The “Meet the Envisionaries” series introduces team members from across the business. Kelly Nixon, Relationship Manager and Manager of Client Support Operations, says, “When it comes to investment product recordkeeping, there are many moving parts behind the curtain that make everything come together. People are used to seeing the end product, but not what makes it ‘tick’.”
Q: What’s your role at Envision?
I manage select client relationships. These include both mutual funds performing in-house investor recordkeeping themselves and 3rd party service-provider clients who provide transfer agency services to mutual fund companies, college savings plans and alternative investment sponsors. Essentially, it’s my responsibility to ensure everything flows smoothly. That includes things like conducting annual planning to managing day-to-day technology support operations. I’m deeply familiar with the specifics of how our clients leverage our software, so I can provide training, handle troubleshooting, and coordinate projects. Our clients know they can call me day or night, as an additional resource to our on-call support team.
I also work closely with Envision’s client support team on day-to-day issues, conversions, upgrades, you name it. Everything we do is about making sure our clients’ businesses run smoothly and delivering a strong customer experience.
Q: What has your career path looked like?
My first job after college was in investor services at T. Rowe Price, which had an extremely comprehensive training program about the mutual fund industry. That taught me how the “front end” systems work. After two years, I transferred to T. Rowe Price’s retirement plan services departments, which taught me about how things work behind the scenes. I was drawn to this more technical view.
I had an opportunity to join Envision in a client support role in 2004, and I’ve advanced from there taking on a broader scope of responsibility over the years.
Q: In your work with Envision’s clients, what are you most proud of?
In the 19 years I’ve been privileged to work at Envision, what I’m most grateful for—and proud of—is the relationships we build with our clients. I pride myself on being transparent with our clients and setting realistic expectations. The trust that we put in each other makes for long-lasting relationships, and ensures we are viewed as trusted advisors by our clients.
Q: What’s changed over the years?
Over the years, our products and services have expanded significantly. That’s created opportunities for me to greatly expand both my knowledge and the range of ways I can help clients meet their business needs.
Q: Do you partner with other firms to serve Envision clients?
Yes, to meet our clients’ needs we regularly work with their vendors. Often the purpose is to extract data out of our system and deliver it seamlessly into the third party’s system. Among others, I’ve worked closely with teams at Merrill Lynch and Morgan Stanley to identify their requirements, create project plans, and ensure seamless integrations.
Q: What advice would you give someone starting a career in your specific field?
Absorb as much information as you can. Regardless of your position, take the time to learn various aspects of the business with each project. You never know when that knowledge will come in handy. For example, while I may not be a software developer, the information that I gained from our programmers is helpful when I’m explaining a certain function to one of our clients.
At the end of the day, you find that everything connects. The more you know, the better you can articulate your thoughts and findings to a client. Enabling you to deliver strong support and guidance.
Q: What hobby or pastime do you enjoy away from work?
I am a huge sports fan. I am originally from the South Jersey area, so my favorite teams are all based in Philadelphia. I enjoy catching a football or baseball game whenever I have the time to travel back to the area. My teams have been on a roll: the Phillies in the World Series and the Eagles in the Superbowl. Like any good Philadelphia sports fan, I make sure my colleagues are aware of this fact. I am hoping for a better Superbowl ending than the World Series. Fly Eagles Fly!
I also enjoy watching soccer. I played starting from the time I was six years old up until college. I found the World Cup to be incredibly exciting.
Q: What would you say makes Envision special?
The talented people I have the opportunity to partner with, and the dedication and hard work we put in each and every day to ensure our clients success. I say this because many providers offer an “off the shelf” product solutions with limited opportunities to fully support a company’s business needs. At Envision, we pride ourselves on the flexibility of our product and our ability to customize our solutions for our clients. Delighting our clients with that level of commitment and care is always satisfying.