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Zach Fritz is enjoying his role as employer services practice leader – what’s not to like about helping to shape the entire division for future growth? “I spent my first 12 years at TPG focusing on my clients. I have been fortunate to work with some incredible employers. Helping to deliver the best health plans possible to my clients was my number-one priority.” he says. “While I continue to enjoy client work, I am excited to dig into the internal work that needs to be done. It is tremendously valuable and rewarding.”

TPG’s employer services (ES) division is composed of employee benefits, technology, healthcare analytics, and workplace wellbeing. The role Fritz has occupied since March 2023 shifted a few years ago from contributing directly to clients to today being a leader who helps the TPG team find success.

“We have several priorities for 2024,” he explains. “In support of a major corporate objective to hire new producers, we’re collaborating with our People Operations team on creative ways to find talent. We can’t go to the same hiring well as we have historically when we need to onboard five new producers and several service team members in a single year. Finding and retaining the right people who align with TPG’s core values and culture is critical.”

Another major priority for the year is innovating for proficiency. “We’re working with our STEER team [Spearheading Technology Efficiency, Experience, and Resources] on ways to structure the division and identify areas that could be elevated.” Fritz and other ES leaders met with employee focus groups to level-set and determine the most immediate needs. “We weren’t at all surprised with the results, which was a positive,” he says. “It’s important to remember that we can always do better for our clients. So we’re coming up with methods to further improve as we grow.”

Fritz and his team also continue to find ways to “make the complicated easy,” another company-wide initiative. “First,” he says, “let’s not make the easy complicated! Keep it simple. We’re moving the needle on this by figuring out people’s strengths and capitalizing on them. It increases both employee job satisfaction as well as engagement and productivity. For example, we have a team member who had interest in compliance so we capitalized on this interest and his individual strengths. He’s now our go-to person, our gatekeeper of all things compliance, and our team loves it. It’s a win-win.”

Another major focus being addressed is workplace wellbeing. “All of our clients ask about mental health. ‘What more can we do for our employees? How can we provide more services and resources?’ they ask. “TPG is very fortunate to have brought in Hayley Hughes as the leader for our PartnerWell division. She is a licensed clinician who is innovating in this space, meeting clients where they are headed, and taking a holistic look at their operations and how they are supporting their employees. It’s a proactive rather than reactive approach, and it’s a true differentiator for TPG.”

Along with being an innovator, TPG is continually striving toward differentiation – what sets us apart? “One thing I think is significant is that TPG doesn’t spend too much time talking about brokering health plans. That’s basic blocking and tackling that every employer should receive from a quality broker partner,” says Fritz. “We talk with our current and prospective clients about how we are an independent company with an extraordinary culture and a true commitment to our community. I think people are striving for that authentic partner relationship right now.”

Finally, TPG bases all decisions, big and small, on our core values – play well with others, own it, be a champion, have fun and live well, and be curious. When asked to reflect on the value that is currently guiding him, Fritz says, “Fourth quarter is always chaos in our industry. It’s our version of tax season. And TPG is growing, hiring, and pushing our teams. So I think the value that hits with me now is to play well with others. We all need to understand that we’re going through stressful times, and yet we can still assume positive intent. Focus on the goal, which is taking care of our clients, but treat each other with kindness and respect along the way.”

If you’d like to talk with Zach Fritz about TPG’s innovation or culture, contact him at zfritz@tpgrp.com.

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