Episode Description

I am excited to share the first episode in our Sponsor Spotlight segment of the podcast!  I had the pleasure to sit down with Brad Champagne, Senior Director of Human Resources at Mission Linen Supply in Santa Barbara, CA  We’ve worked together for a long time and I’ve always been impressed by his thoughtfulness and ability to focus on the bigger picture.  Brad shares candid details about his company, their culture, their 401(k) plan and most importantly the circumstances surrounding some significant plan changes they made to put their employees on a better path to retirement.  As you will hear, the retirement committee really struggled with the impact and disruption to both their employees and the company the potential changes could have.  Hopefully this isn’t too much of a spoiler but both the short and long term results have been beyond their expectations.  Finally, there are some great takeaways for employers who are contemplating changes in their retirement plans.  Thank you for listening, and I hope you enjoy!

Guest Bio

Brad Champage in the Senior Director of Human Resources at Mission Linen Supply in Santa Barbara, CA.  

Over the past 23 years, Mr. Champagne has held positions of increasing responsibility within Human Resources at Mission Linen after initially joining the company as a Management Trainee in Operations. He has played a key role in many important initiatives at the company, including the implementation of an Enterprise HR operating system, the development of improved performance management systems and the execution of a new compensation program for Sales and Operations.

As Director of Compensation and Benefits since 2011, Champagne has guided the company’s benefit plans through changes required by the ACA and overseen administration of the company’s 401k plan, which won an Eddy Award in 2014 for outstanding education campaign.

Mr. Champagne received a B.S. degree in Business Administration from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and has earned both the Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) and SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP) designations. When he’s not working, Mr. Champagne enjoys running and watching his three children participate in their various activities. 

401(k) Fridays Podcast Overview

Offers companies of all sizes free strategic, educational and actionable content to improve  their retirement plans.  My name is Rick Unser and I am your host.  All episodes leverage my nearly two decades of experience working with employers to bring you candid interviews with industry experts to enhance Fiduciary Protection, streamline Plan Operations and improve employee Retirement Readiness.  

For more information please visit www.401kfridays.com