Top Pension and Group Benefits Consultants in Canada

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Delivering now and advising on the future

As people live longer, economic changes occur, and regulatory pressures evolve across Canada, so too must the strategies of those in the pensions and benefits industry, managing and advising on workplace plans. 

One of the most significant recent shifts is a growing emphasis on retirement income – moving beyond mere savings accumulation to a more sophisticated focus on decumulation and income sustainability. In this dynamic environment, the role of the consultant is more critical than ever.

“We see top service providers leaning into these challenges by helping clients reassess their funding strategies, modernize governance frameworks, and explore more flexible plan designs,” says Korinne Collins, director and CEO of the Association of Canadian Pension Management (ACPM). 

“Importantly, they’re also participating in broader industry discussions that we facilitate on how to expand plan coverage, improve retirement readiness, and build a more inclusive system.”

The firms that have stood out by navigating these changes and leading the industry forward are recognized by Benefits and Pensions Monitor as the Top Pension and Group Benefits Consultants 2025. They were honoured after being meticulously evaluated for their contributions to their clients and the industry overall.

Traditionally, retirement plans were evaluated based on their ability to help Canadians build a sizable nest egg. Today, however, the focus is increasingly changing.

“It’s not just saving for retirement, but helping Canadians turn those savings into stable, lasting income,” says Collins.

This evolution reflects a deeper understanding of member needs and underscores the growing complexity facing plan sponsors. Consulting firms are stepping up by advising on income-focused solutions and other decumulation vehicles such as: 

• Variable Payment Life Annuities 
   
• Advanced Life Deferred Annuities  

“It’s also about making sure those tools are accessible and understood,” says Collins. “On the design side, we’re seeing more interest in hybrid and shared risk plans that balance sustainability with member needs.”

These approaches aim to optimize efficiency, reduce administrative costs, and enhance long-term sustainability. Hybrid plans, in particular, are gaining traction for their ability to balance employer predictability with member flexibility. Top consultants play a pivotal role, guiding plan sponsors through the strategic, legal, and actuarial implications of such transitions.

In this era of uncertainty – marked by market volatility, an aging workforce, and evolving regulations – the need for strategic, multidisciplinary advice has never been greater. The most impactful consultants combine technical proficiency with clarity, collaboration, and foresight. Their value lies not just in detailed actuarial modeling or regulatory interpretation, but in their ability to bridge silos, bring diverse stakeholders into alignment, and translate complexity into actionable decisions.

At organizations such as the ACPM, this collaborative ethos is brought to life through councils and committees that convene consultants, administrators, lawyers, and regulators. These forums reinforce that consulting excellence requires ecosystem awareness – an understanding of how policy, governance, and member outcomes intersect.

Top consultants help shape the future of the retirement landscape and their involvement in industry advocacy, regulatory engagement, and thought leadership reflects a commitment to building better systems. 

Collins adds, “The most respected firms today are strategic and forward-looking. They don’t just respond to change; they help their clients prepare for it.”

Many participate in ACPM-led initiatives aimed at improving retirement readiness, expanding plan coverage, and enhancing plan inclusivity. In doing so, they influence both public policy and private practice, demonstrating that elite consultancy is as much about leadership as it is about service delivery.

As across other industries, the rise of AI and data analytics is transforming pensions and benefits administration. Leading firms are applying technology to enhance forecasting accuracy, streamline workflows, and personalize member communications. But the differentiator isn’t technology alone – it’s how it’s used. The best consultants combine innovation with fiduciary integrity, ensuring that digital tools support, rather than replace, sound professional judgment and robust governance.

Technology should never obscure the human element. At its heart, pensions consulting remains a business of trust, education, and alignment. The leading consultants help sponsors make decisions that stand the test of time, often under conditions of uncertainty, and remain accessible and available as trusted partners.

Blending modernization and empathy

The firm delivers high-impact consulting services rooted in both technological innovation with a deep commitment to community. Its success lies in an ability to strike the perfect balance between data-driven efficiency and a people-first approach. For Canadian businesses seeking to transform their group benefits and savings programs, Maximus Rose offers not only guidance, but a partnership.

In turn, Maximus Rose’s value proposition is built on its own strategic partnerships that deliver tangible health and financial benefits for clients and employees alike.

For example, a collaboration with Acclaim Ability Management brings industry-leading expertise in occupational and non-occupational injury and illness management. Their proprietary AI-enabled platform, Acctrak, was designed by case managers for case managers, embedding over 30 years of best practices into an intuitive system that drives efficiency, speed, and better return-to-work outcomes.

Maximus Rose also brings cutting-edge innovation to the table through partnerships with:    

• Lily Life for pharmacogenetic testing to support personalized medicine
   
• Medcan for executive health and proactive medical management
   
• Rexall for national pharmacy and wellness support

CEO Tony Fasulo says, “These aren’t just perks – they represent hard cost savings, increased access to preventative care, and an elevated experience for the organizations we serve.”

Beyond business results, Maximus Rose’s work is deeply informed by a sense of social responsibility. Its Community Care programs give back tens of thousands of dollars to client-aligned causes, including scholarships, youth sports, and local non-profits.

One signature initiative – Wellness Day – brings healthcare professionals into remote communities to provide direct, preventative care. It’s a clear example of the firm’s belief that meaningful impact begins with access and equity.

Over the past year, Maximus Rose has integrated advanced technology without losing the personal touch that defines its service. This is made tougher by being part of a highly saturated marketplace where businesses are constantly overwhelmed by ads, emails, and cold calls.

Fasulo says, “We’ve responded by constantly refining our outreach strategy: tailoring not just what we say, but when, where, and how we say it. It’s an ongoing process of adaptation, storytelling, and strategic positioning to ensure our value proposition cuts through the clutter.”
 

“At every step, our goal is to ensure technology supports – and never replaces – the skilled professionals at the heart of what we do”
Tony FasuloMaximus Rose Living Benefits

This strategy has resulted in a decision to invest heavily in change management, communication, and education. This has included restructuring roles, creating standard operating procedures, building dashboards for transparency, and involving frontline users in the platform’s development to ensure it fits real-world needs.

“By keeping people at the center of everything we do and empowering them with the right tools, we’ve been able to evolve without compromising who we are,” adds Fasulo. Nevertheless, Maximus Rose has leveraged the benefits of technology as a powerful enabler of efficiency, quality, and consistency.

In addition to Acctrak, the firm leverages tools like Power BI for data visualization and advanced reporting, and optical character recognition technology to digitize and extract information from physical documents, improving both speed and accuracy across case management processes.

It is also actively preparing to expand the use of AI-supported tools such as triage automation, early risk identification, and case pattern analysis. These capabilities will further enhance the precision of reporting, streamline workflows, and allow Maximus Rose to deliver greater value.

Advocates, advisors, and strategic partners

Over the past year, Sutton Benefits & Pension has experienced challenges with  some suppliers and vendors with disruptions in response times, technology, and inconsistent service levels that have challenged the firm’s high standards. 

They spurred Sutton Benefits & Pension to double down on client advocacy. Whether through persistent follow-ups, seeking workarounds, or escalating issues, the team has gone above and beyond to shield clients from backend inefficiencies.

“Our clients don’t know what we’re doing behind the scenes all the time,” says president Andrea Hansen. “Our team is tenacious and so passionate, and are moving mountains, so we get to deliver results for our clients and make sure they’re happy.”

This is an illustration of how people are what truly differentiates Sutton Benefits & Pension. Its team is driven, collaborative, and deeply invested in the success of every client. All work in the Saskatoon office, with no one choosing to go hybrid.

“We meet every day in our daily huddle where we all share our thoughts on what’s the best thing that we did to move the company forward. We’re always connecting, collaborating, and communicating with each other,” says Hansen.

Bucking the trend of mergers and acquisitions has stood Sutton Benefits & Pension in good stead.

The firm's freedom offers it the ability to build a deep familiarity with clients, which allows it to deliver tailored service and memorable experiences, from in-person seminars to peer-to-peer learning events, like June 2025’s Thriving in Uncertainty summit.

Importantly, the firm is selective about client growth, ensuring that service levels and relationships remain strong without outside corporate influence.

“We value the freedom to shape our own path,” Hansen explains. “If I were answering to someone else and had to hit targets, it would change everything. Maintaining our independence allows us to focus on what matters most.”
 

“We are strategic partners to our clients. They rely on us not only for compliance and plan design, but for guidance that simplifies complexity and supports their business goals”
Andrea HansenSutton Benefits & Pension

The company embraces technology not to replace human interaction, but to enhance it. AI tools, such as meeting summarization and CRM customization, help streamline operations and free up time for face-to-face engagement. Hansen says, “That’s what our clients value most — a personal connection. They don’t want to deal with a faceless technology company.”

Another feature of the firm’s tech use is synthesizing claims data, utilization trends, and putting metrics into clear, actionable insights, enabling clients to make confident decisions without getting bogged down in analysis.

“Our clients are busy running and growing their business; they’re trusting me to analyze the data and simplify it for them,” adds Hansen. “I’m a professional decision-maker. I don’t kill my clients with data.”

This has borne the Sutton Employee Engagement Wheel™, a self-assessment tool to evaluate nine essential components of clients’ unique total rewards program. Every workplace is different, and local employers need the right combination of benefits to attract and retain employees and enhance productivity, health, and well-being. The assessment reveals areas where resource allocation is out of balance and enables the Sutton team to develop a prioritized action plan.

Sutton Benefits & Pension also places part of its profits into a Community Impact Fund, where organizations can apply to receive an award for a particular cause. This underlines why the firm is more than a service provider – it’s a strategic extension of its clients’ leadership teams, combining advocacy, insight, and empathy.

Hansen says, “I want to help our clients move forward and attract the people they want and retain the people they need. I want to be part of their success.”

Elevating through innovation, insight, and impact

Selectpath Benefits & Financial positions itself as a forward-thinking partner dedicated to long-term client success. Its approach, rooted in innovation, strategic education, and a deep commitment to people and community, attracts businesses seeking holistic, future-ready solutions, group benefits, and savings.

At the heart of Selectpath’s offering is its proprietary Guided Professional Solutions model – a consultative framework designed to optimize benefit and savings programs according to the unique needs of each client. Delivered by entrepreneurial advisors who understand the complexities of modern workforce planning, the model ensures every engagement is customized, informed, and focused on long-term outcomes.

This personalized strategy is reinforced by a deep bench of specialists, including account managers, client service associates, analysts, and education professionals acting as embedded partners.

Selectpath, an accredited B Corp, has also developed a competitive advantage through its internal knowledge platform, Selectpath University. This in-house platform houses white papers and detailed briefings on emerging employer-focused offerings, from new insurance products to evolving savings vehicles.

This commitment to learning extends across the organization as the team dedicates time weekly to product and provider briefings, collaborates on case study reviews, and constantly refreshes its understanding of the marketplace. The result is a firm that isn’t just aware of trends but is helping to shape them.

Todd Stephen, VP benefits & pension, says, “Our biggest and never-ending challenge is how to continue to stay educated and informed on product, service, and legislative developments and translate that knowledge into insights that clients can incorporate into their thinking and decision-making.”

More importantly, this innovation is never divorced from purpose. The firm is committed to improving plan member outcomes, using analytics, benchmarking, and predictive tools to tailor programs to real-world needs. Whether it’s enhancing claims management or refining plan design, Selectpath makes the complex actionable.
 

“Our constant focus is ‘better’ client outcomes, which really comes down to expert advice with a process that ensures clients’ unique goals are reflected in their programs, supported by our culture of service and innovation”
Todd StephenSelectpath Benefits & Financial

While the firm integrates technology across every layer of operations, from workflow automation and data analytics to client-facing tools and benchmarking systems, what distinguishes Selectpath is how it uses tech to create new value for clients.

This includes advanced use of big data and AI in areas such as plan design optimization, recruitment, business development, and even white paper creation. Selectpath knows the real challenge isn’t simple access to data or tools.

“The key and challenge, in our opinion, is in training ourselves to ask the questions that will lead to actionable or material insight and outcomes,” says Stephen.  “It’s not as easy as it sounds, but the rewards are significant if you can master that skill as an organization.”

Some common characteristics define the industry’s winning firms and explain why they are at the forefront.   

• Plan modernization to help clients navigate new options while modernizing governance frameworks and reassessing funding strategies.
   
• Evolution from transactional advisors to embedded strategic partners and operating with multidisciplinary fluency.
   
• Embracing digital transformation through AI, automation, predictive analytics, and custom tools but doing so intentionally, ensuring that technology amplifies the human impact.
   
• Unwavering focus on member outcomes.

Top Pension and Group Benefits Consultants in Canada

• 
  Sutton Benefits & Pension
   
  
• 
  Maximus Rose Living Benefits
   
  
• 
  Selectpath Benefits & Financial
   
  

• Actuarial Analytics
• Aria Benefits
• benefitsConnect
• BFL Canada Benefits
• Bodhi Research Group
• Canadian Benefits Consulting Group
• CDW Benefits and Insurance Consulting
• Connex Health Consulting
• Gallagher
• George & Bell Consulting
• InBenefits
• Leslie Consulting Group
• Looniewell
• Mosey & Mosey
• Navigate Benefit Solutions
• Naviguide Corporation
• Normandin Beaudry
• Penad Pension Services Limited
• Redcliffe Financial
• Westland Insurance