OpenArc Corporate Advisory announced that Kevin Crain, a longtime leader in the institutional retirement and corporate benefits industry, has joined the firm as a Strategic Consultant as the company seeks to advance a more integrated and client-centric approach to employee financial wellness.
Based in Atlanta, OpenArc operates as an independent workplace-to-wealth advisory firm that combines institutional retirement consulting, executive services, employee financial wellness, and private wealth management. The firm said its model is designed to connect retirement plans, equity compensation, deferred compensation, health savings, and other aspects of employees’ financial lives into a unified advisory framework.
Crain brings more than four decades of experience in retirement services and corporate benefits. He retired from Bank of America in 2023 after spending 20 years in senior leadership positions and currently serves as Executive Director of the Institutional Retirement Income Council (IRIC). He is also a senior advisor to McKinsey and the Milken Institute and participates in several industry organizations and policy initiatives.
According to OpenArc, traditional benefits systems have historically been fragmented across multiple providers and platforms, leaving employees without coordinated financial guidance. The company believes employers increasingly recognize the need to address employees’ overall financial well-being as a means of improving engagement and retention.
OpenArc positions itself as an independent “connectivity layer” that integrates workplace benefits with broader financial planning, including investment management, estate planning, lending, and household wealth strategies. The company said advances in AI and related technologies are creating opportunities to deliver more comprehensive and personalized guidance to employees.
In his new role, Crain will work with OpenArc’s leadership team on strategic growth initiatives, market positioning, and research focused on the convergence of corporate benefits, personal wealth, and family financial well-being.
OpenArc noted that its open-architecture model extends to its relationship with Dynasty Financial Partners, which provides technology, investment capabilities, and infrastructure while allowing the firm to maintain its independence.
KEY QUOTES:
“The intersection of benefits and wealth is where employees actually live, and it has long been underserved. Employees do not think in silos, and their financial lives do not operate that way either. OpenArc brings those pieces together in a way the industry has not achieved. Kevin has spent his career pushing toward this vision, and his decision to join us is a powerful validation of what we are building.”
Jeff Crowell, Managing Partner of Corporate Strategy at OpenArc
“What OpenArc is building is not incremental. It is transformative. This industry has long needed a model defined by true independence, full integration, and a commitment to serving every employee, not just a subset. I am joining this effort because I believe we have a rare opportunity to fundamentally reshape how people experience their financial lives at work, at home, and into retirement. Together, we can help employers unlock what is possible when the entire financial picture is finally connected and working in sync.”
Kevin Crain, Strategic Consultant at OpenArc
