My time in service helped me understand what clients experience day to day. This perspective allows me to offer practical guidance, especially when it comes to major transitions, such as conversions.

Many prospects feel intimidated and overwhelmed by the idea of conversions. Sharing my firsthand experience with numerous successful implementations helps put clients at ease and enables me to speak directly to what makes these transitions smoother and less disruptive.

What are the primary challenges trust and retirement organizations face when evaluating technology partners today?

It’s about finding the platform with the right features and functions and, perhaps more importantly, choosing the right long-term partner. Managing an organization’s back-office books and records creates a “sticky,” deeply embedded relationship.

Companies need to look beyond immediate needs and think five or ten years ahead. Will this partner continue to invest? Will they evolve with the business? Will they still be the right fit as the organization grows and changes?

Trust and retirement solutions involve nuanced workflows. How do you help firms address these complexities before making technology decisions?

Every company operates differently in this space. Productive conversions require listening as much as sharing to understand workflows, clients, and complexities. From there, we can tailor solutions to how the business functions, rather than forcing a one-size-fits-all model.

Based on your experience, what differentiates firms with successful implementations from those that face challenges?

Time and expectations are critical. There’s no perfect timeline. When companies try to rush a conversion, it can lead to missed details, insufficient training, and poor change management. The most successful firms are the ones that give the process the time and attention it requires. That upfront investment pays off in smoother adoption and stronger outcomes.

You have contributed to industry whitepapers and roundtables. What topics, concerns, or trends are most frequently raised in these discussions currently?

Talent is a major concern. As many experienced trust operations professionals retire, there isn’t a deep bench to replace them. This trend is driving more organizations to consider outsourcing parts of their back office, either to reduce key-person risk or fill capability gaps.

At the same time, there’s a lot of focus on AI. Companies are interested but cautious, as fiduciaries must prioritize security, data integrity, and sound decision-making. There’s a real balancing act between innovation and responsibility.

We’re also seeing continued convergence between trust and wealth. What were once distinct areas are increasingly overlapping, with trust companies expanding into advisory services and wealth managers exploring trust capabilities.