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March 28, 2022 / 2022 Best Places to Work in Connecticut

Employee individuality, feedback at core of CT Wealth Management’s workplace satisfaction

By Susan Shalhoub
Headquarters: Farmington
Industry: Financial Services
Website: www.CTWealthMgmt.com
Top Executive: Kevin C. Leahy, President & CEO
 
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Connecticut Wealth Management President and CEO Kevin Leahy believes many factors make his organization a great place to work. Among the most prevalent is that he puts its 45 employees first, instilling a culture of continuous improvement — even during a pandemic.

He founded the firm in 2010 with partner Denis Horrigan, but doesn’t want the company or the people behind it to be carbon copies of its original leaders. 

“There is a tendency for wealth management firms to follow in founders’ footsteps, but we want to celebrate and expand on teammates’ different backgrounds and styles,” he said. “We all operate in different ways and have tried as an organization to keep this in mind for our growing team.” 

Enhancing excellence

The firm — which provides fiscal guidance for businesses and advises corporate executives on the retirement process, among other services — offers workplace perks such as appreciation awards, flexible work time, lunchtime yoga and team outings. 

“Flexibility for child care, a bereavement situation, family health issues … this all creates an environment where our team feels 100% supported and cared for,” said Leahy. “It’s our team’s job to make our clients happy and it’s my job to make sure my teammates have the tools they need to do their jobs and that they themselves are happy.” 

This environment, he said, is the foundation from which they do their work. 

More recently, Connecticut Wealth Management has worked to ramp up employee workplace satisfaction in broader ways, too. 

About two years ago the firm hired a new human resources director to, among other tasks, create a diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) committee. Leahy said the organization — and industry overall — is lacking diversity. 

“We are trying to change that,” he said. 

With a more diverse roster of employees comes a wider range of ideas, he noted, as well as a more multifaceted, robust work environment. 

This diversified environment includes a mix of age levels, with more experienced advisors a valued asset at the firm. They are given long-term career growth opportunities and competitive salaries. 

At the same time, the company has focused on getting more college students involved in the firm who otherwise may not consider wealth management as a career path, Leahy said. Through partnerships with the University of Connecticut via alumni, the firm has been able to offer mentorships and internships, while potentially developing a new talent pool.

Seeking input

Part of the way Connecticut Wealth Management keeps its employees happy is by soliciting their opinions about their workplace using employee-engagement software. 

“We constantly survey,” Leahy said, with retention a priority. “We like to see a trend before people are less than completely happy.” 

This feedback can be gathered anonymously, he said, and alerts leadership to potential areas of improvement. 

The quarterly review is another opportunity for the firm to learn where employees may have areas of concern, aiding in goal setting for the workplace culture. 

“Then,” said Leahy, “if we can find the intersection of what people are good at, what they like to do and what the firm needs — if we have someone operating in that space where those three things overlap — it’s like magic. They tend to be really, really happy.”

Connecticut Wealth Management’s success in creating a workplace of growth, stability, equality and respect is longstanding: It won Hartford Business Journal Best Places to Work in Connecticut awards in 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021, in addition to this year. 
 

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