Segal is committed to providing a distinctive, quality service for its clients.  To that end, the firm emphasizes that it is not interested in providing services that clients already perform for themselves, but rather in finding new ways for clients to increase their insights into the options available for provision of employee benefits.  Segal also publishes a number of newsletters and reports, many of which are geared toward specific locations and markets.

Trusted advisors

According to Segal, it is the "only firm with a national commitment to the multiemployer environment," a fact that Segal believes means it understands the market "better than anyone else."  With that being the case, perhaps a little explanation is in order.  The firm defines multiemployer plans as being "essentially benefit programs sponsored and administered by boards of trustees made up of both labor and management, representing participants from many organizations."  The chief advantage of such funds is that they can provide benefits—everything from retirement and health care to disability and other welfare benefits—to people who might otherwise not have access.  That group includes union members who change employers frequently or those who work for small companies that would be unable to offer a benefits plan independently.  Given the proportion of the workforce under that description, being the industry leader in the field is no small feat—and Segal claims to work with more multiemployer funds than its top-three competitors combined, in a list of almost 20 industries stretching from air and transportation through construction, entertainment, food, maritime, motion picture, professional sports, radio and television, and trucking.

Serving the multiemployer market means that Segal's consultants must be able to find the middle ground between different interest groups that can include trade union members and leaders, employers, trustees, advisors and board members.

Serving the public sector

Another significant portion of Segal's main service offerings are aimed at the public sector. Indeed, the list of services for public-sector clients and multiemployer clients is virtually identical. Both contain the following elements: retirement benefits, health and welfare benefits, compliance, communications (for multiemployer it's "participant," while for public sector it’s "employee" communications), administration and technology, fiduciary liability insurance and fidelity bond brokerage, and providing investment solutions.

Practices make perfect

The corporate and nonprofit consulting services are actually handled by Sibson Consulting, Segal's HR consulting division, which helps organizations get the highest possible returns on their investments in human capital. It focuses on employee benefits, organization and talent, performance and rewards, sales force effectiveness and technology, and has provided services to over half of the Fortune 500, as well as providing HR and benefits consulting for institutions of higher education.

The investment solutions services mentioned above are handled by Segal Rogerscasey.  Segal Advisors acquired the business of Rogerscasey, a global investment solutions firm in early February 2012. Now called Segal Rogerscasey the firm specializes in global investment solutions, serving more than 350 clients with nearly $400 billion in total assets under advisement. The firm has been in operation for more than 40 years and is one of the largest U.S.-based investment consultants. Clients include corporations, non-profit organizations, endowments, foundations, state and local governments and joint boards of trustees administering benefits plans under the Taft-Hartley Act. The firm works with financial services clients through Rogerscasey, a Division of Segal Advisors, and with Canadian clients through Segal Rogerscasey Canada.