Podcast | 09.09.26

BISA Portfolio Podcast: Why Program Leaders Should Hire Outside of Financial Services

by: BISA Staff

In this episode of the BISA Portfolio Podcast, host Jim Nickens sits down with BISA members Ron Major of TruStage and Jermaine Perrien of Symetra to discuss the value of recruiting talent from outside the financial services industry. Drawing from their own unique career journeys, Major and Perrien share why they made the transition into financial services, the transferable skills professionals bring from other sectors and how organizations can successfully integrate and develop nontraditional hires.

Tune in to learn:

• Why professionals from outside financial services are increasingly valuable candidates and what attracts them to the industry.
• Which transferable skills, experiences, and leadership qualities can help individuals thrive in financial services, regardless of their previous field.
• How hiring talent with different backgrounds can strengthen organizational culture, encourage innovation, and bring fresh perspectives to longstanding challenges.
• Practical strategies for onboarding and supporting employees who are new to the industry, helping them integrate successfully and contribute quickly.

Listen to the episode below or listen and subscribe on Spotify or Apple.

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Transcript

Jim Nickens
Hello, everyone, and welcome to this episode of the BISA Portfolio Podcast. I'm Jim Nickens, your BISA Portfolio Podcast host. In this episode, I will be discussing how, in this era of competitive recruiting, financial services should consider hiring outside of the profession. For those of you who do not know me, I'm the founder and principal of Swan Financial Group, a boutique consulting firm focused on insurance and annuity distribution strategies for banks, broker-dealers, RIAs, and carriers. I'm also an annuity insurance principal at M.S. Howells & Company. More importantly, I stay active with BISA and a few community boards here in Indiana. I'm joined today by two of my fellow BISA members who both have their own unique journeys into the industry: Ron Major and Jermaine Perrien. Before we get started, I want to encourage you to subscribe to this podcast on the app you're listening to now. And if you enjoy the episode, please share it with your network. Ron and Jermaine, can you introduce yourselves? Let's start with you, Ron.

Ron Major
Sure. Thank you, Jim. Hello, everyone. My name is Ron Major, and I work with TruStage, an insurance company headquartered in Madison, Wisconsin. My role is account manager in the annuity division, working with broker-dealers to help grow their annuity business. I've been in the industry for about 26 years. I live in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, just outside of Philadelphia. When I'm not working, I enjoy golfing and planning my next vacation destination. Thanks for having me. I'm excited to be on the podcast today.

Jermaine Perrien
Hey, Jim. Hey, Ron. Thank you both for the opportunity to be part of this podcast. My name is Jermaine Perrien, and I'm the Assistant Director of Internal Sales at Symetra, a life insurance company located in Bellevue, Washington, in the Pacific Northwest. I work in our retirement division, focused primarily on delivering solutions for clients' retirement planning needs. Our wholesalers work directly with financial advisors at banks, broker-dealers, and investment firms throughout the country. I've worked at Symetra for about 11 years and have been in the industry for more than 20 years in various capacities, including retail financial services, wholesaling, and now leadership. I was introduced to BISA through the Rising Stars program years ago, which has been great for networking and meeting people like Jim and Ron. I'm a member of BISA's IMPACT Vision Committee, and I'm currently one of the co-chairs, alongside Kylie Murray, of BISA's Black Voices Unmuted (BVU) Subcommittee. I live in Federal Way, Washington, just south of Seattle, and I'm grateful for the opportunity to speak with you today.

Jim Nickens
Great, and thank you both for joining us. Recruitment is a huge topic in financial services. Often, we're competing for top performers to join our industry, and we're frequently looking for people who already have expertise. But that's not the only approach. Those outside the profession bring many transferable skills. In fact, this topic is especially relevant to me because this morning I met with an advisor who entered our business from the education field and is already becoming a rising star at his institution. A credit union program manager and longtime friend arranged the meeting and asked me to share some of my own experiences about entering the industry and how meaningful a career in financial services can be. So I'd like to continue that conversation with Jermaine and Ron. Jermaine, can you share a little more about your background and how you got into the financial services industry?

Jermaine Perrien
I'll try to keep a long story short. I started college as an engineering major. After changing schools and exploring different interests, I took a corporate finance course. One of my professors encouraged me to take more finance classes, and those courses really stuck with me. At the time, I wasn't sure what I wanted to do, and honestly, the industry found me more than I found it. I played college basketball, and one of my teammates' fathers was a financial advisor in Seattle. He'd known me for several years and, during my senior year, asked what I planned to do after graduation. I wasn't really sure. He saw something in me that maybe I didn't even recognize in myself and invited me to join his practice. I got a job as a financial advisor, and that's where the adventure began. I've been in the industry for more than 20 years now. As I said, the industry found me more than I found it.

Jim Nickens
Absolutely. Ron, can you share a little bit about your pivot into the industry?

Ron Major
Sure. My story is similar to Jermaine's in some ways. In college, I majored in broadcast journalism, so my intention was to work in television production, programming, or another area of broadcasting. While I was trying to break into that field, I had a friend who worked at ADP. One of its divisions developed financial software that helped advisors access news and quotes. This was right around the beginning of the internet era, so the technology was still very new. I interviewed for what I thought would be a temporary position and ended up traveling all over the country, training advisors at broker-dealers on how to use the software. After doing that for a few years, another opportunity came along with Delaware Investments in a training role. At that point, I realized financial services was going to be my career. I transitioned fully into the industry and haven't looked back since.

Jim Nickens
That's great. From hearing both of your stories, it's clear that you brought valuable skills with you before entering financial services. Can you talk a little more about the in-demand skills that transfer well from other industries into our field?

Ron Major
Sure, Jim. I think there are two skill sets that translate across every industry: communication and relationship building. If someone is a strong communicator and excels at building relationships, those abilities transfer very naturally into financial services. Regardless of their background, those are two of the key characteristics I'd look for when bringing someone into the industry.

Jermaine Perrien
I agree 100%. Communication and relationship-building skills are at the top of the list. I'd also point to professionals coming from highly regulated industries. Attention to detail transfers really well. Technology skills are increasingly important, especially with AI becoming such a major topic. Project management skills are valuable as well. When I think about some of the people we've hired over the years, their backgrounds have been incredibly diverse. We've hired people from motorcycle sales, the art world, the WNBA, academia, retail, hospitality, and education. There are many skill sets that don't seem directly related to financial services at first, but they often become the foundation of highly successful careers in our industry.

Jim Nickens
That's a great point, Jermaine. The advisor I met with this morning had two master's degrees, neither of which had anything to do with financial services. His manager talked about how he had helped evolve the organization's culture. Can you both talk about how experiences outside our industry can help shape the culture of financial institutions?

Jermaine Perrien
First and foremost, people coming from outside the industry bring fresh ideas. When you've worked in any industry for a long time, it's easy to become accustomed to doing things a certain way. People from different backgrounds often bring perspectives and ideas that are genuinely helpful. They also tend to ask a lot of questions, which is a positive thing. That curiosity and thirst for knowledge can reinvigorate a team and remind people why they're excited about the work they do. Many people entering the industry are beginning second careers after changes in previous industries. They often bring tremendous enthusiasm and gratitude for the opportunity, which helps organizations continue to evolve and grow.

Ron Major
I'd echo a lot of what Jermaine said. Earlier in my career, I managed an internal sales desk. While we relied heavily on internal talent, we also hired external candidates to create balance and bring in new perspectives. Sometimes those hires came from competitors. Other times, they came from completely different industries. Jermaine mentioned bartenders, and that's a great example. I once hired a bartender because he demonstrated outstanding communication and relationship-building skills. I saw tremendous potential in him. Today, he's a very successful external wholesaler. That experience reinforced for me that organizations shouldn't limit themselves only to candidates who already have financial services experience. There are talented people everywhere, and if they possess the right skills and fit the culture, they can be incredibly successful.

Jim Nickens
Thank you both. One of the challenges, of course, is retention. How do you make sure those individuals have a successful experience once they join the industry? Let's start with you, Ron.

Ron Major
I think it's important to understand the learning curve. Someone coming from outside the industry is going to have a very different experience from someone who already has financial services knowledge. One of the most effective strategies I've seen is pairing that person with a strong mentor. Developing mentor-mentee relationships is incredibly important. It's also important not to overwhelm people. Their product knowledge won't be there immediately, and that's okay. Give them time to learn, observe experienced professionals, and gain confidence. Many people entering the industry from outside fields can feel overwhelmed by the terminology, licensing requirements, and technical details. A mentor can help reassure them that others have successfully made the same transition. More than anything, strong mentorship helps people integrate successfully into the industry.

Jim Nickens
Very insightful. Jermaine?

Jermaine Perrien
That's great, Ron. Training and development are huge. You have to start with the basics and avoid assuming that what's common knowledge to an industry veteran is common knowledge to someone new. People need resources, opportunities to ask questions, and access to information they can explore on their own. The mentor piece is also huge. Having someone you can turn to and learn from early in your career is incredibly valuable. At Symetra, we have programs that teach business and industry fundamentals across departments. Those programs provide employees with visibility into different parts of the company and expose them to opportunities they may not have considered before. Careers rarely follow a straight line. A lot of it comes down to exposure. You don't know what you don't know. Sometimes learning about another area of the business sparks an entirely new career path. At the core of all of this is communication. It has to be two-way communication. Organizations need to communicate with employees, and employees need to feel comfortable communicating their needs and goals in return.

Jim Nickens
Thank you, Jermaine. As someone who has known both of you for a long time, one word I consistently hear from both of you is mentorship. It's clear how important that has been throughout your careers. To bring the conversation full circle, what is something you wish you had known when you first entered the financial services industry? And what do you wish employers understood better? Jermaine, let's start with you.

Jermaine Perrien
That's a tough question. One thing I wish I had known was just how many opportunities exist within this industry. If you had told my 22-year-old self about the role I hold today, I probably would have said, "What is that?" I had no idea how many different career paths were available. Understanding that there are multiple opportunities and directions can relieve a lot of pressure early in your career. You don't need to have a perfect 20-year plan. As you grow, learn, and develop new skills, different opportunities reveal themselves. The other thing I wish I had known was how important networking is and, more importantly, how to do it. People always say, "Network, network, network," but they don't necessarily explain how to build relationships, find mentors, or start meaningful conversations. Once I learned those skills, they became invaluable. I've met incredible people, including Jim and Ron, and those relationships have helped me continue learning and growing throughout my career. As for employers, I think Symetra does a strong job of embracing people from nontraditional backgrounds. We have many employees who followed unique career paths, and I believe those diverse experiences make organizations stronger. The challenge, of course, is that there isn't a single formula for getting it right. Organizations are constantly evolving and trying to improve, and that's certainly true for us.

Ron Major
Great answers, Jermaine, because you took a lot of what I was going to say. I wish I had understood both how large and how small this industry really is. When you're new, it's easy to think your company is your entire world. Over time, you begin meeting people through BISA, conferences, and professional networks. You see the same individuals again and again, and you realize just how interconnected the industry truly is. Networking has been incredibly valuable throughout my career. In fact, I've received opportunities through relationships I developed across the industry. I also wish I had known how many different career paths were available. Early on, I assumed my career would follow a very specific route, but there are countless directions people can take within financial services. As for employers, I would encourage them not to place too much emphasis on prior financial services experience alone. What matters most are the qualities we've discussed today: communication skills, relationship-building abilities, curiosity, and a willingness to learn. Sometimes organizations become focused on finding candidates who fit a particular profile and overlook outstanding people who don't fit the traditional mold. Fortunately, I think the industry is improving in that area and becoming more open to talent from nontraditional backgrounds.

Jim Nickens
Thank you both. After hearing your stories and perspectives, I feel like we could continue this conversation for another hour. There are so many opportunities for professionals with unique and diverse backgrounds to succeed in our industry. As someone who has spent many years in financial services, I'll say this: ours is a competitive industry, but it's also a collegial one. At the end of the day, everyone is trying to build the strongest team possible, and that requires a variety of experiences and perspectives. I think today's discussion reinforces that point, and I truly appreciate both of you sharing your insights. If you enjoyed today's conversation about the value professionals from outside the industry can bring to financial services, I encourage you to follow BISA's publication, Portfolio, online and look for the forthcoming issue of BISA Portfolio Magazine.

Over the coming months, we'll be sharing stories from BISA members with nontraditional career paths in both publications. If you have a story to share, please reach out to the Portfolio team at portfolio@bisanet.org. Again, I encourage everyone to listen to and subscribe to the Portfolio Podcast on your favorite app. Until next time, I'm Jim Nickens.