PLANADVISER -May/June 2022 - 13

FROM LEFT: WIPN
President Lisa Smith and
WIPN Vice President
Jennifer Mulrooney
working in the industry today-whatever the person's identity.
Although the organization will be the first to say its job
is far from complete, its past, present and projected work
demonstrate the outsize impact that visionary professionals
can have on the retirement plan industry.
Top Retirement Plan Advisers
The 2022 Top Retirement Plan Advisers list totals more
than 160 professionals who stand out in their service to
all types of retirement plan clients. This year, this quantitative
list recognized only individuals, not teams, with
the most assets under advisement or number of plans
under advisement. Team members were asked to supply
their entry statistics as a fraction of their team's figures.
For example, an adviser on a five-adviser team that collectively
advises on $1 billion might claim $200 million in
AUA. The list includes advisers at the top of their respective
peer group in terms of AUA or number of plan clients-
including sponsors of defined contribution, defined benefit
and nonqualified plans, plus-new this year-cash balance
and SEP [simplified employee pension] plans and SIMPLEs
[sales incentive match plans for employees].
Adviser Choice
The PLANADVISER Adviser Choice Award winners are
the recordkeeping and investment provider partners that
advisers selected as best in the latest PLANADVISER Retirement
Plan Adviser Survey. As no awards have been given in
5
6
recent years, the companies
being
recognized
now
are those that ranked
best in either of the last two
surveys. Annually, more than 300
retirement plan advisers participate in
the survey and name their preferred fund families, investment
firms and defined contribution plan providers, as well
as their most recommended mutual funds for their DC plan
clients. Those providers that received top praise in multiple
categories qualified as Adviser Choice winners.
Retirement Plan Advisers of the Year
This year, the Retirement Plan Adviser of the Year Awards
were reimagined and were issued by PLANADVISER itself,
rather than, as formerly, by sister publication PLANSPONSOR.
In addition, the 2022 awards were given in
six new categories, honoring the retirement plan industry's
change-makers. This is a move away from the prior
strategy of recognizing individuals and teams in categories
based solely on firm size.
This year's categories were: Plan Sponsor Service; Plan
Participant Service; Mentorship; Efforts to Improve Diversity,
Equity and Inclusion; Closing the Coverage Gap; and
Community Impact and Giving Back. Emphasis was given
to nominations submitted by those on the receiving end
of the adviser's service-e.g., from plan sponsor clients for
the Plan Sponsor and Participant Service categories, and
from nonprofits for the Community Impact category. -PA
7
ALL, FROM LEFT: 1) Mikaylee O'Connor,
Kristin Pelling; 2) John Manganaro, Kim
DeDominicis; 3) Jason Chepenik, Brady
Dall, Jessica Dall, Daniel Zlotnick; 4) Joey
Payne, Tina Payne, Regina Bruce, John
Pickett; 5) Jennifer Mulrooney, Daniella
Moiseyev, Tammy Ouverson, Lisa Smith,
Barbara Cantello, Lisa Buffington; 6) Pete
Schroedle, Stace Hilbrant; and 7) Renee
Scherzer, Chris Jamail, Janine Moore,
Stefanie Rzepecki.
PLANADVISER -May/June 2022

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