John Kirkpatrick
PLANADVISER: In what ways do you influence business decisions or firm growth through your operational role?
Kirkpatrick: I influence business decisions and firm growth by providing the investment research, fiduciary support and strategic insights that help our consultants guide plan sponsors in making informed retirement plan decisions. Through investment due diligence, committee meeting preparation, market analysis and plan-level recommendations, I help plan sponsors evaluate investment options, fulfill fiduciary responsibilities and improve outcomes for participants.
My role also contributes to firm growth by strengthening client relationships and enhancing the value we deliver to plan sponsors. I support client meetings, investment committee presentations, RFP responses and educational initiatives that demonstrate our expertise and reinforce our position as a trusted adviser. By equipping advisers with timely, actionable and client-ready resources, I help drive client retention, deepen existing relationships and support opportunities to win new business.
PLANADVISER: What is the most complex operational challenge you’ve solved, and how did you approach it?
Kirkpatrick: One of the most complex operational challenges I’ve helped solve was standardizing and scaling our investment research and due diligence process across a growing retirement plan client base. As the number of plans, investment options and client requests increased, we needed a more consistent and efficient way to deliver timely, client-ready materials, while maintaining strong fiduciary oversight.
To address this, I helped develop a more centralized framework for recommended investment options through our focus list, creating a clearer process for identifying strategies that met our standards for use in client lineups. I also helped our team incorporate technology, including Salesforce task workflows, to define responsibilities, improve accountability and reduce manual follow-up. The result was a more scalable process that improved consistency, shortened turnaround times and allowed our team to spend more time on client strategy and decisionmaking, rather than administrative tasks.
PLANADVISER: For people who don’t understand this space, how would you describe your job to get someone excited about pursuing something similar?
Kirkpatrick: I help employers make decisions about their retirement plans and help employees achieve better retirement outcomes. I analyze investment solutions, monitor market trends and help plan sponsors navigate complex fiduciary responsibilities so they can provide better retirement outcomes for their employees.
What makes my role exciting is that it combines technical expertise with meaningful client impact. You’re not just looking at data—you’re helping organizations create the framework for retirement programs that can improve the financial future of hundreds or even thousands of people. It is a role where you are constantly learning and adapting as the markets evolve.