2013 Game Changer: Katie Nedl

Just like the investment professionals she serves, Katie Nedl saw an opportunity others might miss and seized it.

Nedl, 33, is global head of benefits at BlackRock Inc., an asset management firm. BlackRock recently rolled out a brand campaign targeting individual—rather than institutional—investors. Viewing BlackRock’s own employees as individual customers as well, Nedl decided to piggyback on the external initiative with an internal campaign that would call attention to the firm’s financial benefits.

In just six weeks, she snagged buy-in from senior management and created a global financial wellness program for employees.

The program repackaged existing benefits, made resources and benefits available to workers’ immediate family where possible and included informational events. BlackRock financial resources, educational programs and benefits have been brought together on financial wellness pages accessible through the firm’s HR portal.

Nedl’s work seems to have paid off: Employee surveys indicate the perceived value of the benefits program increased significantly after Nedl launched her campaign.

Ed Frauenheim is associate editorial director of Human Capital Media, the parent organization of Workforce. Comment below or email editors@workforce.com. Follow Frauenheim on Twitter at@edfrauenheim.