Ep 426: Rolling Out An Equity Compensation Plan To Align The Entire Team On Client Service And Profitable Growth with Jennifer des Groseilliers
Feb 25, 2025
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Jennifer des Groseilliers, CEO of The Mather Group, shares insights from managing over $15 billion in assets. She discusses how her firm implemented a broad-based equity compensation plan to align employee interests with client service and growth. Jennifer highlights the importance of performance metrics, SMART goals, and the separation of sales and advisory roles for optimal results. The conversation also covers how emotional intelligence fosters effective leadership and the benefits of equity over cash in motivating teams.
The Mather Group's equity compensation plan aligns employee interests with long-term client service and profitability by linking incentives to performance metrics.
Implementing SMART goals enhances accountability and empowers employees by clearly defining specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and time-bound objectives.
The separation of sales and advisory roles improves efficiency in client acquisition and service, allowing each team to focus on their strengths.
Deep dives
Innovative Equity Compensation Structure
An innovative approach to equity compensation is taken by a firm that prioritizes performance-based equity grants over traditional buy-ins. This structure aims to align the entire team towards client service and profitability goals, with 85% of team members participating in the program. This approach enables employees to earn equity based on specific performance metrics, such as client retention rates and revenue targets, encouraging a culture of high performance and accountability among wealth advisors. The strategy not only provides a clear path to equity for every employee but also fosters a shared commitment to the long-term success of the firm.
SMART Goals for Performance Management
The firm employs a SMART goal system, focusing on Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Time-bound objectives for both employee and firm-level performance. This framework is designed to enhance accountability and ensure that all employees understand their targets and the actions required to achieve them. By establishing clear performance metrics and aligning them with firm objectives, the firm empowers employees to take ownership of their contributions. Furthermore, an HR management system is utilized to record and track these goals, allowing for organized oversight of employee performance and encouraging continuous improvement.
Separation of Roles to Enhance Service Delivery
The firm has successfully separated sales and client service roles, creating specialized teams that focus on distinct aspects of the client relationship. Inside sales associates are tasked with identifying potential clients, while business development advisors work to convert these leads into clients through thorough engagement processes. This structure not only increases efficiency but allows wealth advisors to concentrate on delivering high-quality service to existing clients. By streamlining the client acquisition process, the firm is able to maintain strong organic growth and ensure a high level of client satisfaction.
Investing in Leadership Development
Recognizing the need for effective leadership within the organization, the firm prioritizes leadership development and emotional intelligence training for its leaders. Through an advisory council composed of top leaders, initiatives for skill enhancement are discussed and implemented, promoting a culture of continuous growth. The focus is not just on professional skills, but also on fostering self-awareness and emotional competency, which are critical for effective leadership. This commitment to leadership development positions the firm for sustainable growth and improved performance across teams.
Aligning Personal Values with Firm Goals
Personal values play a significant role in defining success and guiding the organizational culture within the firm. The CEO emphasizes the importance of aligning personal values, such as health, family, integrity, education, and hard work, with the firm's objectives. This alignment creates a shared sense of ownership and commitment among employees, driving motivation and performance. Consequently, when employees feel invested in the firm’s mission and values, it fosters a collaborative environment where everyone works towards achieving shared goals.
Jennifer des Groseilliers is the CEO of The Mather Group, an RIA based in Chicago, Illinois, that oversees $15 billion in combined assets under management and advisement for approximately 4,400 client households. Today Jennifer shares how her firm has designed an program of broad-based equity awards across the firm to align the interests of employees with the firm’s long-term client service and growth goals.
In this episode, Jennifer breaks down how her firm sets performance targets and ensures that employee incentives are tied to the firm’s enterprise value. We also discuss how The Mather Group streamlines operations through goal-setting systems like SMART goals and HR tracking tools, separates sales and advisory roles to optimize client acquisition and service, and fosters leadership development through emotional intelligence. Listen in to learn how strategic equity grants can drive business success while empowering employees.