The 2020 IA25: Eric Clarke

By Janet Levaux

Q&A April 22, 2020 at 01:58 PM

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Eric Clarke has been CEO of Orion Advisor Solutions, which includes Orion Advisor Tech and Orion Portfolio Solutions, since 1999.

Top advice

We should ask ourselves, "What can we do to help?" Not just our clients, but the communities around us. What services can you offer?

We see this happening right now in other industries, like the distilleries that have adapted their equipment to produce hand sanitizer. Our industry should be no different.

There are a lot of people hurting right now. Unemployment is spiking, and millions of people are financially adrift. There's never been a greater time to help our communities focus on their financial goals.

We aren't medical professionals, but we can provide a lot of clarity and peace of mind to the communities that are most impacted by the crisis.

Biggest Challenge

To move an 800-person team to remote work while retaining our culture, professional engagement and standards of service. We're accustomed to working side by side and collaborating face to face, but now we have to use technology in very unique and creative ways.

The good news is we've done this with the digital tools we had embraced even before the crisis began.

We're encouraging frequent, direct communication, whether that means using the problem-solving Scrum framework through video chat or keeping up morale with the Pets of Orion Slack channel.

While the pandemic has disrupted our lives, it hasn't changed who we are or what we're capable of, and that's a story we're going to see throughout this industry as we all rise to the occasion.

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