PLANADVISER: How do you define excellence in retirement plan advising today, and what factors do you use to measure or evaluate your effectiveness with clients?
Connolly: Advisory excellence begins with efficiency across all controllable elements. Before meaningful participant outcomes can be achieved, the foundation must be sound: seamless payroll integration, thoughtful plan design and highly competitive benchmarking results. When these core components are optimized in partnership with the plan sponsor, the plan is positioned for success.
From there, the focus shifts to participant outcomes, the true measure of a plan’s health. Are participants on track for retirement? Are they appropriately invested? This is where our process becomes more targeted and impactful. Leveraging both our internal tools and recordkeeper capabilities, we identify gaps and opportunities to drive better results.
Our work with the plan sponsor and participants is inherently connected. In new plan engagements, one of our first benchmarks is improving participation rates. While plan design plays a key role, real progress comes from engaging individuals directly. Tools like RetireReady TRAK reports, while simple, allow us to deliver custom, actionable insights at the participant level.
We complement this with ongoing monitoring using recordkeeper data and their plan health metrics. When issues arise, we address them with precision, ensuring plan design and participant behavior remain aligned to drive better outcomes. If, through that process, we’ve meaningfully improved someone’s retirement and brought it into their line of sight, consciously or not, then we’ve done our job.
PLANADVISER: What strategic priorities guide your firm, and how have those priorities influenced your approach to business development?
Connolly: Our firm is guided by a set of core priorities: delivering highly customized advice to both plan sponsors and participants; leveraging technology to drive engagement and efficiency; and maintaining a planning-first, outcomes-driven philosophy. In today’s environment, plan sponsors expect more than standardized solutions; they need advice that reflects the unique dynamics of their workforce and organization. We’ve built our process to deliver that level of customization while maintaining consistency and discipline across every plan we advise.
Technology is critical. It enhances how we model plan outcomes, engage participants and monitor plan health, while reducing time spent on administrative tasks. This allows us to focus on what matters most: helping participants make better decisions and improving overall retirement readiness. Our planning-led philosophy ensures that both plan design and participant guidance are aligned with long-term outcomes, not short-term market distractions.
These priorities directly influence how we grow. We focus on partnering with plan sponsors who value advice, fiduciary partnership and participant outcomes. As a result, much of our growth now comes through referrals and existing relationships. We are also disciplined in our approach and selective in the plans we take on, because we know the right organizations will recognize the value of what we deliver. That alignment ultimately leads to stronger partnerships, better participant outcomes and more sustainable growth. My younger self would never turn down a plan opportunity. That is no longer the case!
PLANADVISER: How do you maintain consistent client experience while managing firm growth or team expansion?
Connolly: We focus on delivering a consistent experience for both plan sponsors and participants through a clear, structured service model—covering onboarding, governance, education and ongoing reviews. That structure sets expectations around what gets done and when, while our fiduciary process, Fi360-aligned investment oversight and plan design philosophy stay consistent across all plans. Within that framework, we tailor recommendations to each organization, so they actually fit their goals and workforce.
As we grow, a big priority for us is bringing in and developing employees who think the same way we do: planning-first and outcomes-driven. That’s what keeps the experience consistent across clients. We also align compensation with that philosophy, rewarding behaviors that support long-term client success, rather than just short-term activity.
At the end of the day, consistency starts at the top. We set the standard internally and hold ourselves to it. One principle we live by is simple: Do what you say you’re going to do. If you deliver on that consistently, clients are happy. If you go a step further, that’s when you build real trust and long-term relationships.
PLANADVISER: What industry trends or developments do you believe will most influence retirement plan advising over the next five to 10 years, and how are you/your firm preparing for them?
Connolly: The biggest shift in retirement today is simple: We’ve moved from accumulation to distribution. With 10,000+ Baby Boomers reaching retirement age every day, the focus is no longer just building wealth; it’s turning that wealth into income. Plan design is evolving accordingly, with a greater emphasis on lifetime income solutions, professional management and holistic portfolio construction, not just fund lineups.
At the same time, complexity is rising. Regulatory changes and fiduciary scrutiny are increasing, and legislation like SECURE 2.0, along with the introduction of alternative investments, is expanding what plans can offer. But more opportunities also mean more responsibility. Many providers stop at explaining the changes; none have defined what to do and when to do it.
That’s where we separate ourselves. We don’t just interpret industry developments; we operationalize them. Our clients get clear, actionable road maps, like our detailed rollout of SECURE 2.0 provisions, so they know exactly what’s coming and when to act. We stay ahead of the curve, anticipate gaps and address them before they become issues, consistently driving better outcomes for both plan sponsors and participants.
PLANADVISER: For plan sponsors evaluating advisers, what characteristics or capabilities distinguish you from your peers?
Connolly: What ultimately sets us apart is the consistency and quality of our service and, more importantly, that it’s validated by the clients we serve. Service can feel subjective or “squishy,” but we make it real through client references who speak directly to our responsiveness, follow-through and ability to simplify complex decisions in real time.
Beyond that, we bring a disciplined, planning-first approach to plan oversight. We combine strong fiduciary governance with thoughtful plan design and meaningful participant engagement. Our process is structured and repeatable, similar to an ISO 9000 mindset. We consistently execute at a high level but look for ways to improve each year. The framework stays the same; the outcomes keep getting better.
We also prioritize accessibility. We’re proactive, highly responsive and deeply engaged with both committees and participants, which allows us to address issues before they ever become problems.
At the end of the day, a lot of firms can check similar boxes. The difference is execution. Our clients consistently tell us we do exactly what we say we’re going to do. As my father used to say from his time in the Army, if you deliver on your promises, people will be satisfied. Do a little more, and that’s when you truly stand out.