<br/>FindBob: On A Mission to Revolutionize Transitions and Retentions

FindBob: On A Mission to Revolutionize Transitions and Retentions

Answers provided by: Roland Chan, Founder | FindBob

Founders are vital to the success of an Insurtech Start-up. Can you tell us a little about your background?

My career began in technology, where I held software development and management roles at IBM and startups, including INEX Corporation (acquired by InfoSpace). In 2008, I transitioned to running my family’s life insurance managing general agency. Leading a team of 150 agents and managing over $60M in in-force life premium and $120M in assets under administration, I gained firsthand experience with the challenges of the insurance industry, particularly succession planning and advisor retention.

What motivated you to start FindBob?

I founded FindBob in 2015 to address a critical challenge in the insurance and financial services industries: the lack of transition readiness among advisors and agents. LIMRA’s research shows that over one-third of advisors will retire within the next decade, representing 39% of industry-controlled assets. Meanwhile, the Agency Universe Study highlights a growing concern: only 15% of agencies have a formal succession plan. This gap threatens both firms and clients, and I wanted to solve it.

Who else is on your team?

FindBob is powered by an incredible team of experienced professionals. Key leaders include Akilah, our Head of Customer Success, known for her emotional intelligence and proficiency, and Michael, our VP of Engineering, who drives our product innovation. Our team is small but highly agile and committed to transforming the industry.

We would love to hear more about FindBob. Can you talk about FindBob’s mission?

FindBob’s mission is to revolutionize how financial advisors and insurance agents manage transitions and retention. We help enterprises protect their most valuable assets—advisors and clients—by addressing succession, continuity, and advisor engagement. With 73% of advisors lacking a succession plan (FPA-Janus Henderson), the need for proactive solutions is urgent.

What approach is FindBob taking in order to solve this problem?

FindBob offers a retention enablement platform that combines behavioral analytics, marketplace functionality, and AI-driven tools like the Advisor Volatility Index (VIX). In 2024, we introduced AI Agents designed to personalize recommendations for advisors and provide next-best-action support to home offices, enabling them to scale their retention efforts. These innovations are essential for progressive home offices that are struggling to keep up with the growing demand for advisor support. By leveraging AI to complement the digital laborforce, we provide actionable insights and help organizations address their retention challenges at scale.
Our recent whitepaper, "Unlocking Retention," highlights the significant cost of advisor attrition and underscores the value of adopting technology-driven solutions to retain talent and safeguard client assets. These findings have guided our platform’s evolution, making it indispensable for organizations prioritizing retention.

Can you talk about your target customers and why they are interested in your solution?

Our target customers include broker-dealers, RIAs, TAMPS, insurance carriers, and large distributors of wealth and insurance products. These organizations use FindBob to retain advisors, protect client assets, and bridge the gap between retiring and next-generation advisors. McKinsey research indicates that replacing a tenured advisor can cost years of relationship-building and client trust—a problem we help our clients solve.

What gives FindBob a competitive advantage within the industry, or rather, what makes your company unique?

Our platform is unique in integrating behavioral insights, predictive analytics, and a marketplace. Features like our Advisor Volatility Index (VIX) and Deal Room distinguish us by proactively identifying risks and providing actionable solutions for retention and transitions. FindBob serves both medium and large organizations effectively: for firms with dedicated practice management teams, we complement and scale their efforts; for smaller firms lacking resources, we fill critical gaps and provide a foundation for growth. Unlike traditional tools, FindBob’s emphasis on advisor sentiment and readiness positions us as a strategic partner to enterprises.

What highlights/updates can you share about FindBob? What exciting things are happening?

In 2024, we launched game-changing tools like the Partial Sale Listing and Succession Readiness Tool. These innovations align with trends highlighted by LIMRA-McKinsey studies, which predict a significant advisor exodus without robust retention strategies.
FindBob has also been recognized for applying AI and machine learning to predictive models, helping identify at-risk advisors. This year, we began leveraging generative AI to accelerate and personalize experiences for advisors and agents. Our new AI Agents not only improve advisor engagement but also empower home offices with actionable recommendations to better support their distribution networks. This dual focus ensures enterprises can meet retention demands effectively while fostering advisor success.

Where do you see FindBob headed in 2025? What can we expect to see from FindBob in the upcoming year?

In 2025, FindBob will focus on transformative AI-driven features like hyper-personalization, conversational interfaces, and advanced analytics. We’re tripling down on the success of AI Agents to enhance the digital laborforce for organizations that truly want to scale. This includes refining our predictive models to deliver even more precise and actionable recommendations. As we build on this momentum, we are committed to equipping enterprises with tools that empower advisors and strengthen distribution networks.
As part of this journey, we are proud to announce our upcoming white paper, "Unlocking Retention in 2025," which will delve deeper into strategies for addressing retention challenges through technology. Stay tuned for actionable insights that can transform how your organization tackles retention and succession planning.

What else do you want people to know about FindBob?

FindBob is more than a platform—it’s a commitment to ensuring the insurance and financial services industries deliver on their promise to clients by safeguarding the value advisors bring. The $30 trillion wealth transfer underway makes this mission more urgent than ever.

How can the GIA community continue to support FindBob?

While we’ve been largely successful in the U.S. with large broker-dealers, RIAs, and TAMPs, we’re eager to deepen our connections with life and P&C distribution networks. Many of these networks are grappling with agent retention—whether managing it in-house or outsourcing to third parties. The GIA community can assist by helping us engage with organizations looking to enhance loyalty within their distribution and scale retention strategies effectively. Your insights and introductions to leaders in this space would be invaluable as we continue to expand our reach and impact.

What’s the best way for someone to contact you if they would like to learn more?

FindBob (GIA 2017)