Pinnacle Plan Design bolsters its team of pension actuaries

TUCSON, Ariz., July 14, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Pinnacle Plan Design, LLC, a national provider of qualified retirement plan design, administration and actuarial consulting services, announces that Lauren Okum, ASA, EA, MAAA, MSPA, has been hired as a consulting actuary. She will be responsible for the design and administration of defined benefit retirement plans, with a focus on the mid-sized to large plan markets. She provides value to employers that are looking to implement a defined benefit retirement plan as well as other third-party administrators that are looking to outsource their actuarial needs. Additionally, she will be part of Pinnacle's team that offers continuing professional education (CPE) and other industry education to financial advisors, wholesalers, CPAs, attorneys, and third-party administrators. Pinnacle Plan Design currently employs 21 professionals, including four Enrolled Actuaries. The firm has offices in Tucson, Phoenix, Houston, and Denver and serves clients throughout the United States.

Prior to joining Pinnacle Plan Design, Okum was the owner and chief actuary of Premier Actuarial Solutions in the bay area. During her 20 year career in the field, Okum has also held advanced actuarial positions at a Big Four accounting firm, a large national HR consulting firm, and a third-party administrator. She has earned several actuarial designations, including Associate of the Society of Actuaries (ASA), Enrolled Actuary (EA), Member of the American Academy of Actuaries (MAAA), and Member of the Society of Pension Actuaries (MSPA). Okum received her Bachelor's degree in Actuarial Science from the University of Illinois and her Master's degree from Harvard's School of Business Administration.

Okum is active with the American Society of Pension Professionals and Actuaries (ASPPA). She is currently serving a 3-year term on ASPPA's College of Pension Actuaries (ACOPA) Leadership Council. She was on the ACOPA Actuarial Symposium Conference Committee in 2011 and 2012, and has served as the Committee Chair since 2013. Okum is also on the Editorial Board of Plan Consultant magazine.

"Lauren is a well-respected and bright actuary," said Kevin Donovan, CPA, EA, MSPA, ACA, managing member of Pinnacle Plan Design. "She has ample amounts of experience with both small and large retirement plans, making her a versatile and valuable addition to our team of actuaries."

"We are thrilled to add an actuary of Lauren's caliber," said T.J. Orr, ERPA, QPA, QKA, partner at Pinnacle Plan Design. "She brings with her a wealth of creative plan design tactics as well as extensive technical expertise."

"During my 20-year career as a pension actuary, I have worked with both small and large plan sponsors to cover the gamut of defined benefit plan issues," said Okum. "My expertise includes the design and administration of increasingly popular cash balance plans for professional service employers, as well as financial accounting under FASB's Accounting Standards Codification No. 715 for larger organizations. I look forward to joining a talented team of client-focused pension professionals."

Okum will be based in northern California and will provide Pinnacle Plan Design's actuarial services throughout the west coast and nationally.

About Pinnacle Plan Design, LLC
Pinnacle Plan Design is a national provider of qualified retirement plan design, administration and actuarial consulting services. The firm offers traditional defined benefit, cash balance, 401(k), and profit sharing plans. Pinnacle's leadership and professional staff have earned numerous industry certifications and designations including: Enrolled Actuaries (EAs), Associates of the Society of Actuaries (ASAs), Members of the American Academy of Actuaries (MAAAs), and Members of the Society of Pension Actuaries (MSPAs), Certified Public Accountants (CPAs), Enrolled Retirement Plan Agents (ERPAs), Chartered Retirement Plans Specialists (CRPS®), Qualified Pension Administrators (QPAs), and Qualified 401(k) Administrators (QKAs). Pinnacle Plan Design has offices in Tucson (Headquarters) and Phoenix, Arizona, as well as Houston, TX and Denver, CO. For more information, visit www.pinnacle-plan.com.

Contact:
Eric Majchrzak
Chief Marketing Officer
Pinnacle Plan Design, LLC
[email protected] 
520-618-7935

SOURCE Pinnacle Plan Design, LLC