PLANADVISER: In what ways do you influence business decisions or firm growth through your operational role?
McKellar: In an operational role, I influence business decisions and the firm’s growth by ensuring investment solutions are implemented efficiently and accurately. A well-designed operational process is essential to deliver consistent experience for both advisers and clients. By leading the collective investment trust onboarding process, I help accelerate the implementation of investment products that can help expand the investment options available to clients. Efficient execution can help reduce delays and support client and adviser experiences. I continuously look for opportunities to improve workflows, streamline the process and strengthen our collaboration with advisers, account specialists, recordkeepers and trust companies.
PLANADVISER: What leadership skills are most important in operations today?
McKellar: Important leadership skills in operations today are communication, collaboration, adaptability and striving to continue improving the process. Clear communication and strong relationships with all parties are essential to keeping complex processes moving efficiently. Collaborating across different departments and with external partners both help to align priorities and efficiently support outcomes for our advisers and clients.
PLANADVISER: For people who don’t understand this space, how would you describe your job to get someone excited about pursuing something similar?
McKellar: It’s exciting to be able to connect all the moving pieces, working with a wide range of people from advisers, account specialists, recordkeepers and trust companies to solve complex challenges and bring projects to completion. Each day is different and requires strong communication and critical thinking. There is meaningful impact as you can improve processes, help develop procedures and create efficiencies.