Cerulli Research & Consulting

The Convergence of Defined Contribution and Wealth Management

Wealth management relationships are considerably more lucrative than defined contribution (DC)-specific relationships and retirement plan advisors know that. Competition is fueling across the industry as plan advisors look to source wealth management relationships from their workplace business by strengthening relationships with business owners, key executives, and plan participants.

Seize opportunity at the intersection of DC and wealth management and learn how to position your business lines for scalable success with Cerulli’s research and consulting capabilities.

Our Subject Matter Experts

Shawn O'Brien, CFA

Director

Bio →

Shawn O'Brien, CFA

Director

Shawn leads the U.S. Retirement research practice, which focuses on the defined contribution (DC) and individual retirement account (IRA) markets. He also leads and supports strategic consulting projects for asset managers on their DC-related market entry and product distribution strategies.

Prior to joining Cerulli Associates, Shawn worked as a Research Associate at Harvard Business School, where he co-authored case studies on investment management for professional and personal investors and managing and innovating in financial services. Prior to that, he worked in the Currency Management group at State Street Global Markets, employing currency overlay strategies for large asset managers and asset owners.

Full biography here.

Elizabeth Chiffer

Analyst

Bio →

Elizabeth Chiffer

Analyst

As an analyst on the Retirement team, Elizabeth supports research on defined contribution and individual account markets and provides quantitative support to the annual reports and Cerulli Edge series.

Prior to joining Cerulli, Elizabeth was a research assistant at the Boston University School of Hospitality Administration, where she worked on papers pertaining to hospitality finance and technology.

Full biography here.

Idin Eftekhari

Senior Analyst

Bio →

Idin Eftekhari

Senior Analyst

Idin is a member of Cerulli’s Retirement research practice, which specializes in the defined contribution (DC) and individual retirement account (IRA) markets.

Prior to joining Cerulli, Idin was a senior member of the Portfolio Evaluation Group at Fisher Investments, where he was responsible for providing asset allocation and benchmark recommendations for high-net-worth clients in the US, Canada and the UK. During his 15+ year tenure at Fisher Investments, Idin served in multiple roles supporting the firm’s Private Client Group and Institutional Group.

Full biography here.

Mackenzey Santorella

Associate Analyst

Bio →

Mackenzey Santorella

Associate Analyst

As an associate analyst on the Retirement team, Mackenzey supports research on defined contribution and individual account markets and provides quantitative support to the annual reports and Cerulli Edge series.

Prior to joining Cerulli, Mackenzey interned at Hologic, Inc., and Wheel It Forward. She graduated summa cum laude from Fairfield University with a Bachelor of Science in Business Analytics and minors in Applied Statistics and Marketing.

Full biography here.