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by Colleen Kowalski on February 8, 2022
People are everything. Exit Planning President, Scott Snider, says, “I don’t care how good your product or processes are, if you don’t have the right people – you’re screwed.” The Human Capital in your business is one of the most difficult to navigate and one of the most important. EPI cares deeply about our employees and is proud to announce the promotion of four members of our team and introduce four new members of the EPI team.
Promoting from Within
Scott Snider says, “People make an organization unique and valuable. We always say at EPI that the organization and community’s success is because of the people, not at the expense of people. EPI has had some amazing growth and our people have played a critical part.”
Chris Snider writes in Walking to Destiny, “In addition to providing a path for professional growth, you should consider providing retention incentives to key employees. They provide the opportunity for your superstars to benefit from value creation.” This incentivizes key performers to stay with the company and encourages growth. In 2021, we promoted key employees into positions that offer them the opportunity to continue to grow and thrive in the EPI community.
Jesse Hudson, Director of Business Development
Jesse’s responsibilities expanded. In addition to leading our business development team, he now leads our Member Experience Team and ensures both teams work cohesively to help our CEPAs understand all the benefits of their membership. In this new role, he streamlines efficiencies among CEPAs.
Scott reflects on Jesse’s impact by sharing, “As a business owner we teach through our programs that you need to relinquish control. I have also personally had a passion for our CEPAs, our members. I have held this under my management for years and this year Jesse will take over leading our Member Experience Team. The team will come under his oversight and be partnered with our business development team that he already manages. Jesse is an excellent choice for this year and already 30 days into the new year he has had a profound impact. Jesse has a unique ability to use data and research to build coaching programs and systems that optimize everyone’s time and make people better solution providers. Our CEPA Community undoubtedly will have an advanced level of service in 2022 and beyond.”
Jocelyn Bires, Operations Manager
Jocelyn was promoted to Operations Manager. She is responsible for managing the daily operations of EPI and oversees all national accounts. She ensures the team is happy at work, provided with competitive benefits, and has a safe work environment.
Scott shares, “Jocelyn has a critical role. She oversees People, Process, and Culture at EPI. Her role brings us together as a team, optimizes and streamlines our time with effective processes and systems, and plays a big role in the heartbeat of our culture. Jocelyn has also taken a permanent spot on our Executive Leadership Team and is the Chairwoman of EPIs Event Experience Committee. We are honored to have her.”
Paige Koerper-Wysocki, Marketing Manager
Paige was promoted to Marketing Manager for our expanding marketing team. She plays a key role in content branding, special project execution, and client experience research. The creation and success of EPI Academy is a result of Paige’s exceptional understanding of the market and professional advisor needs.
Scott reflects on the “success story” of Paige’s growth within EPI. “Paige is one of the most unique and talented individuals I have met in my 20 years of being an entrepreneur. She started here at EPI as a marketing intern while in college, was hired upon graduation, and quickly moved from Marketing Coordinator to Marketing Strategist, to now Marketing Manager. Not only will EPI continue to grow under her leadership, but the CEPA designation will continue to be the leading brand in the marketplace today. Paige has taken a permanent role on our Executive Leadership Team as well.”
Colleen Kowalski, Content Strategist
Colleen was promoted to our Content Strategist this year. She is responsible for creating engaging and unique blogs for the EPI website, managing our social media accounts, and generating organic communication between EPI and the exit planning community. This past year she began our quarterly content packages to provide advisors and owners with whitepapers, infographics, and case studies to further their exit planning education.
When thinking about the content published by Colleen in her tenure with EPI, Scott states, “I will tell you that EPI has not published this type of thought-provoking, educational, and motivational content since we released Walking to Destiny in 2016. The content she has created will not only build the EPI brand, but will continue to put CEPAs at the top as authorities in exit planning. She is a very special writer and I believe all CEPAs should have a fire lit inside of them to be as excited as I am about the content to come.”
Building the EPI Team
In the past six months, EPI has hired four women to our team. This past March, the EPI team was comprised of 10 men and four women. The team of 16 now is composed of nine men and seven women. Scott Snider highlights the importance of building a strong team. He says, “EPI expands once again. We made four strategic and deliberate hires to conclude 2021. These folks fit the culture and makeup of who EPI is. Katie, Margo, Jenna, and Kristina are people who will drive significant experiences for our CEPAs and partners and continue to help EPI innovate, evolve, and create.”
Meet the four new EPI team members below.
Katie Robinson, Administrative Assistant
Katie began working for EPI in September of 2021. She manages the speaking engagements and webinar calendar for EPI. She shares, “I became very interested in a position at EPI after reading about the courses and events on our website. Seeing how cohesive and complete the marketing for EPI was made me very interested in learning more.” Katie is eager to learn more about the EPI community while finalizing our upcoming webinars.
Fun Facts about Katie: She has been a vegetarian for 15 years and her favorite TV show is The Office.
Margo Coniam, Office Assistant
Margo began working for EPI in October of 2021. She is responsible for our bookkeeping, shipping, office management, and vendor relations. Margo shares, “When I interviewed everyone was so welcoming and friendly that I knew EPI would be a good fit for me. I liked that EPI is a small business that genuinely cares about its employees.” Margo is excited to learn more about each department in EPI.
Fun Facts about Margo: She has two house rabbits, Malley and Beau, and she loves traveling.
Jenna Meredith, Community Coordinator
Jenna joined the EPI team in January of 2022. She will manage the growing EPI Chapter Network and work closely with our Chapter Presidents. She has plans to onboard five new chapters into the EPI network this year. Jenna shares, “I loved the idea of being at a company that is growing so much, and where I can grow along with it! I also really wanted a supportive team, which since being here has exceeded my expectations!” Jenna is eager to learn more about each chapter and be able to connect with its members. She cannot wait to manage the chapters and guide them with anything they need!
Fun Facts about Jenna: Her favorite food is chicken fingers and she loves to go boating on the lake in the Summer.
Kristina Schuerger, Business Development Manager
Kristina joined the EPI team in January of 2022. She will help educate advisors about the benefits of the Certified Exit Planning Advisor credential and build the EPI community. Kristina shares, “I was eager to join a family-owned business that incorporates collaboration and team values into their everyday operations.” She is excited to strategize and grow with the business development team as more national accounts approve the CEPA credential.
Fun Facts about Kristina: She plays competitive volleyball and her favorite dessert is cheesecake.
Learn more about EPI’s commitment to improving our Human Capital by requesting our free Case Study.
