PLANADVISER: Tell us about your role at your firm and how you contribute to its growth and progress. How did you end up there?
Calder: My role is to serve as a consultant for an assigned book of business. In that capacity, I act as the primary contact for clients and assist them in all aspects of plan management. This position contributes to firm growth in a variety of ways, including client retention, expansion of services and assistance with prospect finalist presentations.
I ended up in this position through career growth and have gained valuable knowledge each step along the way that has helped me be successful in this position. These roles include working in a participant information center and then as a new business transition manager at a recordkeeper; serving as a plan administrator on a PEO’s MEP; and, most recently, before joining my current firm, working as a compliance analyst at another recordkeeper. This wide range of responsibilities has proven to be useful in providing me with many helpful skills, including communication, project management, compliance and an overall view of the retirement plan industry as a whole. When I moved to my firm, I initially acted as a secondary contact to learn the ropes on the advisory side, which eventually led me to the lead contact role that I have today.
PLANADVISER: Where do you hope to take your career in the retirement plan or advisory industry in coming years?
Calder: My hope is for continued growth and progression in the retirement plan industry. I strive to build lasting relationships with my current clients and look forward to fostering newer relationships as my book grows. Overall, I want to keep growing my knowledge in various aspects of the industry and using this knowledge to best consult with my clients in sponsoring a strong retirement benefit for their workforce. I would like to work with more and more complex plans, as I feel this is the next step in my trajectory. I would also like to help mentor newer consultants on the team as we continue to grow, as ultimately, the stronger the team, the better we will all be able to work together as a team to help our clients.
PLANADVISER: How do you define success in your role?
Calder: Success in my role means building strong lasting relationships with my clients and aiding them in fulfilling their fiduciary obligations related to their retirement program. It is not only about maintaining my book of business, but also obtaining complete, total and continued client satisfaction. It is going above and beyond to help clients not just check the boxes, but make improvements to their plan that will contribute to a true impact on their workforce’s future retirement. Ultimately, we work with plan sponsors to achieve the greater goal of helping thousands of employees within those plans retire happily on their own terms.