PLANADVISER: Tell us about your role at your firm and how you contribute to its growth and progress.
Kostarelos: As an account specialist, I support our team’s consultants by preparing quarterly deliverables, completing meeting minutes, filling in for administrative meetings when the consultants are unavailable, and assisting with various projects. These include request for proposals, fund changes and match/true-up calculations.
I mainly work with the Southeast team, which consists of 133 clients with 144 plans, $16 billion in assets and $7.2 million in revenue. Of the 133 clients, my book contains 48 clients, 51 plans, with more than $10 billion in assets and $3 million in revenue. By working alongside the consultants, it allows them to maintain a greater book of business, leading to increased revenue by maintaining a larger client list.
PLANADVISER: How do you incorporate purpose or mission into your day-to-day work?
Kostarelos: For as long as I can remember, positivity has always been a core value of mine. One of the easiest things I can do in life is to be kind to others. I strongly believe this attitude is not only contagious, but also maintains a higher level of team morale and strengthens relationships with my colleagues and clients alike.
PLANADVISER: Who are your mentors or role models and what lessons have you learned from them?
Kostarelos: I am thankful to work with so many fantastic individuals that have trained and mentored me. One individual specifically, Ashli Smith, has been critical in my growth and where I am today. Ashli is my manager and joined the team a few months after I did. Most of my clients are with Ashli, so naturally I work with her the most. From the moment she joined, my knowledge, organization and confidence exponentially increased.
The most important lesson I’ve learned from Ashli is to have confidence in what I do and always believe in myself. Through working together, Ashli has pointed out and helped me polish strengths that I was unaware of.