Meet the Principals

Merl W. Baker

Merl is a quantitative researcher by background and the former president of Louis Harris and Associates USA, the firm where he spent most of his career before founding Brightwork Partners in 1999. Merl has also managed financial services research portfolios at Monitor Group, Yankelovich Partners and Spectrem Group/PSI Global.

His research interests over the past 25 years focus on business-to-business products and services especially in international correspondent and corporate banking, group health, legal services, property and casualty insurance and reinsurance. Most recently Merl has been active in research in the defined contribution community including work among plan sponsors, advisors and TPAs. He also concentrates on retail distribution issues among business owners and other high net worth individuals.

Merl is a graduate of Duke University (BA).

Ronald L. Bush

Ron has over 25 years of experience as a manager and consultant in the retirement, investment products and insurance businesses. He is a frequent speaker on retirement services industry topics at conferences and client forums.

He was a founding partner of Access Research where he developed that firm’s research-based strategic consulting practice. Previously he was with CIGNA’s pension and investment management business where he was responsible for business strategy and research.

Ron has core expertise in the defined contribution sector but his interests and experiences extend across the entire retirement services arena. Recently, he has been particularly engaged in the retail transformation of institutional markets including the capture of IRA rollovers and other distributions from qualified plans, the development of retirement income products and in assessing the needs of pre-retirees and the recently retired.

Ron is a graduate of Lebanon Valley College (BA) and the Harvard Business School (MBA).