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?
Galvis: Excellence in retirement plan advising means helping plan sponsors fulfill their fiduciary responsibilities while improving participant outcomes. It goes beyond investments or the traditional C-suite consulting to include the participant and their family as the ultimate users and beneficiaries of the retirement plan benefit. We measure effectiveness by the quality of the fiduciary process, participant engagement, retirement readiness, employee satisfaction and the strength of long-term client relationships.
PLANADVISER: In what ways has your practice evolved in recent years in response to client needs, market conditions or industry developments?
Galvis: Our practice has become more consultative and holistic. Today, plan sponsors and participants face increasing complexity resulting from regulatory changes, market volatility, workforce challenges and a variety of financial wellness needs. As a result, we spend more time helping clients bridge those gaps, while leveraging technology and specialized resources to enhance service and outcomes.
PLANADVISER: How do you maintain a consistent client experience while managing firm growth or team expansion?
Galvis: Consistency comes from clearly defined processes, strong communication and the reassurance that everyone is rowing together in the same direction. We maintain service standards through proactive regular reviews and client communication, documented workflows and clearly defined team responsibilities. While every client is unique, our commitment to responsiveness, education and fiduciary support remains consistent across all 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?
Galvis: We believe participant outcomes, personalized advice, AI-driven models and retirement income solutions will be the most significant trends. Plan sponsors are becoming increasingly focused on retirement readiness, rather than investment performance alone. We are preparing by expanding our consulting capabilities, enhancing participant education programs, leveraging new technologies and helping clients evaluate strategies designed to improve long-term retirement success.
PLANADVISER: What are the benchmarks you use to measure retirement plan success for your plan sponsor clients? How do you help clients who may not be aligned with those?
Galvis: We evaluate success through participation rates, savings rates, retirement readiness, plan costs, fiduciary governance and participant engagement. Investment performance is important, but it is only one component of a successful plan. When clients are not aligned with these benchmarks, we work with them to identify opportunities for improvement through plan design enhancements, education initiatives and more effective participant engagement strategies.