With an associate degree in finance, a bachelor’s in management, a MBA with special emphasis in enterprise risk management, and a nearly completed doctorate in business administration, George Blount is well prepared for his position as internal sales manager at John Hancock Retirement Plan Services.

 

Nine years into his tenure at Bostonhe-adquartered John Hancock, Blount credits the five years he spent as a financial advisor and equity trader, and his 12 years in retirement planning services-distribution of small to mid-size defined contribution plans, as invaluable preparation. “I oversee our team of internal wholesalers and provide guidance in business strategy to ensure that our team and external wholesalers are successful marketing our defined contribution plans throughout the United States,” he states.

 

Noting that over the past 30 years, employees were obligated to manage their retirement savings in much the same way as past institutional pension plans, Blount explains that his early work at an online firm allowed him to see the negative impact of self-directed financial activities. “Movement in the financial market can be intimidating. Without a watchful eye the possibility of loss is real. At the end of the day, whether it is trading or retirement planning, individuals need help to ensure successful outcomes,” he comments.

 

What drew Blount to the financial services and companion insurance industry is that it is based on trust – trust in the individual who sells the product and trust in the companies that distribute them. “The company you work for should complement your personal brand and vice versa,” says Blount. He learned the business at smaller firms and elected to move to a company with a great brand at a time when he felt his personal brand was at an acceptable level.

 

For Blount, moving to a larger organization was also based on the “noble idea” of satisfying the financial needs of an underserved population by providing advice to those who needed it most. Soon realizing that the advisory model was not set up that way, and that the concept of profit and loss did not support long cycles, he became disillusioned and even thought about leaving the industry. “I could not see myself remaining in a business where I felt I could not be of help to people,” he remarks. An opportunity to sell retirement plans was just what he needed. “I jumped at the chance and now, 12 years later, this business continues to energize me,” he says.

 

Of the challenges he faces, Blount is clear: “Our country is facing a retirement crisis. The number of individuals who have underfunded retirement savings is staggering,” he remarks, adding that the deficit between what people need for retirement and what they have saved is estimated to be greater than four trillion dollars. “Financial literacy is a global issue,” he says. “With increased financial product innovation the need for education is higher than at any time. Our challenge is similar to that of most firms in this industry – awareness and innovation. We must innovate new ways to deliver and educate the population on financial matters in a self-directed environment.”

 

Most necessary for success, according to Blount, are empathy and perseverance. “The ability to understand the motivations, needs, and fulfillment of customers' needs is critical,” he states.

 

He also emphasizes the importance of having a career vision. A job title or ideal salary in isolation says very little about your goals, he contends. “You should be able to describe in detail where you plan to start and finish. It is necessary to be able to identify the value of your experiences,” says Blount.

 

“Let a company invest in your future, but not your history,” he advises. As an aside he mentions learning one of the most important lessons of his career from the video game, Super Mario Brothers. “The only goal was to save the princess. There were no instructions – the lesson being - set your goal and accomplish it.”

 

At John Hancock, Blount enjoys working in his niche. “Unlike most financial products, the end-user of retirement plans is the average U.S. employee for whom semi-monthly payroll deductions into defined contribution plans represents the best form of saving,” he explains.

 

Blount appreciates being able to help hundreds of people achieve their retirement goals and also enjoys serving on the company’s multi-cultural employee resource group, The Association for MultiCultural Professionals (AMP). As chair, his responsibilities include communicating information, coordinating sub-committee events, and advocating the business advantages of workplace diversification.

 

“We have the an employee base who are full of optimism for the future of the company, and that’s a nice position to be in,” says Blount