PLANADVISER: Tell us about your role at your firm and your current responsibilities? How do you contribute to your firm/team’s growth and progress?
Hausmann: As an operations associate at KerberRose Wealth Management, I serve as a key liaison between our advisory team and clients, ensuring seamless onboarding and ongoing service. I manage new client paperwork, track rollovers and coordinate plan implementation, all while maintaining a high-touch client experience. My role also includes supporting fiduciary reviews and investment committee documentation, which helps ensure compliance and strategic alignment across our plans. I’ve contributed to internal process improvements and co-developed training materials to support team development. These efforts help scale our operations while maintaining the personalized service our clients expect.
PLANADVISER: What are the most common operational challenges in a retirement plan advisory firm? How do you manage those?
Hausmann: Navigating ERISA, IRS and DOL rules is no small feat. I manage this by maintaining a detailed fiduciary file and working closely with third-party administrators to respond to audits, plan terminations and compliance events. Balancing participant outcomes with fiduciary standards requires constant evaluation. I support this through fee benchmarking and plan design reviews. Low engagement can derail retirement readiness. I address this by providing tailored education, enrollment support and financial planning tools to participants. Plan customization is also necessary due to the unique requirements of each client, and I assist in tailoring plan structures and investment options to specific objectives.
PLANADVISER: What are the skills that are most needed to be successful in your role?
Hausmann: An operations associate demonstrates key competencies, including process improvement, technical expertise, team collaboration and achievement orientation with consistent, detail-oriented, high-quality work. Additional strengths include clear and empathetic client communication; dedication to ongoing development; and contributions beyond core duties, reflecting a learning mindset.