Jennifer Doss
PLANADVISER: What are the most common operational challenges in a retirement plan advisory firm? How do you manage those?
Doss: Everything depends on strong and effective communication between teams and people. Whether it’s distributing information to a broad network of advisers, tailoring messages to different client segments for stronger engagement, launching new solutions and sales campaigns, or simply executing day-to-day work for clients, effective communication is at the core of it all.
Servicing a client involves many people and teams. If roles, responsibilities or workflow status aren’t clearly understood, it can quickly lead to breakdowns and a poor client experience. Having a single source of truth for client information and the right workflow technology is key to addressing this challenge.
Another common operational challenge is data governance. A single source of information and workflow is only valuable if the data are accurate. Without clear ownership, update protocols and maintenance processes, the data can become unreliable over time. You can’t make good, firm decisions or effectively get work done for clients without good data.
PLANADVISER: What are the skills that are most needed to be successful in your role?
Doss: To succeed in this role, I think you need an unwavering commitment to client service and genuine curiosity. It’s easy to get caught up in what your company can do and forget to ask the more important question: Should we do it?
It is risky to assume you know what the client wants without taking the time to challenge your assumptions or examine the problem from every angle. Curiosity keeps you grounded in the client’s needs and open to better solutions. This industry is full of strong opinions and loud voices, but I don’t think you need to be the loudest if you’re solving the right problems.
Success, for me, isn’t creating something new for the sake of innovation or efficiency. I do enjoy that part, though! It’s about creating something that actually matters. Every decision has to start with the client and work backward, and at the end of the day, my true north is the participant. Does this solution improve the participant’s experience or outcomes? Does it make them more financially secure and bring them closer to retiring on their own terms? If the answer is yes, then it’s the right solution.
PLANADVISER: For people who don’t understand this space; how would you describe your job to get someone excited about pursuing something similar?
Doss: I sometimes describe my job as one of the ‘hidden roles’ of the retirement industry. You often see commercials about financial advisories helping individuals, but you rarely hear about retirement plan advisers—the people working behind the scenes to help entire companies support their employees’ financial futures—and you hear even less about the people that support those retirement advisers.
What excites me about my position is the scale of impact. With every decision I help make, we’re influencing the financial future of hundreds or thousands of people. It’s incredibly fulfilling to know that my work helps so many people retire with confidence.