Strategic Benefits Advisors

What Strategic Benefits Advisors does

Strategic Benefits Advisors, Inc. (SBA) is a privately held, Atlanta-based boutique employee benefits consulting firm founded in April 2002 by Mindy Zatto and Andy Adams. The firm delivers fee-for-service, vendor-independent advisory and outsourced administration to plan sponsors — organizations ranging from 1,000 to 300,000 employees across publicly-traded, private, and government segments. Its positioning is explicitly conflict-free: it does not sell financial or insurance products and does not receive commissions, differentiating it from broker/consultant competitors.

SBA operates across five integrated service categories: Benefits Plan Consulting (plan design, compliance audits, plan correction under EPCRS, M&A due diligence, time-away re-engineering, 403(b) consulting), Benefits Plan Outsourcing (pension administration, QDRO administration, specialty call center support), Outsourcing Optimization (vendor monitoring, vendor recovery, open enrollment support, project management), Vendor Search & Implementation (RFP-led searches, contract negotiation, implementation support across administrative, investment advisory, specialty, time-away, and H&W brokerage vendors), and Actuarial Services (valuation, benefit calculation, pension termination, benefits data cleanup). There is no proprietary technology platform; delivery is human-expertise-led by a team of nearly 30 full-time consultants, including seven credentialed actuaries (FSA/EA/FCA/MAAA designations). The firm holds WOSB certification through the U.S. Small Business Administration, supports thought leadership in PLANSPONSOR, Employee Benefit News, and other industry outlets, and runs a monthly newsletter at Volume 11 as of May 2026.

The business model is professional-services fee-for-service, priced on engagement scope and hourly consulting rates with multi-year contract cadence, targeting enterprise and upper-mid-market plan sponsors through a direct, sales-led GTM motion supplemented by content marketing and PR. The firm is led by CEO and Founding Principal Mindy Zatto following Andy Adams' May 2023 retirement; Andy Clonts joined as Director and Senior Benefits Consultant in June 2025 to drive business growth, and Robin Powell was promoted to Director of the administrative service center. No funding rounds, M&A, or external ownership have been disclosed.

Name

Strategic Benefits Advisors

Legal name

Strategic Benefits Advisors, Inc.

Website

https://sba-inc.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Strategic Benefits Advisors is an Atlanta-based, independent boutique consulting firm providing fee-for-service employee benefits advisory, actuarial, and outsourced administration to large and mid-sized plan sponsors (1,000-300,000 employees) across public, private, and government sectors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Employee Benefits Consulting

NAICS

Other Management Consulting Services (541618)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAHAGAF

Compensation, Benefits & Rewards Consulting

Business & Public Services/Professional Services (Legal, Accounting, Consulting)/Human Capital & Organizational Consulting

SECONDARYFSAEADAC

Employee Benefits Brokerage & Consulting

Financial & Insurance/Financial Advisory, Brokerage & Intermediation/Insurance Brokerage & Risk Advisory

SECONDARYFSAEABAE

Employer Retirement Plan Advisory (401(k)/Pension)

Financial & Insurance/Financial Advisory, Brokerage & Intermediation/Wealth & Retirement Advisory

SECONDARYBPACAJAG

Compensation, Benefits & Total Rewards Advisory

Business & Public Services/HR, Staffing & Recruitment Services/HR Consulting & Advisory (HR Strategy, Org Design, Change)

Keywords

• Employee benefits consulting
• Actuarial services
• Retirement plan consulting
• Health welfare benefits
• Pension administration

Headquarters

HQ city

Atlanta

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Benefits Consulting Services: Fee-for-service consulting engagements for employee benefits plan design, compliance, actuarial services, and vendor management. Services are billed based on scope of work, project complexity, and hourly consulting rates.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Strategic Benefits Advisors is a boutique employee benefits consulting firm that provides plan design, compliance, actuarial, outsourcing, vendor search, and pension administration services to mid-sized and large employers. The firm operates on a fee-for-service model with no commissions or product sales, delivering expertise through nearly 30 full-time consultants including seven credentialed actuaries.

Product overview

Strategic Benefits Advisors operates as a nimble, boutique consulting firm offering professional services rather than a unified software platform. The company provides five integrated service categories: Benefits Plan Consulting (plan design, compliance audits, plan correction, M&A due diligence, time away re-engineering, 403(b) consulting), Benefits Plan Outsourcing (pension administration, QDRO administration, call center support), Outsourcing Optimization (vendor monitoring, vendor recovery, open enrollment support, project management), Vendor Search & Implementation (administrative vendor searches, investment advisory search, specialty vendor searches, time away vendor search, contract negotiation, implementation support, H&W brokerage search), and Actuarial Services (actuarial valuation, benefit calculation, pension plan termination, benefits data cleanup). The firm also provides educational resources including a Monthly Benefits Rundown newsletter, an eGuide on missing participants, a Benefits Glossary with 178 terms, and IRS limits references. Services are delivered by a team of nearly 30 full-time consultants including seven credentialed actuaries, and the firm holds WOSB (Woman-Owned Small Business) certification.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Plan Design
• Plan Compliance and Operational Audits
• Plan Correction
• M&A Due Diligence
• Time Away Process Re-Engineering
• 403(b) Plan Consulting
• Pension Plan Administration
• Full QDRO Administration
• Specialty Call Center Support
• Vendor Monitoring and Management
• Vendor Recovery
• Open Enrollment Support
• Project Management Support
• Administrative Vendor Searches
• Investment Advisory Search
• Specialty Vendor Searches
• Time Away Vendor Search
• Vendor Contract Negotiation
• Implementation Support
• Health & Welfare Brokerage & Consulting Search
• Actuarial Valuation
• Benefit Calculation
• Pension Plan Termination
• Benefits Data Cleanup and Analysis

Quantifiable outcome

• Saves organizations thousands of hours and millions of dollars on employee benefits

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Lockton: Largest independent insurance brokerage globally with significant benefits consulting and actuarial capabilities. Competes with SBA for mid- and large-employer benefits advisory and brokerage work.
• Aon: Global professional services firm offering integrated retirement, health, and benefits consulting alongside insurance brokerage. Comparable to SBA as the dominant scaled player competing for the same large and mid-sized employer benefits advisory work.
• Hub International: North American insurance brokerage with sizable employee benefits consulting practice. Competes with SBA for mid-market benefits plan design, vendor search, and ongoing consulting.
• Mercer: Marsh McLennan-owned consulting firm providing health, wealth, and career advisory. Directly comparable to SBA in retirement and health & welfare consulting, scaled for large employer clients.
• USI Insurance Services: National insurance brokerage and consulting firm offering employee benefits advisory and consulting. Comparable to SBA as an increasingly scaled alternative for mid- and large-employer benefits engagements.
• Milliman: Actuarial and consulting firm with deep defined benefit, pension administration, and retirement practice. Closest scaled analog to SBA's actuarial-heavy service mix and pension termination work.
• Willis Towers Watson (WTW): Global advisory and brokerage firm with large retirement and health & benefits practices. Competes with SBA for the same enterprise and mid-market plan sponsors and operates bundled consulting plus technology offerings.
• The Segal Group: Independent employee benefits, compensation, and HR consulting firm serving corporate, government, and multiemployer plans. Comparable to SBA across retirement, health & welfare, and actuarial consulting.
• OneDigital: Fast-growing U.S. benefits, wealth, and HR advisory firm built largely through acquisitions. Competes with SBA across mid- and large-employer benefits consulting and outsourcing with greater scale.

Direct peers

• Strategic Retirement Partners: Independent, fee-only retirement plan consulting firm focused on mid- and large-employer defined contribution plans. Closest boutique analog to SBA's independent, vendor-agnostic retirement advisory model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Strategic Benefits Advisors