Greg Kaplan

Practice Leader, Newfront

Business at a Glance

PLANADVISER: What differentiates your team in a crowded advisory marketplace today?

Kaplan: We are built differently.

In an industry slow to change, we move fast. We work with some of the world’s most innovative, fastest-growing companies, and we bring that same energy internally. Our team reflects genuine diversity of background and expertise, with investment in deep specialization enabling us to bring clients real depth, not be generalists wearing multiple hats.

We fully embrace artificial intelligence. We’re actively building proprietary tools, workflows and client deliverables. This isn’t a future initiative—it’s happening now.

Culturally, we reward people who push boundaries. Stretch projects are incentivized. Adoption of new technologies is recognized and celebrated. We deliberately create space for experimentation and fun. That energy attracts top talent and keeps our team sharp.

The result: We help clients build highly competitive 401(k) plans that win the war for talent, backed by a team that operates more like a tech-forward firm than a traditional advisory practice.

We don’t just talk about innovation. We build it into how we work every day.

PLANADVISER: What does “success” look like for your firm beyond asset growth?

Kaplan: True success, for us, goes far beyond asset growth. It lives in the strength, growth and fulfillment of our team—because we believe a thriving team drives everything else.

That philosophy shows up in measurable ways: consistently top-ranked engagement scores across our firm, widespread industry recognition and a strong track record of career advancement within our practice. When our people are growing, our clients feel it. When our culture is healthy, our results follow.

We don’t see business performance, client outcomes and team development as competing priorities—they’re the same priority expressed differently. Investing in our people creates the innovation and collaboration that elevate client service, which, in turn, sustains our business. Each reinforces the other.

Success, to us, looks like a team that shows up energized, supported and proud of the work they do—and clients who feel that difference every time we engage with them.

PLANADVISER: Why does broadening the talent pipeline in retirement plan advising matter to the industry’s future? What risks do you see if it doesn’t happen?

Kaplan: Our industry has historically failed to reflect the diversity of the people it serves—and that gap has real consequences. Homogeneous teams produce homogeneous thinking. If the talent pipeline doesn’t broaden, we risk irrelevance to an increasingly diverse workforce, stunted innovation and, ultimately, failing the next generation of participants.

Addressing this requires intentional action—not aspirational statements.

We prioritize diverse recruitment at every level, including early-career talent, and invest in the training and mentorship to develop them. We emphasize a growth mindset and back it with real resources. And we recognize a simple truth: Great talent attracts great talent. Our strongest pipeline comes from within—which is why we incentivize referrals and empower our team to help shape the future of our organization.

A more inclusive industry doesn’t just feel better—it performs better.

PLANADVISER: What concrete steps has your firm taken to attract, develop, or retain next-generation or underrepresented talent? What has worked—and what hasn’t?

Kaplan: Meaningful change requires intentional action, not just conversation. We take a strategic approach to recruitment—going beyond traditional pipelines to source candidates from diverse backgrounds who bring fresh perspectives and new energy.

We’ve deliberately widened our lens. Rather than prioritizing industry experience, we hire for the qualities that actually predict success: curiosity, work ethic, collaboration and cultural alignment. That shift has worked. Some of our strongest team members came to us without a traditional background or any relevant experience.

We invest in developing talent from within, with clear pathways for growth, mentorship and leadership opportunities. We fund stretch projects, incentivize learning and create space for people to build skills beyond their current role.

What hasn’t always worked: assuming that hiring diverse talent is enough. Inclusion requires ongoing investment and the intentionality to understand what each individual needs to truly thrive.

That lesson has made us more deliberate—not just in who we bring in, but in how we develop and set them up for long-term success.