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As an employee-owned
organization, First Rate recognizes that our people are the key to
the ongoing success of our company. The quality of service we
offer to our clients depends on the well-being of our employees,
which is why First Rate’s corporate culture is focused on creating
an ideal environment for the staff.
With their experience in the industry, First Rate’s employees have
a first-hand understanding of what has made different investment
firms successful at calculating and reporting performance. The
staff is dedicated to maintaining a partnership with every client,
and pursuing solutions until the client truly recognizes their
benefit. This mentality has established First Rate as an
exceptional vendor to work with, and we are known throughout the
industry for unsurpassed client service.
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“The strength of First Rate
can be found in the dedication and commitment of its
people.”
Gary Last
Managing Director
Personal Asset Management SunTrust Banks |
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Following the principle of keeping people
first, it is the mission of First Rate to be a socially
responsible business leader. The firm dedicates significant
resources, both fiscally and in staff time, to supporting
non-profit organizations. Since the inception of the firm, First
Rate has consistently dedicated a portion of the company's
revenues to charity. Every month, First Rate hosts luncheons
featuring representatives from non-profit organizations in need of
support and each year, every member of the First Rate staff helps
to direct the firm’s contributions to charitable organizations.
First Rate believes that in addition to supporting our clients,
the success of our business should also help to improve the lives
of our neighbors. |
Our goal is to continually have a positive impact on those with
whom we do business, as well as those in the community around us. Departments
First Rate Service Bureau
First Rate Service Bureau capitalizes on the performance and technical
expertise of the First Rate staff while minimizing the overhead
requirements associated with maintaining a database of portfolio
performance information.
Under the management of Managing Director Craig Wietz, the Service
Bureau staff serves as an outsourcing resource for data processing and
scrubbing of rate of return data. The expertise of these performance
specialists helps First Rate clients to deliver in-depth, accurate
rates of return for high volumes of portfolios in a truly timely
fashion.
First Rate Consulting
The First Rate Consulting team is a group of experienced performance
professionals and programmers who are dedicated exclusively to
providing advice to investment institutions on performance-related
issues and customizing the First Rate Performance® suite of
applications for First Rate client institutions. The team handles all
new business implementations, interface development and data
conversions. Utilizing Stephen Covey project management techniques,
First Rate Consultants compile, interpret and coordinate the
sophisticated data elements that are crucial for truly automated
performance calculation solutions.
The First Rate Consulting staff work with the First Rate Products
department to help with product development. These individuals also
travel to client offices to provide on-site instruction and support,
to assist with product upgrades and data scrubbing, and to provide
consulting for maximizing the efficiency of an institution’s
performance staff.
The First Rate Consulting team is First Rate’s dedicated stable of
“hired guns,” offering a variety of consulting services including
performance presentation customization, “Process and Procedure”
documentation for AIMR-PPS® audit preparation, Web-based user
interface development, First Rate Performance add-on enhancements and
performance measurement training courses. As most First Rate users
know, no two First Rate Performance installations are the same. The
success of First Rate depends on the customization that is available
through the First Rate Performance suite of applications. First Rate
Consulting is the primary source for most custom enhancements to the
system. The team is always on call, available to tweak the
functionality of First Rate Performance tools to best address the
needs of a client institution.
First Rate Operations
The First Rate Operations staff is responsible for managing the data
center, the First Rate Help Desk, the client and employee support
center, the First Rate Application Service Provider (ASP) center and
all on-site client technical support. The team of certified network
and database administrators is constantly striving to stay abreast of
the new technologies to best serve our clients.
The First Rate
Operations systems experts work to design, implement and maintain a
production environment ideal for the most efficient operation of First
Rate Performance. They are also on call to provide technical support
services to First Rate clients seeking to leverage their expertise.
The First Rate Operations staff is a truly talented group with
certifications in a broad selection of information technologies. Their
expertise helps to keep First Rate at the leading edge of technology
within the performance measurement industry.
First Rate Products
The First Rate Products department is the hub of all new product
development and enhancements. The team creates the building blocks
that are used in every First Rate Performance® solution.
Under the leadership of Managing Director Terry Gaines, the First Rate
Products team is continually investigating the ever-changing dynamics
of the performance measurement industry. They aggressively research
SEC, AIMR and IPC regulations, requirements and recommendations to
stay current with industry standards. They attend industry conferences
and solicit feedback from clients on a regular basis. They use all of
this information to continually design enhancements to the First Rate
Performance suite of applications, using technology that keeps First
Rate solutions well ahead of the industry.
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