In Practice May 9, 2024

PLANADVISER’S 2024 Retirement Plan Adviser of the Year Winners

Winners were announced at the Industry Leader Awards dinner in New York along with recognition for top advisers and the launch of a new emerging leaders program.

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PLANADVISER announced the 2024 Retirement Plan Adviser of the Year Award Winners at the Industry Leaders Awards in New York on Wednesday.

At the annual awards dinner, winners and finalists were recognized for demonstrating leadership and a commitement to excellence in serving retirement plan sponsors and participants and contributing to the retirement plan adviser industry.

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Finalists and winners were named in the following categories: 

  • Closing the Coverage Gap — Micro/Startup Plans
  • Closing the Coverage Gap — MEPs/PEPs
  • Efforts to Improve Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
  • Mentorship
  • 403(b) Plan Service
  • Plan Participant Service
  • Plan Sponsor Service

You can see the full list of winners and finalists on the awards page here: 2024 PLANADVISER Retirement Plan Adviser of the Year | PLANADVISER.

(Award winners from left to right) Chuck Williams, Finspire; Kristi Baker, CSi Advisory Services, a division of HUB; Kim Cochrane, Hub; Liz Aidoo, Francis LLC; Philip Sherman, Deschutes Investment Consulting; Megan Warzinski, HB Retirement; and Sean Kelly, Heffernan Financial. (photo: Casey Fatchett)


At the dinner, this year’s Top Retirement Plan Advisers were also recognized, with many of the more than 250 top advisers in attendance. This prestigious designation recognizes the top retirement plan advisers in the industry based on quantitative measures. To be listed, advisers had to have a minimum requirement of 50 plan clients or retirement plan assets under advisement of $400 million or more.

The full list of Top Retirement Plan Advisers can be found at this link: 2024 PLANADVISER Retirement Plan Adviser of the Year | PLANADVISER.

Attendees at the 2024 Industry Leader Awards. (photo: Casey Fatchett)


2024’s PLANADVISER Vision Award winners were also recognized for their contributions to propelling positive change in retirement saving and security for U.S. workers and retirees.

This year, PLANADVISER recognize for the organizational award the Defined Contribution Institutional Investment Association (DCIIA), and for the individual award Jim O’Shaughnessy for his work in creating the Kohler Conference, now known as the Advisor Institute Summit.

More details about these award winners can be found here: 2024 Vision Awards | PLANADVISER.

DCIIA President & CEO Lew Minsky (photo: Casey Fatchett)


Jim O’Shaughnessy, president of retirement and private wealth at HUB and founder of the Kohler Conference (photo: Casey Fatchett)


At the awards dinner, Alison Mintzer, publisher of ISS Media, also announced a new recognition program called Emerging Leaders. The program, which launched at the dinner and is now accepting nominees, is seeking emerging leaders who have worked in the retirement plan advisory industry for at least three years, but no more than 10. Nominees can be working in areas including advising, operations, client relations, data, participant education or some other piece of the business.

A link for details and nomination can be found at: Announcing the PLANADVISER Emerging Leaders Recognition | PLANADVISER.

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