Newfront Retirement Services, Inc.

Greg Kaplan,
Senior Vice President, Retirement Services

Business at a Glance as of 12/31/24

• Location: San Francisco, California
• How many retirement plan assets do you have under advisement? $25.2B
• What is your median plan size (in assets)? $10.5M
• How many plans do you have under administration? 447
• How many participants in total do you serve? 277,207
• Parent firm: Newfront Insurance Services, LLC

PLANADVISER: How is your team unique in the marketplace? How do you differentiate yourself from others?

Greg Kaplan, Senior Vice President, Retirement Services, Newfront: We pride ourselves on being disruptors in an industry that is often slow to change and stuck in old ways of thinking. We bring energy, diversity and strategic investment in deep expertise across all areas that matter to plan sponsors including plan compliance, fiduciary training and asset management. Our culture fosters a growth mindset and rewards team innovation.

We know how to move fast—we work with some of the world’s most innovative, fastest-growing companies—and we know how to build competitive 401(k) plans to help our clients win the war for talent. We are built differently.

PLANADVISER: What does success mean for your practice? What metrics do you use to measure success?

Kaplan: While financial success is important, we believe true success is measured by the strength, growth and happiness of our team. A thriving team drives everything we do, and that’s reflected in our consistently top-ranked engagement scores across the company, widespread industry recognition (with more than one-third of our team honored last year) and remarkable career growth (over one-third earned promotions last year). When our people excel, our practice succeeds—fostering a culture of innovation, collaboration and continuous achievement. That’s what success looks like to us.

PLANADVISER: Why is it important to broaden the makeup of the advisory industry in the next five to 10 years? What advice can you give to industry peers about the need to get involved with recruiting more people?

Kaplan: Historically, our industry has not reflected the true diversity of the individuals it serves. To drive more inclusive and meaningful outcomes over the next five to 10 years, it is critical to broaden the representation of those shaping its future.

We are committed to strategically prioritizing diverse talent in our recruitment efforts. This includes expanding internship and training programs to attract and develop the next generation of advisers. We also empower our team to set ambitious goals, providing the funding and resources needed to bring those initiatives to life.

Additionally, we recognize that great talent attracts great talent—our strongest recruiting pipeline comes from within, which is why we actively incentivize referrals through bonus programs. By fostering a more inclusive industry, we create stronger, more innovative teams that better serve the evolving needs of our clients.

PLANADVISER: When addressing the lack of youth or diversity in the financial advisory industry, how do you go about moving from words and ideas to action?

Kaplan: Meaningful change requires more than just conversations—it demands intentional action. That’s why we take a highly strategic and focused approach to recruitment, carefully selecting where and how we source talent. We go beyond traditional pipelines, seeking out candidates from diverse backgrounds who bring fresh perspectives and new energy to the industry. Just as importantly, we invest in developing and promoting talent from within, ensuring that our team members have clear pathways for growth and leadership opportunities.

Rather than obsessing over industry experience, we prioritize the qualities that truly drive success: an eagerness to learn, a strong work ethic, a collaborative mindset and a cultural fit that aligns with our values. By widening the lens through which we evaluate talent—both externally and internally—we’re not just building a stronger team, we’re shaping a more inclusive, forward-thinking future for the industry.

PLANADVISER: What’s your favorite book or podcast?

Kaplan: I can’t pick just one! For podcasts, from a markets and business perspective, I love Masters in Business, Animal Spirits, Compound and Friends, Odd Lots, The Prof G Pod with Scott Galloway, and Streetwise from Barron’s. As for books, some of my recent favorites include Barry Ritholtz’s “How Not to Invest” and Josh Brown’s “You Weren’t Supposed to See That.”

NEWFRONT DISCLOSURE: Rankings and/or recognitions by unaffiliated rating services, publications, media, or other organizations, nor the achievement of any professional designation, certification, degree, or license, membership in any professional organization, or any amount of prior experience or success, should be construed by a client or prospective client as a guarantee that he/she will experience a certain level of results if Newfront Retirement Services is engaged, or continues to be engaged, to provide investment advisory services. Rankings published by magazines, and others, generally base their selections exclusively on information prepared and/or submitted by the recognized adviser. Rankings are generally limited to participating advisers. Unless expressly indicated to the contrary, Newfront Retirement Services did not pay a fee to be included on any such ranking. No ranking or recognition should be construed as a current or past endorsement of Newfront Retirement Services by any of its clients.