PLANADVISER: Tell us about your role at your firm and how you contribute to its growth and progress. How did you end up there?
Freeman: I work at Newfront as an investment and operations analyst, where my focus is on streamlining data collection and creating clear, visually engaging reports. It’s my goal that the reports I create help provide comprehensive insight into investment performance and meaningful information regarding plan metrics. In my role, I have the opportunity to support strategic and data-driven decisionmaking and collaborate with my team to enhance our clients’ retirement service experience.
The journey to my role at Newfront was not a linear one. I studied English and writing in college and, after graduating, began my career in publishing. While I was there, I happened to receive a pitch letter from an author detailing his retirement journey and the fundamentals of investing. It was a subject I had never been exposed to before, and it sparked genuine curiosity in me. I eventually went back to school to study computer science, knowing that I wanted to apply my skills in a field where I could continue to learn more about finance. This ultimately led me to my current role at Newfront.
PLANADVISER: Where do you hope to take your career in the retirement plan or advisory industry in coming years?
Freeman: Working in the investment industry has truly shown me that there is always more to learn, and that’s one of my favorite things about this field. Over the past four years at Newfront, my understanding of fund performance and evaluation has grown significantly. I have gained experience in analyzing trends in plan metrics, as well as benchmarking plans against industry peers. I’m committed to continuing to deepen my investment knowledge and to pursue further education and professional credentials. I especially appreciate the dynamic nature of this industry, where each day can present new learning opportunities. One area I’m particularly passionate about is data visualization. There is such comprehensive data available regarding plan performance, and I believe that using data analysis can truly tell a story and bring data insights to life. It’s a powerful way to continue to educate and engage clients, and I’m excited to contribute to reporting that does exactly that.
PLANADVISER: What are you most passionate about outside of the office?
Freeman: Outside of the office, I am a passionate hobbyist baker. I’ve always enjoyed the precision and creativity that baking requires. I love the technical aspects of it: measuring carefully and meticulously following steps to make sure a recipe comes out correctly. (I also love the end result: eating cake.) Over time, I’ve branched out to more complicated desserts, and last October, I signed up for a course at my local bake shop to learn more advanced cake decorating. It was more than just a class; it was also a great way to meet other members of the community who love baking. Everyone had a different reason for being in the class, whether they wanted to bake their own wedding cake or just wanted to learn more technical skills for the cakes they made for birthday celebrations, but what we all had in common was our enthusiasm for baking. Most recently, I have been experimenting with baking chocolate-dipped madeleines, and I often look on YouTube and Instagram for recipe inspiration. When I’m not baking you can probably catch me winding down by watching “The Great British Bake Off.” I’ve seen every season and am consistently amazed by the contestants’ creativity.