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The CUInsight Network

The CUInsight Network podcast: Executive benefits – Gallagher

Featuring Kraig Klinkhammer, Executive Vice President of Gallagher Executive Benefits Team

Kraig Klinkhammer, Gallagher

Thank you for tuning in to The CUInsight Network, with your host, Robbie Young, Vice President of Strategic Growth at CUInsight. In The CUInsight Network, we take a deeper dive with the thought leaders who support the credit union community. We discuss issues and challenges facing credit unions and identify best practices to learn and grow together.

My guest on today’s show is Kraig Klinkhammer, Executive Vice President of Gallagher Executive Benefits Team at Gallagher, who joins me to discuss credit union executive benefits. Kraig reflects on his childhood dream of one day becoming a pilot and how his love for numbers and strategy led him to pivot toward a fulfilling career helping credit unions attract and retain talent via customized benefit plans.

During our conversation, we explore the challenges that credit unions face in today’s competitive world. Kraig offers insights into how his team supports credit unions by designing and servicing long-term benefit plans, highlighting the importance of trust, partnership, and ongoing service. Kraig also provides a behind-the-scenes look at Gallagher, a nearly 100-year-old company with the personal touch of a smaller organization, emphasizing the important role of experience, people, and commitment when selecting a benefits partner.

As we wrap up the episode, Kraig discusses the professor who challenged him to humanize finance and his love for the creature comforts of home. He also shares his appreciation for the history of the east coast. Enjoy my conversation with Kraig Klinkhammer!

 

 

 

Gallagher Fiduciary Advisors, LLC (“GFA”) is an SEC Registered Investment Advisor that provides retirement, investment advisory, discretionary/named and independent fiduciary services. GFA is a limited liability company with Gallagher Benefit Services, Inc. as its single member. GFA may pay referral fees or other remuneration to employees of AJG or its affiliates or to independent contractors; such payments do not change our fee. Neither Arthur J. Gallagher & Co., GFA, their affiliates nor representatives provide accounting, legal or tax advice.

Securities offered through Osaic Wealth, Inc. member FINRA/SIPC. Osaic Wealth is separately owned and other entities and/or marketing names, products or services referenced here are independent of Osaic Wealth. Neither Osaic Wealth nor their affiliates provide accounting, legal or tax advice.

Check out all the great work Gallagher is doing here.
Place mentioned: Washington, D.C.
Shout-out: Lewis & Clark
Place mentioned: New York City
Place mentioned: Philadelphia
Podcast mentioned: Hidden Brain

[00:51] – Kraig reveals that he dreamed of being a pilot but ultimately focused on strategy, numbers, and achieving goals.
[01:59] – Kraig talks about his transition from sales to being a financial analyst.
[04:36] – Gallagher’s Executive Benefits team assists credit unions in retaining, rewarding, and retiring key executives.
[06:39] – Kraig explains that servicing split-dollar plans involves long-term management to help ensure compliance.
[09:22] – Competition in the marketplace drives innovation, but flexibility and dialogue are important for success.
[11:40] – Trusting experienced brokers and cultivating long-term commitment helps ensure that benefit plans stay compliant through their completion.
[13:51] – Gallagher invests in its team, building leaders to manage retirement plans long into the future.
[16:00] – Kraig credits his parents, wife, daughters, and influential teachers for shaping his personal and professional life.
[18:57] – Kraig loves the East Coast, especially the Northeast, for its rich history and significance.
[20:58] – Kraig integrates work and life by finding inspiration in both, even during mundane tasks.
[22:23] – Life is long, so be patient, trust the process, and rely on trusted partners for success.