Press Release

The Cerrado Group Celebrates Its One Year Anniversary

Issued by The Cerrado Group

Feb. 28, 2022

It has been one year since The Cerrado Group was launched by nine of the nation’s preeminent Third Party Administrator (TPA) consulting firms. They came together in order to offer an entirely new approach to the highly- specialized work of retirement plan design, reporting, compliance, administration, and industry education.

Debbie Zimmer, President of Qualified Pension Services, Inc. out of Lakewood, CO and Executive Officer of The Cerrado Group says “As a founding member of The Cerrado Group, I am proud of what we have accomplished in just one year. Having such a diverse yet like-minded group of highly respected TPA’s to work with has been invaluable to our firm. The collaboration between firms has allowed us all to brainstorm ideas, share best practices and develop solutions we may not have come up with on our own. Since The Cerrado Group, as a collective, offers a full suite of services and broad geographical coverage through the various member firms, we believe we can always provide a solution, even if that means outsourcing a particular service (or referring the business altogether) to another member firm. I’m excited about our continued growth and accomplishment in our areas of focus over the next year!”

The Cerrado Group has spent this first year working diligently to strengthen its position in the retirement plan industry. In that short period of time the group has been able to achieve a lot. Some of the accomplishments in this first year of operation include:

• The addition of four new member firms, bringing total Assets undermanagement by members to over $35 billion.
• The creation of formalized programs to allow member firms to quickly connect with each other to share knowledge, answers, and best practices at both the management and operational levels.
• Created a marketing plan to identify new centers of influence and strengthen existing ones
• Monthly and regularly scheduled updates, communication and discussions with recordkeepers, broker-dealers, and advisor partners.
• Member firms sponsored and attended several conferences to share the Cerrado Group message across the industry.
• Cerrado Group members have contributed multiple articles to industry trade publications in line with the groups’ focus on industry education.
• Cerrado Group members have presented at several webinars for industry groups including Financial Advisors, Record Keeping Firms, and other industry groups.

In the coming year the Cerrado Group will be strengthening its focus on continued growth of the organization, finalization of a best in-class Cyber Security policy and expanding its role in the industry. Additionally, the group will continue to focus on making positive contributions to the retirement plan industry through education and leadership.

In keeping with their stated aim of being “Dedicated to amplifying positivity in every community around the globe,” The Cerrado Group is making a $10,000 contribution to the Nature Conservancy, an organization that aims “to conserve the lands and waters on which all life depends.” In 2021 the group made a similar donation the World Wildlife Fund in honor of its namesake – the endangered forest of the Brazilian Cerrado.

About the Cerrado Group:

Is a member only, 501(c)(6) Trade Association that was established to offer an entirely new approach to the highly- specialized work of retirement plan design, reporting, compliance, administration, and industry education. The Cerrado Group members, while remaining independent regional operators, actively combine their vast resources to fully serve the retirement plan industry at large.

Website: www.CerradoGroup.org

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