Summary
Overview
Work History
Education
Skills
Timeline
Generic

Lee Ann Schwartz

Woodcliff Lake,USA

Summary

Dynamic employee benefits professional with over 25 years of expertise in designing, implementing, and administering retirement plans. Proven track record in all aspects of plan management, including effective communication with employees and sponsors, seamless payroll integration, and navigating regulatory and legislative changes. Skilled in driving new product development and crafting comprehensive RFP responses. Experienced in balancing HRIS and cross-discipline requirements to create automated processes with high levels of accuracy and efficiency. Committed to delivering innovative solutions that enhance organizational effectiveness and employee satisfaction.

Overview

26
26
years of professional experience

Work History

Manager, Retirement Plan Design

SS&C Retirement Solutions
02.2022 - 11.2023
  • Managed Plan Design Team of 15 individuals, responsible for drafting, issuing and amending pre-approved plan documents for plan sponsors adopting plans sold by multiple investment companies, using FIS Relius, ASC DGEM and FT Williams and other customized pre-approved documents
  • Managed team work flow of over 5,000 amendments and 3,000 new plan adoptions per year
  • Oversaw adoption of required plan amendments for CARES Act, SECURE Act, and SECURE 2.0 act across client base for over 10,000 plans
  • Ensured timely completion of Cycle 3 Restatement process for multiple clients, leveraging existing staff and a team of contractors
  • Developed on-going technical and regulatory training as well as development and rollout of process improvements
  • Onboarded and implemented plan design processes for 2 new client engagements, including full automation of standard plan document
  • Engaged with fund company managers, plan sponsors, and trustee contacts as necessary to ensure correct document delivery and execution
  • Ensured timely delivery of annual notices, plan restatements and interim amendments
  • Panelist at Annual SPARK Forum, November 2022, on Keeping Client Plans Compliant In A Sea Of Change, regarding the challenges in keeping plan documents up-to-date in the ever-changing regulatory environment

Product Manager, Defined Contribution (DC) Practice Leadership

Conduent HR Solutions
06.2014 - 01.2022
  • Subject matter expert for DC outsourcing practice for large-market Defined Contribution Plans
  • Interpreted regulatory and legislative updates. Created business requirements based on plan documents and regulation. Reviewed technical requirements, drafted communications templates, created training material for client contacts, plan administration teams and service center representatives.
  • Large projects overseen and implemented included the SECURE Act, CARES Act, Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, Department of Labor e-delivery requirements, IRS tax withholding changes for forms W-4P and W-4R, Department of Labor guidance on missing participants and cybersecurity updates
  • Created and maintained communications templates for routine participant communications, including quarterly benefit statements, lifetime income disclosures, transaction confirmation statements, and distribution statements. Helped clients and administration teams develop ad-hoc communications based on client needs
  • Analyzed existing business processes for efficiency and risk mitigation across the client base to leverage best practice and implement standard practices to allow for employee redeployment as needed
  • Created and maintained emergency market closure contingency plans, including communications to clients, plan participants and internal stakeholders and ensure quick action when required
  • Aided client and technology teams in addressing plan sponsor concerns, implementing change work and identifying and executing remediation work
  • Reviewed and participated in sales process for new prospects. Drafted and reviewed proposal responses. Reviewed plan provisions to identify outliers in business model that would impact administration and engagement pricing to ensure smooth deal review and contracting
  • Acted as DC subject-matter expert on cross-discipline projects, including integration with open enrollment, total rewards and participant enrollment

Implementation Project Manager/Team Lead, Defined Contribution (DC)

Xerox HR Solutions/ACS
04.2003 - 05.2013
  • Project managed implementation of large-market Defined Contribution plans on record keeping system and all supporting platforms. Average of 2 large-market implementations per year
  • Coordinated activities of team members from various departments, including Implementation, Technology, Communications, Training, Customer Service, HRIS Data and Benefits Customer Service Center
  • Prepared plan provision business requirements and supplemental requirements documents to be used as the basis of the implementation and on-going administration. Reviewed plan documents, summary plan descriptions, existing communications and administrative summaries. Recommended process improvements and plan design changes
  • Acted as client-liaison and internal subject matter expert for the duration of the implementation, through go-live. Balanced client requests with operating standards, and determined appropriate levels of new development and customization
  • Consulted with Legal and Compliance to determine plan document updates and potential areas of non-compliance with existing governing regulation and proposed regulation. Documented changes required and potential solutions, and create action plans to implement necessary changes
  • Worked with Product Solutions Group to design new services or expand current services to meet client provisions and needs, and to address regulatory and industry standard changes. Average of 3 new product solutions or enhancements per implementation
  • Coordinated testing and validation of plan provisions on the record keeping platform and all associated interfaces, including participant web site, client reporting web site and customer service representative transaction system. Ensured proper testing of valuation processing, client, trustee, paying agent, fund manager and actuarial reporting and interfaces.
  • Drafted and/or reviewed requirements for all user interfaces, including internal representative inquiry systems, and participant-facing, full-service Web site. Consulted on technical requirements, HTML content, and participant communications pieces, including transition announcements, on-going communications, summary plan descriptions, solicitations and quarterly statements
  • Prepared training materials and standard operating procedures for on-going administration team and Benefits Center representatives
  • Acted as liaison to Off-Shore Implementation Group manager. Identified areas for improvement, create standardized documentation, procedures and templates, and coordinated training initiatives across implementation projects

Project Analyst, Business Integration and Implementation

Mellon Human Resources and Investor Solutions
01.2003 - 01.2004
  • Manage project timelines and deliverables and track project progress and status using MS Project. Includes creation of project plans, task and resource reporting, resource leveling and appropriation, budget tracking and projections. Projects include client change work, implementation, and product development and technology enhancements.
  • Prepare monthly Senior Management reporting to be presented to CIO. Includes empirical scoring of project against baseline, subjective scoring, and budget and revenue projections

Consultant, Defined Contribution Outsourcing Operations

PricewaterhouseCoopers
11.1998 - 04.2003
  • Managed 401(k) plan administration and processing for large- and mid-sized corporations, in the daily-valued and balance-forward environments. Primary client contact for data, plan design and participant issues.
  • Coordinated and acted as subject matter expert for plan/program changes among client, technology and administration groups.
  • Consulted on plan design, legislative changes and benefits program implementation and redesign. Included coordinating research of legal requirements, review of plan amendments, documents and filings, review of employee communications and corporate presentations, and design of on-going program administration.

Employee Benefits Analyst II, Custom Daily Valuation Unit

National City Bank
09.1997 - 10.1998
  • Administered a block of large and small custom corporate 401(k) plans and executived valuations of savings plans in a daily valuation environment
  • Prepared and processed all plan transactions, reporting and data extracts related to the assigned plans using the OmniPlan recordkeeping system and ancillary programs
  • Completed daily reconciliations of trust to records, monthly, quarterly and annual reporting, created custom reporting, and executed year-end balancing functions

Education

Bachelor of Science - Applied Economics and Business Management

Cornell University
Ithaca, NY
05-1997

Skills

  • Employee Benefits Expertise, including census data integration, Defined Contribution plan design and regulatory requirements, payroll integration and design, regulatory, compliance and client reporting requirements, trustee and trading platform integration, and compliance requirements
  • Consulting Skills, including continuous process improvement review, Six Sigma review, process risk analysis, project management, quality assurance, requirements analysis,
  • Communications Skills, including strong written communications and public speaking engagements, training development and delivery, vendor management, interpersonal skills, collaborative cross-functional team management, targeted communications for various stakeholders and levels of engagement
  • Leadership skills, including team management, workflow management, time management and staffing, mentorship, training, relationship management
  • Technical Skills, including, Microsoft Office Products, IBM Mainframe Tools, MS Project, OmniPlan/OmniPlus, PowerPoint, FIS Relius, FT Williams, Rapid SQL, Cobol and C programming
  • Strong decision-making and analysis stills, including complex problem-solving and consideration of risk vs reward, level of effort vs level of efficiency gained

Timeline

Manager, Retirement Plan Design

SS&C Retirement Solutions
02.2022 - 11.2023

Product Manager, Defined Contribution (DC) Practice Leadership

Conduent HR Solutions
06.2014 - 01.2022

Implementation Project Manager/Team Lead, Defined Contribution (DC)

Xerox HR Solutions/ACS
04.2003 - 05.2013

Project Analyst, Business Integration and Implementation

Mellon Human Resources and Investor Solutions
01.2003 - 01.2004

Consultant, Defined Contribution Outsourcing Operations

PricewaterhouseCoopers
11.1998 - 04.2003

Employee Benefits Analyst II, Custom Daily Valuation Unit

National City Bank
09.1997 - 10.1998

Bachelor of Science - Applied Economics and Business Management

Cornell University

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Lee Ann Schwartz