Christian Campen

Background

About Christian Campen

In the beginner’s mind there are many possibilities, but in the expert’s there are few.” - Shunryu Suzuki So eloquently stated, Plan Sponsors, Trustees, and Committees today are faced with seemingly unlimited options which continue to increase through innovation and disruption. Extensive research provides quality perspectives at times in direct opposition with another, yet both seemingly convincing. What applies, what doesn’t and most importantly how do you evolve from a narrow focus on compliance standards to placing stakeholder interests central in defining purpose? A Senior Consultant, my commitment is to objectively align with resource constrained clients tasked with governance and oversight of their respective plans. Together, our purpose is to explore and ensure strategic initiatives meet organizational needs and objectives facilitated by rigorous discussions and high-quality, informed decision-making. Clients increasingly rely on subject matter experts to help inform the decision-making process. While the breadth of this knowledge may prove similar, depth can vary considerably. Defining and establishing subject matter expertise is not a destination, rather a journey toward excellence. It’s an open exploration characterized by personal traits which balance intellectual humility and vulnerability with intellectual curiosity. It’s a willingness to maintain an open-mind and healthy degree of skepticism. To seek and obtain wisdom that builds like latticework, broadening understanding, and sharpening thought processes. Much value can be gained from challenging assumptions with opposing perspectives, to realize the path of least resistance is seldom worth the journey. My journey thus far has been shaped from a diverse background of roughly 20 years learning from some of the industry’s most respected institutions and leaders. While I would love to say the invaluable experience gained was deliberate, it was purely a matter of circumstance and luck only evident with the benefit of hindsight. Common threads of value throughout are illustrated by teams built with healthy degree of skepticism and intellectual debate, challenging conventional wisdom, valuing high quality decision making, and the ability to draw upon a diverse background molded by a common vision; a commitment to excellence – a commitment to the client.