Announcing 2023’s Plan Adviser of the Year Award Winners

The 2023 Retirement Plan Adviser of the Year winners were announced in six categories Wednesday night at the annual PLANADVISER Industry Leader Awards dinner in New York City.

The finalists, announced in April, were chosen from a pool of adviser applications from around the country. From there, winners submitted profiles of their work and were interviewed by a group of judges that included 2022’s winning advisers and advisory firms.

This year’s winners, by category, are listed below. To read a discussion of their practices, told in their own words, click on the firm or adviser’s name.

(Left to right) Steven Scott, RSG Advisory; Gina Bucholz & Jessica Ballin, 401K Plan Professionals; Robert Massa, Qualified Plan Advisors; Derek Fiorenza, Summit Group Retirement Planners, Inc.; Kathleen Kelly, Compass Financial Partners, a Marsh McLennan Agency LLC Company. Not represented in photo: Strategic Retirement Partners. (Photography by Anthony Collins)

Plan Sponsor Service: for innovation and dedication in the service of retirement plan sponsor clients, with a particular focus on the efficient and effective delivery of plan-level support.
Robert Massa and Qualified Plan Advisors (Houston, Texas)

Plan Participant Service: for noticing innovation and dedication in the service of retirement plan participants, with a particular focus on the efficient and effective delivery of individual-level advice and education.
401k Plan Professionals (Edina, Minnesota)

Mentorship: for commitment and success in supporting the personal and professional growth of their firm’s staff, their fellow advisers and their industry peers.
Strategic Retirement Partners (Shorewood, Illinois)

Closing the Coverage Gap: for dedication to helping more Americans, especially those who work for small businesses or who are members of underrepresented communities, save for retirement in the workplace.
Steven Scott, RSG Advisory (Portsmouth, New Hampshire)

Efforts in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion: for addressing the financial services industry’s clear and present diversity problem, with a particular focus on the importance of creating equitable and fair workplaces.
Compass Financial Partners, a Marsh & McLennan Agency LLC Company (Greensboro, North Carolina)

Community Impact and Giving Back: for serving and supporting the local, regional, national and global communities in which they operate, both from a philanthropic and volunteering perspective.
Derek Fiorenza, Summit Group Retirement Planners, Inc. (Exton, Pennsylvania)