise on a broad range of issues, and track record of independent thinking make him a valuable member of our board.”

Mr Manchin said: “Apollo is a forward-thinking financial services firm that has been able to offer capital at scale to drive the American economy forward.

“Athene provides critical retirement services to millions of Americans and is the leading innovator in tackling modern retirement challenges.

“I look forward to bringing a unique perspective to both the team at Apollo and the Athene board, contributing to the firm’s continued success in retirement services and providing capital to enable energy accretion and transition.”