Description
This role is responsible for supporting and growing Thrivent’s Advisor practices and the results that come along with that: higher client satisfaction, higher advisor productivity through teaming and practice management components, advice and balanced revenue growth, and equipping our Group Practice Directors to support their local practices and advisors with an emphasis on succession strategies.The Director of Succession Strategies is part of the Practice Growth Center of Excellence leadership team which also includes advisor productivity and teaming. The primary goal for the position is to work in partnership with the Centers of Excellence—Advisor Growth, Advice, Wholesaling and Sales Support to drive succession strategies in the field. This position will work closely with Group Field leaders to ensure a consistent and high impact approach and results to serve advisors as they successfully transition member relationships.
The Director of Succession Strategies will also have to exhibit strong leadership skills in managing a high-talent team of succession professionals in service of Advisors, Teams and Group Leaders. Execution success will require very strong partnerships both in the Thrivent Advisor network and among key corporate partners. Thrivent aims to achieve our One Big Goal to significantly grow its businesses and client base. This role is responsible for contributing to Thrivent’s growth goals with our veteran advisors for protection sales (ANBP), investment revenues (RFOB), and clients in their geographic markets.
This can be a remote position within the US.
DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES:
The Leader will lead a team of succession professionals and partner closely with the National Practice Group, Group Field leaders, and home office leaders and colleagues at Thrivent:
- Pursue a strategic goal of driving member continuity
- Ensuring every Advisor, regardless of tenure, production level has access to succession content and resources to grow.
- Ensuring that targeted “Focus Practices”, the National Practice Group, and Group Practice Directors have more sophisticated succession content and resources to help Advisors successfully transition.
- Building and maintaining accountability processes to ensure the content and resources provided are hitting the mark: GPD/GVP and Advisor satisfaction is paramount.
- Build and maintain Thrivent’s Foundational succession framework, content, tools, resources, and support
- Provide subject matter expertise in areas business valuations, succession strategies, book transitions, teaming for transition, successor search, pre and post transition planning, client and team impact and mitigation analysis, etc.
- Deliver content in compelling and strategic ways through Group Field Leaders, Group Practice Directors, National Practice Group, and directly to Advisors/Teams.
- Coordinate and drive productivity results with critical partners
- Close, coordinated approach with the Practice Growth COE. Strong two-way partnerships with Regional Groups and the National Practice Group.
- Build and maintain crucial partnerships within Thrivent Corporate: IT/systems, Marketing, Wholesaling and Advice COEs.
This leader will collaborate with COEs (Wholesaling & Sales Support, Advisor Growth, Advice) to implement succession solutions to the betterment of targeted practices and their clients.
This Leader is responsible for driving Thrivent’s results in these areas:
- Growth in member continuity
- Growth and retention of Top Practices at Thrivent through succession and teaming strategies
- Balanced Sales growth for ANBP (Life, Health and Annuities) and RFOB (Investments and other business) with targeted practices through strong advice adoption and orientation
- Client growth and deeper client relationships
By investing Thrivent resources wisely in order to achieve strong returns for our membership.
The Direct of Succession Strategies in the Practice Growth Center of Excellence will model Thrivent’s leadership competencies – courage, collaboration, and commitment.
- This leader is accountable to develop and sustain a high-performing team to serve top practices while promoting a culture of shared accountability, operational excellence, and partnership across the organization.
- The leader will establish and foster an environment in which Thrivent employees and colleagues are focused on continuous improvement, exceptional workforce engagement, and an unwavering commitment to our clients.
- The Leader forges a culture that represents the Thrivent purpose, promise and values, ensuring that Thrivent’s trust and reputation remain strong with its clients and across Christian communities. Recruits, develops, and sustains a high-performing team while promoting a culture of shared accountability, operational excellence, and partnership across the organization.
- Models Thrivent’s leadership competencies – courage, collaboration, and commitment by demonstrating resiliency, working together to make the best decisions, and holding yourself and others accountable.
- Supports and/or develops an environment in which Thrivent employees and colleagues are focused on continuous improvement, exceptional employee engagement, and an unwavering commitment to our clients. Shapes and/or supports a culture that represents the Thrivent purpose, promise and values, ensuring that Thrivent’s trust and reputation remain strong with its clients.
QUALIFICATIONS & SKILLS:
- Demonstrated experience (3+ years) leading in the financial services industry or related industry at a senior operating level.
- Strategic enterprise-level leadership skills along with strong influence and collaboration; able to work across both corporate environment and field to influence and impact results.
- Experience with effectively leading through change; collaborating through others and leveraging Field relationships and other Centers of Excellence and systems to engage people and drive results. Key HO partners include law/compliance, IT, Field compensation, project management, finance, marketing, communications, and the Advice and Wholesaling Centers of Excellence.
- Deeply knowledgeable and strong influencer with experienced FPs and practices; able to lead through teaming, practice management, and succession planning.
- Passionate about providing guidance on teaming, practice management or succession to clients and possesses experience with advice, insurance products, asset/wealth management, fee-based planning, and growing team productivity: revenue, advisor growth, practice management systems.
- Ability to travel as needed to cover geographic area, Thrivent, and industry functions.
- College Degree in business, management, or related business field or equivalent
- FINRA Series 7, 63 & 65 or 66 required or obtained within 90 days of hire: work closely with centralized supervision
- Ability to effectively travel to tell and promote the succession strategy: occasional commercial travel for meetings, conferences, and training (up to 5%)
- Must have satisfactory Form U-4 disclosures
Thrivent provides Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) without regard to race, religion, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, pregnancy, national origin, age, disability, marital status, citizenship status, military or veteran status, genetic information, or any other status protected by applicable local, state, or federal law. This policy applies to all employees and job applicants.
Thrivent is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to individuals with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation, please let us know by sending an email to human.resources@thrivent.com or call 800-847-4836 and request Human Resources.