For Immediate Release
Contact:
Andrew Cloutier
Anova Consulting Group, LLC
(617) 731-1045
andrew@theanovagroup.com
BROOKLINE, MASS., May 7, 2014 – Anova Consulting Group, a leading provider of Win / Loss and client satisfaction analysis to financial services, technology, and human capital management companies, today announced its expansion with the appointment of two new team members, Rhonda Green and Jenn Howard. Green and Howard will both serve as executive interviewers performing telephone-based market and client research. Green will support Anova’s work for financial services clients and Howard will focus on Anova’s technology and human capital clients.
“Anova added 8 new clients in 2013, and we’ve already added 6 new clients so far in 2014. It is imperative for growing companies to continuously source new talent,’’ said Richard Schroder, president of Anova Consulting Group. “Rhonda is a seasoned executive with 30 years of financial services experience focusing on retirement plan administration. Jenn comes to Anova with 15 years of experience in marketing and sales at international technology companies.’’
Prior to joining Anova, Green was manager of defined benefit plan administration at Group Health & Benefit Administrators following a long and successful career at MetLife. Howard comes to Anova from Globoforce and she also worked at Ascential Software Corporation and Dell. Both Green and Howard will report to Andrew Cloutier, Director of Client Service at Anova.
Established in 2004, Anova Consulting Group is a leading market research and consulting firm focused on Win / Loss analysis and client satisfaction analysis. By helping its clients understand why they win, lose, and retain business, Anova provides strategic perspectives driving better decision-making, product development, sales effectiveness, client service, and continuous improvement. Richard Schroder, president of Anova, is author of a book titled From a Good Sales Call to a Great Sales Call (McGraw-Hill), which details how learning from post-sale debriefing helps close more future sales.
For Immediate Release
Contact: Andrew Cloutier
Anova Consulting Group, LLC
(617) 731-1045
andrew@anovaconsulting.com
Brookline, MASS, April 15, 2014 — Anova Consulting Group, a leader in Win / Loss analysis and customer satisfaction research, is launching an updated brand image coinciding with the 10-year anniversary of the firm’s founding. The rebranding includes a new website (www.anovaconsulting.com), a completely revamped capabilities brochure, and a redesigned logo.
“Helping our clients win and keep business is what we do,” said Anova Founder and President Rich Schroder. “Our new brand image more accurately reflects our growth and expansion while still emphasizing our core mission statement of existing to help our clients compete more effectively.”
Driven by a highly consultative approach, Anova’s Win / Loss analysis and customer satisfaction research provide objective feedback to measure the effectiveness of a firm’s sales efforts and the quality and responsiveness of its service functions. Since inception, Anova has experienced steady growth in all business climates, and Anova’s client base has expanded from its original focus on the financial services industry to a broader focus that includes software / technology and human capital management clients.
The updated website is designed to more consistently and clearly communicate Anova’s focus in Win / Loss and client satisfaction research to clients and prospects, as well as serving as a portal to the Viewpoint client dashboard. The website also contains resources such as case studies complete with client outcomes, white papers, articles and the ability to download a chapter from Schroder’s Win Loss Analysis book From a Good Sales Call to a Great Sales Call.
Added Schroder, “Our website and logo are essential indicators of what we stand for as a company, and we have taken the opportunity to strengthen how we represent ourselves as we roll out our broader strategy for Anova’s second decade.”
Established in 2005, Anova Consulting Group is a leading market research and consulting firm focused on the financial services industry. Through custom and syndicated market research studies, Anova provides strategic perspectives to its clients, driving better decision-making, product development, sales effectiveness, client service, and continuous improvement. Richard Schroder, president of Anova, is author of a book titled From a Good Sales Call to a Great Sales Call (McGraw-Hill), which details how learning from post-sale debriefing helps close more future sales.
A recent study of defined-contribution sponsor-clients of the industry’s most successful retirement plan advisers points to a straightforward conclusion: Amid this increasingly complex DC landscape, sponsors demand specialized expertise far beyond traditional investment advice.
The survey, conducted by Anova Consulting Group and BlackRock Inc., identified managing fiduciary responsibilities, plan design and understanding participant goals as the most important factors driving sponsors’ satisfaction with their DC plan advisers.
The key lesson: A financial adviser outside the DC arena might think that supporting retirement plans is primarily an investment problem solved by the ability to pick funds. That isn’t the case.
Getting plan participants ready for retirement is increasingly recognized as a savings, behavioral and fiduciary exercise.
That may pose challenges to advisers focused primarily on investment selection. But it also represents a considerable opportunity for those who can develop and deliver comprehensive retirement plan expertise directed squarely at helping sponsors shape a more satisfying, long-term outcome for their participants.
SPONSOR EXPECTATIONS
To understand that opportunity — as well as how sponsor expectations are setting the bar for existing and aspiring DC-focused advisers — let’s consider how we got here.
In DC’s early days, a key benefit promised to participants was the freedom to choose their own investments.
In practice, it wasn’t necessarily a blessing. Few participants have the time, inclination and insight needed to sort through investment menus with dozens, even hundreds, of funds.
Experience, behavioral finance and the Pension Protection Act of 2006 have now encouraged a swing toward simplification. Freedom of choice remains, but default options — particularly target date funds — auto-enrollment and other automatic tools are helping nudge participants into smarter choices, better habits and, I think, more-successful retirement preparation.
But simplification has changed the game for advisers. Those serving the employer retirement plan market need to provide guidance on increasing participation and fulfilling fiduciary obligations, the differences among the many target date funds available, existing and emerging regulatory directives, and fee disclosures, among a host of other areas.
The BlackRock/Anova survey illustrates the “table stakes” that the best retirement plan specialists have established and also defines some key prerequisites for establishing a successful practice with a DC retirement plan focus.
Here are some highlights of what was found:
Plan sponsor satisfaction with top retirement plan advisers clocks in at 91%. The message is clear: It won’t to be easy to win clients away from specialists.
Ease, ideas, value drive satisfaction. Frequent investment menu reviews are also key to sponsor satisfaction.
Fiduciary responsibilities rate high. Asked to rate the importance of adviser services, 60% cited investment menu selection, 47% said managing fiduciary responsibilities, and 42% mentioned understanding plan and participant goals.
Provider, record keeper impact minimal. Satisfaction with them has very little impact on satisfaction with advisers. Plan sponsors clearly understand the discrete set of services they expect their advisers to deliver.
Strong cross-sell opportunities. 41% of plan sponsors indicated an interest in investment advice for their participants, with 35% interested in retirement income solutions and 33% looking for financial planning services.
SPECIALIZE OR PARTNER UP
DC has continued to grow and evolve, becoming a discipline unto itself that increasingly calls for focused expertise.
Even questions about the investment menu revolve increasingly around selecting target date funds, which are available on nearly 80% of DC plans.
The message to advisers looking to work in the DC space? Either dig in to understand best practices, or actively seek out partnerships with retirement plan specialists as part of a cross-selling strategy.
Whichever path advisers choose, the opportunity is there for those who can deliver the guidance and service that plan sponsors value most today.
Chip Castille is managing director and head of BlackRock Inc.’s U.S. and Canada DC group.
For Immediate Release
Contact: Andrew Cloutier
Anova Consulting Group, LLC
(617) 731-1045
andrew@anovaconsulting.com
BROOKLINE, MASS., January 16, 2014 – Anova Consulting Group, a leading provider of Win / Loss and client satisfaction analysis to financial services, technology, and human capital management companies, today announced its expansion with the appointment of two new consultants, Curt Gilmore and Lisa Plotnick. Gilmore and Plotnick will both serve as executive interviewers, performing market and client research to support Anova’s base of financial services and human capital management clients.
“After four consecutive years of strong revenue growth and the addition of 8 new clients in 2013, it was imperative that we bolster our interviewing capacity with top talent,’’ said Richard Schroder, president of Anova Consulting Group. “Curt is a seasoned private wealth investment advisor with 29 years of experience in portfolio analysis, asset allocation, and portfolio and performance reviews. Lisa, during her more than 25 years in the financial services industry, has focused on the retirement markets, delivering many state-of-the-industry and thought-leadership presentations to industry executives. We are looking forward to having Curt and Lisa on board to work closely with our clients, helping us continue to deliver quality research and analysis.’’
Prior to joining Anova, Gilmore worked at Washington Mutual, Imperial Capital Bank, BankBoston, and Sanford C. Bernstein & Co. Plotnick was Director of Research at the Insured Retirement Institute (IRI) and her previous employers include Cerulli Associates, Financial Research Corporation (FRC), John Hancock and William M. Mercer. Both Gilmore and Plotnick will report to Andrew Cloutier, Director of Client Service at Anova.
Established in 2005, Anova Consulting Group is a leading market research and consulting firm focused on the financial services industry. Through custom and syndicated market research studies, Anova provides strategic perspectives to its clients, driving better decision-making, product development, sales effectiveness, client service, and continuous improvement. Richard Schroder, president of Anova, is author of a Win Loss Analysis book titled From a Good Sales Call to a Great Sales Call (McGraw-Hill), which details how learning from post-sale debriefing helps close more future sales.
For Immediate Release
Contact: Andrew Cloutier
Anova Consulting Group, LLC
(617) 731-1045
andrew@anovaconsulting.com
BROOKLINE, MASS., May 22, 2013 – Anova Consulting Group, a leading market research firm in the financial services industry, announced today the launch of a new syndicated study entitled “Private Equity in DC Plans: Retirement Industry Perspectives”.
As private equity firms seek ways to tap into the individual investor retirement plan market and plan sponsors weigh various options to increase retirement readiness among their participant bases, Anova proposes to capture the perceptions and concerns of key stakeholders regarding the potential introduction of private equity investment options onto DC platforms.
“Private equity funds and defined contribution plans have not historically shared much common ground, so it will be interesting to see how receptive plan sponsors, advisors, and plan providers are to the concept,’’ said Richard Schroder, president of Anova Consulting Group. “There are certainly some operational as well as cultural challenges facing private equity firms who wish to sell their investments in retirement plans, but there may also be opportunities, especially given the growth of target date funds and automated plan features. This study will help to flesh out challenges and opportunities and create a roadmap with ideas on how the trend might play out.”
Likely subscribers to the study include private equity firms, retirement plan providers, and retirement plan consultants / advisors. This study will enable subscribers to:
Established in 2005, Anova Consulting Group is a leading market research and consulting firm focused on the financial services industry. Through custom and syndicated market research studies, Anova provides strategic perspectives to its clients, driving better decision-making, product development, sales effectiveness, client service, and continuous improvement. Richard Schroder, president of Anova, is author of the Win Loss Analysis book titled From a Good Sales Call to a Great Sales Call (McGraw-Hill), which details how learning from post-sale debriefing helps close more sales.
For Immediate Release
Contact: Andrew Cloutier
Anova Consulting Group, LLC
(617) 731-1045
andrew@anovaconsulting.com
BROOKLINE, MASS., March 26, 2013 – Anova Consulting Group, a leading provider of Win / Loss analysis and client satisfaction research to financial services and technology companies, announced today the appointment of a new senior research analyst, Erin Mason.
Mason will be principally responsible for analyzing and interpreting research data for Anova’s Win / Loss analysis, client satisfaction, advisor perception, and participant insights programs, identifying trends and creating reports to effectively communicate them.
Prior to joining Anova, Mason completed her MBA from Boston University School of Management with a concentration in marketing, having spent the previous 7 years managing consumer market research studies and analyzing client data for IABC (International Association of Business Communicators).
“Anova experienced 35% revenue growth in 2012 and has enjoyed continued strong momentum during Q1 of this year,’’ said Richard Schroder, president of Anova Consulting Group. “With the recent addition of 10 new clients, we were looking to add additional talent to our team of highly skilled analysts. Erin’s project management and data analysis experience, coupled with her recent MBA achievement, will enhance our ability to deliver high quality, actionable research to our clients.”
Erin Mason will report in to Andrew Cloutier, Director of Client Service at Anova.
Established in 2005, Anova Consulting Group is a leading market research and consulting firm focused on Win / Loss analysis and client satisfaction analysis. By helping its clients understand why they win, lose and retain business, Anova provides strategic perspectives to its clients, driving better decision-making, product development, sales effectiveness, client service, and continuous improvement. Richard Schroder, president of Anova, is author of the Win Loss Analysis book titled From a Good Sales Call to a Great Sales Call (McGraw-Hill), which details how learning from post-sale debriefing helps close more sales.
For Immediate Release
Contact: Andrew Cloutier
Anova Consulting Group, LLC
(617) 731-1045
andrew@anovaconsulting.com
BROOKLINE, MASS., January 15, 2013 – Anova Consulting Group, a leading provider of Win Loss Analysis and Client Satisfaction Analysis to financial services, technology, and human capital management companies, today announced the appointment of Rebecca Scarlott to the newly created role of senior editor.
Scarlott will work with Anova consultants, reviewing their transcripts of interviews with senior executives in both the financial services and technology industries. Through consistent, clear feedback, she will ensure high-quality interviews and provide ongoing professional development to the executive interviewers.
“Anova’s expertise in Win Loss Analysis and Client Satisfaction Analysis helps our clients capture more new business and retain those relationships,’’ said Rich Schroder, president of Anova. “We experienced 35% revenue growth in 2012 and expect continued strong momentum in 2013. We are focused on growing our core research practice and have recently added 10 new clients. Rebecca’s extensive financial services and technology industry experience and her editorial expertise will help us continue to provide the unvarnished client, prospect, and consultant feedback we need to provide value to our existing relationships and new business opportunities.”
Prior to joining Anova, Scarlott served as director and editor at Cerulli Associates where she worked across the firm’s four financial services practice areas (retirement, institutional and retail asset management, intermediary distribution, and investor research) to produce The Cerulli Edge series of publications. During her career she also worked in marketing and editorial roles at Bank of America, Federated Investors, Omnicom Group, The New York Times, and ViCorp Interactive Systems.
Due to continued strong growth, Anova plans to hire a Senior Research Analyst in the next 3-6 months.
Established in 2005, Anova Consulting Group is a leading market research and consulting firm focused on Win / Loss analysis and client satisfaction analysis. By helping its clients understand why they win, lose and retain business, Anova provides strategic perspectives to its clients, driving better decision-making, product development, sales effectiveness, client service, and continuous improvement. Richard Schroder, president of Anova, is author of the Win Loss Analysis book titled From a Good Sales Call to a Great Sales Call (McGraw-Hill), which details how learning from post-sale debriefing helps close more sales.
For Immediate Release
Contact: Andrew Cloutier
Anova Consulting Group, LLC
(617) 731-1045
andrew@anovaconsulting.com
BROOKLINE, MASS., April 3, 2012 – Anova Consulting Group, a leading provider of customized market research, sales training and consulting services to financial services and human capital management companies, announced today the appointment of a new consultant, Arnold Boecklin.
Boecklin will serve as an executive interviewer, gathering insights from plan sponsors and institutional investors to support Anova’s work for defined contribution and investment management clients.
“Anova’s market research and consulting expertise helps our clients capture more new business and retain those relationships,’’ Schroder said. “We experienced 40% revenue growth in 2011 and had continued strong momentum during Q1 of this year. We are focused on growing our institutional investment management practice and have recently added 4 clients in this space. Arnolds deep experience and expertise will help us continue to provide the unvarnished client, prospect and consultant feedback we need to provide value to our existing relationships and new business opportunities.”
Prior to joining Anova, Boecklin has had a long and diverse career in the financial services industry. He was most recently a principal at STW Fixed Income Management in Santa Barbara, CA. Previously, he also held management, marketing, and client service positions at ICMA Retirement Corporation, Pacific Capital Fixed Income Advisors, SSgA, William M. Mercer Asset Planning, CIGNA, and Aetna.
Due to continued strong growth, Anova plans to hire an additional research analyst in the next 3-6 months.
Established in 2005, Anova Consulting Group is a leading market research and consulting firm focused on Win / Loss analysis and client satisfaction analysis. By helping its clients understand why they win, lose and retain business, Anova provides strategic perspectives to its clients, driving better decision-making, product development, sales effectiveness, client service, and continuous improvement. Last year, Richard Schroder, president of Anova, released a Win Loss Analysis book titled, From a Good Sales Call to a Great Sales Call (McGraw-Hill, 2011), which details how learning from post-sale Win / Loss debriefing helps close more sales.
WESTWOOD, Mass., Jan. 4, 2012 / PRNewswire / — New York Life Retirement Plan Services, a leading provider of retirement solutions to U.S. corporations and unions, is pleased to announce the availability of “Consensus,” a service powered by Anova Consulting Group LLC, a financial services market research and sales training firm, that will help top retirement plan advisors assess client satisfaction and measure themselves against peers.
This new service will allow top retirement plan advisors to evaluate current client satisfaction levels and generate quantitative and qualitative feedback on advisor service delivery. It also will provide segmentation analysis, benchmarking against retirement advisor peers, and identification of at-risk and satisfied clients. Advisors do not need to have retirement plans on New York Life’s platform in order to participate.
“At New York Life, we prioritize client service excellence and we know that for advisors in this marketplace, close client relationships are the lifeblood of their business,” said Patrick Murphy, managing director of sales at New York Life Retirement Plan Services. “We want to drive better outcomes for our advisors, sponsors and participants – and we see Consensus as a natural complement to our ongoing focus on client satisfaction.”
“Getting honest insight from your customer base is critical, but hard to do,” said Rich Schroder, president of Anova Consulting Group. “And that insight is so much more valuable with perspective. Consensus gives sponsors the opportunity to provide feedback in a confidential environment, allowing retirement plan advisors to evaluate their own practice and compare it to their peers and competitors.”
January 04, 2012 -Consensus is a new benchmarking tool to help retirement plan advisers gauge client satisfaction.
New York Life Retirement Plan Services, a provider of retirement solutions, is offering a service for retirement plan advisers called Consensus. The service is powered by Anova Consulting Group, a financial services market research and sales training firm.
Consensus will allow retirement plan advisers to evaluate client satisfaction levels and will generate quantitative and qualitative feedback on adviser service delivery. It will also provide segmentation analysis, benchmarking against other advisers, and identification of at-risk and satisfied clients.
“We want to drive better outcomes for our advisers, sponsors and participants, and we see Consensus as a natural complement to our ongoing focus on client satisfaction,” said Patrick Murphy, managing director of sales at New York Life Retirement Plan Services.
The service asks sponsors to rate their adviser using more than 50 criteria ranging from quality of service, to communication frequency, to their willingness to recommend their adviser to another plan sponsor. The adviser receives a customized report that aggregates their data in perspective of industry standards and provides qualitative feedback, according to Murphy.
Advisers do not need retirement plans on New York Life’s platform in order to participate.
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