Capturing Decades of Institutional Knowledge
We built a sustainable system for a $675B asset manager whose advisor education and value-add engine was at risk.
The Situation
A financial services firm managing $675 billion in assets faced a quiet crisis: their head of education and value-add services was retiring. This wasn't just losing an employee but the architect of the firm's entire advisory education strategy.
We were faced with the challenge to capture what worked, identify what needed to evolve, and build a sustainable enablement structure before the retirement created a knowledge vacuum that would take years to fill.
Our Approach
We treated this as an organizational archaeology project, hence, excavating institutional knowledge before it became inaccessible.
The process took 6-8 months, producing a detailed inventory of what existed, what mattered, and what the future structure should look like.
Layer 1: Stakeholder Research
Layer 2: Brand Standing Research
Layer 3: Competitive Analysis
Our Recommendations
A Succession Strategy Built on Preservation and Evolution
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Conduct a knowledge transfer sprint before retirement.
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Redistribute responsibilities strategically, not equally. Map every function the retiring leader owned, then assign each to the person on the existing team best positioned to own it.
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Separate legacy from value. Use the transition as an opportunity to sunset low-impact activities and double down on what advisors actually use and value.
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Build enablement around advisor needs, not internal inertia.
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Create scalable systems that don't depend on individual heroics.
The Result
The firm successfully navigated a leadership transition that could have created years of disruption:
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Institutional knowledge was preserved.
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A structured enablement organization emerged.
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Brand representation strengthened. By identifying what advisors valued most and eliminating legacy programs that no longer delivered impact, the firm sharpened its value proposition.
