Lisa Rice

About Lisa Rice

I’m a strategic, relationship-driven operations leader with 26 years of experience at Security Benefit, growing from entry-level roles to AVP, Strategic Partnerships & Initiatives. My career has been built on curiosity, resilience, and a commitment to improving how work gets done — for clients, advisors, partners, and internal teams.I began my career in the mailroom and quickly earned opportunities to advance through nearly every facet of the retirement plan business. Over the years I developed broad, hands-on expertise in plan processing, compliance, plan valuation, implementation, conversions, and complex technical problem-solving. I’ve managed large block conversions, built strong national relationships with retirement plan providers, advisors, and plan sponsors, and have become known for bridging operational detail with big-picture strategy.As my career progressed, I moved into business analysis and project leadership roles, implementing key enterprise initiatives including Managed by Morningstar, paperless processes, major workflow efficiencies, Salesforce, corporate web experiences, electronic delivery, mobile app capabilities, and large-scale recordkeeping transitions. I thrive in spaces where cross-functional teams are navigating change, building better systems, or aligning on forward-looking solutions.In 2015, I became Director of Retirement Plan Operations where I oversaw the transition of most frontline operational processes to SS & C, managed onsite and remote teams, and supported complex regulatory, product, technology, and client-focused initiatives. I continued to be a core operational voice across the organization — guiding product launches, leading anti-fraud efforts, coordinating fund events, supporting SECURE Act and Cycle 3 Plan document changes, and ensuring smooth experiences for plan sponsors, participants, and advisors.Today, as AVP, Strategic Partnerships & Initiatives, I focus on enterprise alignment, strategic execution, and building the partnerships that move the organization forward. I bring a strong reputation for collaboration, problem-solving, and delivering results through influence, clarity, and operational insight. My career has centered on connecting people, simplifying complexity, and creating solutions that support long-term organizational success.

Experience

1. AVP, Strategic Partnerships & Initiatives

   Security Benefit

   Aug 2025 — Present · US

   Lead cross-functional strategic initiatives that strengthen organizational performance, drive operational efficiency, and enhance the client experience within the financial services environment. • Develop and manage key partnerships that support business growth, improve service delivery, and align with long-term organizational goals. • Identify enterprise-wide improvement opportunities, build business cases, and implement solutions that streamline processes, reduce friction, and support scalable operations. • Collaborate with business leadership to align strategy with regulatory requirements, risk frameworks, and evolving market needs. • Oversee data-driven project planning, prioritization, and execution; ensure initiatives deliver measurable impact and organizational visibility. • Serve as a connector between operations, technology, sales, and client-facing teams to ensure initiatives land effectively and sustainably.

Skills

• Vendor Management
• Cross-Functional Team Leadership
• Strategy
• Insurance
• Management
• Strategic Planning
• Six Sigma
• Process Improvement
• Leadership
• Software Development Life Cycle (Sdlc)
• Business Analysis
• Business Process Improvement
• Project Management
• Sdlc
• Visio