PLANADVISER -May/June 2022 - 2

publisher's note //
The New Differentiator
I
n May, I had the good fortune to attend both our
PLANADVISER awards dinner and our Chief Investment
Officer Summit. It was wonderful to be with
people again after years away from live events. As I
met and chatted with attendees, it was an opportunity
to reflect on how our industry has evolved. It's easy to
talk about getting back to normal, and while no one
wants to hear about the " new normal " anymore, the
truth is that, in this later stage of COVID-19, normal
doesn't just mean a return to pre-pandemic times.
One way this has been recognized in the PLANADVISER brand is through
our revised Retirement Plan Adviser of the Year awards program. The new
PLANADVISER Industry Leader Awards were presented at the dinner, and you can
read about them in this magazine. Advisers won for achievements we had never
recognized before but that are now front and center. The awards now include
community impact; efforts in diversity, equity and inclusion; work to improve
access and coverage; and mentorship. These things might have been discussed
in our old program but were ancillary to the evaluation of business models. They
may be, however, more important, because they speak to an adviser's culture.
Addressing our CIO Summit, in Chicago, Shundrawn Thomas, the outgoing
president of Northern Trust Asset Management, used a phrase that has stuck
with me. He spoke of acting with " thoughtfulness and intentionality " and the
importance of culture. He noted that, if you think about any kind of organization
that operates in a competitive environment, it's hard to argue that one has
a much better strategy than the other. In fact, he said, " culture is the only true,
discernible advantage one can have during this time. " A strong culture means
a healthy organization, Thomas observed.
As I consider the advisory industry, I think those statements apply. For years,
when we asked advisers what their value proposition was, it often involved
some version of the three Fs: funds, fees and fiduciary. While that might have
been true a decade ago, it's pretty safe to say that those are table stakes today.
So, what is the differentiator now? Culture.
This is also true in mergers and acquisitions. There are many excellent
advisers and adviser shops out there-which one someone joins is about its
culture and the life the adviser wants. Culture relates to questions such as how
much individuality and decisionmaking ability does an adviser want to retain?
What is the culture like within your team? Is your firm healthy? If not, what
plans do you have to improve things? And if you don't know what your culture
is like, Thomas said, listen to the dialogue among employees for a week and
you'll know the health of the organization.
All this being said, I was thrilled to witness the response to the revamped
adviser awards. Attendees' interest in understanding how advisers were
embracing these important values seemed high, as I noticed them seeking out
the nominees and winners during the cocktail and dessert hours.
I therefore believe the time is right for us to focus more on the role advisers
play in the broader industry and less on how they charge their clients or serve
as stewards-if you aren't a good steward or fiduciary, you aren't likely to be
nominated for our programs anyway.
For those of you who haven't paid as much attention to managing the issues
concerning culture-whether DEI, mentorship or community service, for
example-it's probably time to pay more attention. And for you who say you're
too busy and focused on other business, I'll end with more of Thomas' wisdom:
At the end of the day, when a matter is important, we find the resources-
whether it's time, money or something else. -Alison Cooke Mintzer, Publisher
publisher: Alison Cooke Mintzer
Alison.Mintzer@issmediasolutions.com
creative director: SooJin Buzelli
SooJin.Buzelli@issmediasolutions.com
managing editor: Judy Faust Hartnett
Judy.FaustHartnett@issmediasolutions.com
managing editor, planadviser.com
John Manganaro
John.Manganaro@issmediasolutions.com
editorial staff: Zachary Barnes, DJ Shaw, Karen
Wittwer, Noah Zuss
contributors: Beth Braverman, Michael Katz,
Judy Ward, Rhea Wessel
surveys & research: Kimberly Gonzalez-Quiles,
Jackie Scott
design & production: Donna Bien-Aimé,
Alanna Jacobs, Maria Kofman, Samantha Yu
design contributor: Cherese Rambaldi
art contributors: Tim Bower, Andrea D'Aquino
(cover), Mar Hernández, Katie Hicks, Jeffrey
Kam, Lars Leetaru, Silver Orchid Photography,
Allie Sullberg, Simone Virgini, Ellen Weinstein
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Groccia, Rebecca Moore
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chief financial officer: Allen Heery
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PLANADVISER -May/June 2022

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