WAYNE BOOTHBY

Directed planning and execution of retirement plan consolidations, vendor transitions, integrations, and compliance initiatives, achieving all project milestones with precision. Collaborated with internal teams, brokers, and vendors to oversee plan amendments, restatements, compliance deliverables, and participant communications, aligning operational processes with project goals. Monitored and reported on ERISA, IRS, DOL, and other applicable regulations, ensuring all retirement and benefits projects adhered to legal standards. Analyzed plan designs, vendor performance, and participant data to drive informed decision-making and identify improvement opportunities. Coordinated with payroll, HRIS, finance, and service providers to streamline transactions, deductions, remittances, and reconciliations, maintaining effective communication. Facilitated retirement plan committee meetings by preparing materials, documenting follow-ups, and contributing to strategic benefit program discussions.

• Serve as the primary point of contact for plan sponsors, advisors, attorneys and participants
• Resolve client issues and provide ongoing support to ensure client satisfaction.
• Conduct regular check-ins, consultations, and plan reviews, both on-site and virtually.
• Provide expertise on ERISA and other compliance related issues.
• Help interpret plan documents and provide guidance on fiduciary responsibilities.
• Offer recommendations for plan design and strategic direction.
• Help coordinate the installation of new plans, including managing the enrolment process.
• Drive client retention through proactive engagement and value-added services.
• Coordinate with internal teams to enhance offerings and streamline services.
• Prepare and deliver reports and presentations for client meetings and internal stakeholders.
• Identify and capitalize on new business opportunities within assigned client accounts.

• Monitored daily transactions including distributions, loans, and payrolls, and ensured timely delivery of services within documented service standards.
• Managed administration of 130 plans in compliance with provisions and current pension laws and regulations
• Performed quarterly and year-end reconciliations for assigned accounts.
• Process and respond to internal and external legal requests in a timely manner.
• Draft and negotiate various contracts including Master Services Agreements/Statement of Work and NDAs.
• Oversee the entire contract management process from legal request to archival. Review contracts for accuracy and completion, route contracts for signature, and upload executed contracts to contract repository.
• Assist in Vendor On-Boarding process by having legal requirements completed for respective vendors.
• Act as an information source on organization policies and procedures, and undertake special projects as requested.

• Reviewed insurance contracts and provided initial negotiation recommendation
• Authored policy manuals and trained clients in payroll set-ups, plan reviews, and processing.
• Gained subject matter expertise in all policies and procedures to process/approve transactions.
• Conducted reviews to ensure proper set-up within the system and performed follow-ups to ensure all required plan documents were finalized and set in motion.

• Managed commercial and construction contract intake and review processes for Law group; analyzed contract submissions, reviewed scopes of work and redlines, provided initial negotiation recommendations and assigned to correct attorneys for final approval.
• Performed final review of all RFPs and RFIs; assisted internal clients with RFP process and ensured accuracy and validity of terms and conditions based on project scope.
• Utilized contract administration expertise to draft and develop policies, procedures, contracting playbooks, pre-approved backup language, and contract templates for business department use.
• Acted as primary contact between Legal and internal clients, vendors; supported negotiations between internal clients and vendors; assisted with contract terms, risk mitigation, and cost reduction; ensured the overall efficiency of the procurement process.
• Organized RFPs with internal clients, assisted with vendor selections, bid defense, budgets, Scope of Work development and MSA/ CWA requirements.
• Appointed as final reviewers for all commercial and construction contracts, NDAs, and Assignments of Contracts, with widespread approval and denial authorization.

• Research and review data requirements for reporting positive Covid-19 cases to a states Local Health Authority.
• Manage a team of reporters who report positive cases in three States.
• Managed and executed covid testing plan for productions

• Determine third party use/assignment/termination rights under all inbound vendor agreements in relation to the sale of large Affiliates and merger of the remaining business with an Allianz affiliate, and advising accordingly.
• Draft, review, and negotiate all inbound commercial agreements for Allianz operating entities located in North America, meeting the needs of the business while ensuring compliance with Allianz global initiatives and legal policies, including privacy and data protection concerns.
• Help the General Counsel Office manage and supervise the vendor agreement process, advising, reviewing, drafting, and providing initial legal approval for all contract drafting (MSA, SOW and NDA) and negotiation performed by the company’s Sourcing group, which performs the initial intake for inbound vendor agreements.
• Draft, review, and negotiate complex and strategic international intra-Allianz operating entity service agreements involving many stakeholders to ensure compliance with Department of Insurance oversight and Allianz policies.
• Manage key vendors to deliver best in class services to our clients and sustain benefits created by the vendor selection, the vendor negotiation process, and ongoing vendor performance monitoring and commercial contract operation.

• Manage a team of 6 – 8 compliance analysts to deliver the highest quality in compliance services including the preparation of Signature Ready Form 5500’s and nondiscrimination testing within regulatory timelines.
• Evaluate plan documents for compliance issues, internal recordkeeping challenges and client concerns to ensure qualification of plan; Prepare plan document comparisons for underwriting, consulting and client review; Identify plan provisions where the need to influence plan design and administrative changes to incorporate best practices in order to mitigate risk while meeting client objectives; Create a signature ready legal plan documents which include a volume submitter plan document, a summary plan description, plan amendments, and summary of material modifications for review by external clients and attorneys.
• Provide technical consulting for financial advisors in the field as well as internal relationship managers.
• Develop team members by assisting with development plans, completing performance evaluations and one-to-one meetings to deliver performance reviews.
• Communicate service delivery on all compliance related items which include annual audits, Form 5500 preparation, non-discrimination testing and QDRO processing.

• Assist attorneys in a dedicated employee benefits only firm on a wide range of matters involving qualified and non-qualified retirement plans as well as health and welfare benefit plans.
• Assist clients in the successful completion of Internal Revenue Service, Department of Labor and Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation plan audits.
• Prepare applications on behalf of clients under the various Internal Revenue Service and Department of Labor correction programs.
• Focus on all legal aspects of qualified retirement plans, 401(k) and 403(b) plans, and multiemployer and Taft- Hartley plans. Help clients with administrative issues including employee communication strategies; various plan qualification matters; Qualified Domestic Relations Orders administration; Executive Comp administration, Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 issues; and preparation of plan documents, Summary Plan Descriptions, Summary of Benefits and Coverage, Summary of Material Modifications and plan amendments.
• Conduct due diligence reviews for many Fortune 500 Companies during Mergers and Acquisitions.
• Review and prepare service provider agreements such as investment manager agreements and recordkeeping services agreements.

• Responsible for the overall delivery of service provided to the Plan Sponsors of Qualified Retirement and Non-Qualified Plans with assets between $5MM - $10 Billion.
• Review all plan documentation and communicate service delivery on all compliance related items which include annual audits, Form 5500 preparation, non-discrimination testing and QDRO processing.
• Partner with clients to build a successful business planning cycle which results in the ability to assess and prioritize each clients needs.
• Work with internal Merrill Lynch partners in order to build an effective Communications campaign to plan participants of each individual client.
• Analyze revenue and expenses by client and determine opportunities to increase client profitability.
• Member of project team to automate the Required Minimum Distribution process which resulted in a successful conversion of the process and a significant reduction of administrative errors.
• Participated in brainstorming sessions with the Non-Qualified product team members with the intent to enhance the current product and offer ideas to promote throughout the Financial Advisory network which resulted in a 30% jump in new and conversion plans.

• Manage the daily administration and vendor relationship of the company’s Retirement Program with assets in excess of 5 Billion. Supervise staff of six analysts and benefits administrators.Successfully led the implementation of the company’s Financial Education Campaign resulting in a 90% attendance rate and a 13% increase in participation in the company’s 401(k) plans.
• Main point of contact with Fidelity on all administrative and compliance matters for the qualified retirement plans.
• Spearheaded a team to communicate and implement the company’s 3-for-1 stock split project.
• Successfully communicated stock split to 25,000 employees and coordinated the financial data between the appropriate financial institutions within a very tight timeframe.
• Member of internal Sarbanes Oxley testing team, which saved 1.2 million in consulting fees.
• Coordinated vendor research and implementation of the company’s automatic rollover program which resulted in a successful conversion and significant savings in set-up costs and consultant fees.
• Updated and streamlined company’s pension distribution forms and processes leading to a significant reduction of errors and a 50% reduction in completing the transaction.
• Helped develop a program to track disability appeals and QDRO’s facilitating a more organized system to complete each process within prescribed deadlines set by the Department of Labor.

• Assisted ERISA attorneys in the Labor and Employee Benefit Practice Groups on a wide range of matters involving qualified retirement plans and welfare benefit plans.
• Helped design and draft the firm’s GUST Master Prototype Document, becoming one of the first institutions approved by the IRS which led to an increased number of adopters of the prototype.
• Successfully coordinated the GUST IRS submission process for the practice groups 250 clients within the prescribed deadline set by the Internal Revenue Service.
• Helped launch an Employee Benefit newsletter resulting in a 28% increase in practice group referrals.
• Participated on a team representing the firm’s largest client, which was involved in a class action lawsuit, resulting in the dismissal of the case.
• Assisted drafting the firm’s QDRO and QMCSO procedure manual for distribution to clients.

• Designed, drafted, and performed operational reviews of qualified retirement plan documents for small and mid-market employers. Managed submission process of all documents to the IRS for approval.
• Coordinated the conversion of a block of small and mid-market retirement plans, purchased from a large financial institution, resulting in the successful conversion of 2,500 new plans.
• Conduct pre-conversion meetings with new clients to review and provide a clear understanding of roles and responsibilities resulting in commendation letters from brokers and clients.

• Helped design and implement the rollout of an automated document program which helped reduce the number of errors and increase the output of summary plan descriptions by 30%.
• Restructured the IRS submission process resulting in a more efficient process and increasing revenue for the department by $100,000 annually.
• Administered 401(k) Plans in the small to mid-market segment.
• Supported brokers on selling and administration of retirement plans.

• Supported the review, analysis, development and maintenance of qualified retirement and welfare benefit plans.
• Helped coordinate and assist in TRA ’86 restatement of qualified retirement plans.
• Drafted a summary plan description template for the firms volume submitter plan.