This blog post is part of a series highlighting Key Management Group team members.
Ben Thelen joined Key Management Group as a Practice Management Coach but was soon applying his background as an advisor and his degree in Business Administration to solve even bigger problems for our clients. Now he serves as Practice Management Team Leader, providing Ameriprise advisors with tailored solutions that drive operational performance and practice goals. Since assuming the role, Ben has developed new services for our clients, including our New Hire Training service that launched in 2021.
Ben was initially drawn to the hospitality and tourism industry as a post-college career. But when he was introduced to the financial advisory industry, he realized he could better help people in a more hands-on way as a financial advisor. Of course, Ben’s foundation in college in Business Administration continued to drive his interests and he soon found himself focused more on the practice management side of the business. That led our own Bill Stevenson, who was professional colleagues with Ben, to convince Ben to join our team so he could bring his skills to more advisors. Since then, Ben has served as an energizing force, driving innovation, and expanding our practice management consulting services. Many of the services he’s developed have come as a direct response to solving a specific need for one of our clients. That includes the New Hire Training service, which was developed to help one of our clients get new team members up and fully operational in sixty days. Many advisors struggle to onboard new staff, and with this new service Ben and his team can keep an advisor focused on meeting with clients and leading their team while our trainers get new hires fully operational and integrated into the practice quickly.
Outside of work, Ben is an avid golfer and enjoys taking trips to new places. He enjoys weekend jaunts and traveling to support Michigan State Spartans football and basketball teams. Ben loves being on the water, and when looking for destinations does tend to lean toward warmer climates near the beach so he can get a break from Michigan’s cold winters. Ben is also a craft beer enthusiast and always on the hunt for a new craft brewery to try. He prefers wheat beers as opposed to dark beers but is willing to try any variety. He enjoys trying new restaurants, so if you have any recommendations send them his way!
Another fun fact about Ben is that he spent a month in China during college. He said it was an amazing experience that sticks with him today. He hopes to find new exotic destinations to visit in the future, but his visit to China will always remain one he will never forget.
If you haven’t had connected with Ben yet, reach out to him on Linkedin or you can email him directly at bthelen@keymanagementgrp.com.
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