Nothing shapes your experience working with RMB more than the people who make our work possible every day. The Meet RMB series offers a chance to get to know our team a little better.
RMB: Can you give us an overview of your role at RMB?
Belén Ryan: I am a Client Relationship Manager on our Retirement Planning Solutions (RPS) team. We are a small (but mighty!) team that advises companies on their institutional retirement plans, such as a 401(k). My top priority is making sure that all our clients are happy and successful, and that we are facilitating the retirement plan that is beneficial for them and their employees. I also get to focus a lot of attention on practice management; areas such as marketing and business development are a priority for me.
RMB: What does a typical workday look like in your role?
BR: It truly varies so much! We advise companies of all different sizes and industries, and they all have unique needs. A typical day starts with following up on any outstanding client items – these can be things like helping a committee finalize a new investment choice for their fund lineup or doing an education session with an employee who wants to review their asset allocation. I manage our quarterly committee reviews and reporting. Every client receives a quarterly proprietary report that monitors their investments and other important plan statistics. We also do fiduciary reviews with our clients based on their needs, and I will spend time scheduling the meetings, helping run them, taking minutes, and following up with any action items the committee identifies. I also try and spend time each day working on business development and sharing the RPS story with RMB colleagues and external prospects.
RMB: Tell us about the education and career path that brought you here.
BR: I studied political science at the University of Colorado Boulder and always thought I would go to law school. I shifted gears when I realized that I couldn’t find an area of law that I felt excited about and instead lived in Australia for a year after graduation. Then I moved to Denver and worked at a nonprofit management company doing meeting planning and membership development. I moved into an entry-level financial position at a digital marketing company and learned a ton about finance! I ultimately wanted a role that would combine finance and relationship management, and I found my role at RMB a little more than five years ago.
RMB: What keeps you busy outside of work?
BR: My favorite things to do outside of work are hiking with my corgi, whose name is Winston Churchill, reading a really great book (preferably outside in someplace beautiful), scouring thrift stores, going to concerts, and traveling – I firmly believe that planning a trip is almost as fun as the trip itself. I recently took a big trip to Glacier National Park, which was incredible!
RMB: Is there something that you’re especially passionate about in life?
BR: I try and volunteer within the community as much as I can. The causes that are nearest to my heart are literacy, animal welfare, and breast cancer research, so I have always been involved with organizations such as my local library, Susan G. Komen, and horse rescue groups. I am also grateful every day for my health and being active. I tore my ACL while skiing in 2021, and now I try and do something to move around each day – be it skiing, hiking, spinning, Pilates, etc. I just appreciate being able to do it!
RMB: What makes you most proud to work at RMB?
BR: The people! Both my colleagues and our clients. Everyone in the RMB family truly wants you to succeed and find purpose and happiness in your career, and the support and mentorship have been unbelievably wonderful. Additionally, my clients are interesting and innovative companies, and I love getting to work with so many people within those organizations and learn about what excites them.
