Meet the Team : Doug Fettig

January 28, 2020 by Jayme Barnes

This week we are introducing Doug Fettig, Vice President of Business Development. Doug is one of the newest members of the HPA team, but his energy and excitement are unparalleled. Doug has a true passion for helping people reach their financial goals and save for retirement. He has helped countless individuals understand the value of early planning for retirement and, in an industry that can be confusing to many, he has a skill for explaining investment strategies in a clear and relatable way. Doug is very well known in the dental community and can often be found traveling around the country speaking at different dental events. We hope you enjoy getting to know Doug.

What is your role at HPA?

As the VP of Business Development within the Dental Group, my role is to initiate and elevate strategic relationships within the dental industry. This includes promoting the HPA model to dentists, as well as to various dental industry players (e.g. financial, marketing, legal, technology) where I see opportunities for synergistic partnerships. Also, as a dental CPA, I travel the country speaking to the dental community about the business side of dentistry. My goal is to help change a dentist’s perspective to that of a CEO while explaining the power of HPA to help them flourish and maintain independence.

Tell me about your background before joining HPA.

Immediately before joining HPA, I spent close to five years as the Dental Director for a regional CPA firm, speaking nationwide to the dental community and connecting the dental community to the firm. Before that, I spent several years as the Director of Internal Audit for McCormicks & Schmick’s Seafood Restaurants, as well as roles in executive recruiting and in management with a technology firm.

Going further back into my 20’s (but not that far) I spent time traveling abroad, taking three separate trips to Europe and the Middle East. Landing in Germany on a one-way flight at the age of 20, and hitch-hiking through Europe was a tremendous learning experience. It helped me to realize that I could be successful and thrive in a variety of situations, with people from different cultures and socio-economic backgrounds. Interspersed within these trips abroad I spent time in the restaurant industry, which further helped enhance my social skills and ability to connect with and relate to all types of personalities.

How What led you to join the HPA team?

Two things:

First, the power that I saw in the HPA model to provide a better future for doctors, their teams, and their patients. I’m excited about the opportunity to positively impact the healthcare world and the communities they serve. There is such a need within the healthcare community for a model that will allow doctors to see a solution to consolidation and the loss of control that is creating so much stress in their lives.

Second, the people here at HPA. I’ve been blown away by the combination of their professionalism, expertise, and commitment to helping the doctors in our alliance. And, they are simply wonderful.

The more I learned about the power of the model here at HPA the more excited I became to join the team and help improve lives.

How would your friends, coworkers, and family describe you?

Someone who’s outgoing, inherently positive, who takes a sincere interest in other people and what motivates them, and someone who (hopefully) most of the time enjoys life. I truly enjoy meeting new people, learning about their passions and what makes them tick. I also love “exploring” through travel, listening to music, attending concerts, and reading voraciously about a wide range of topics. I left out any negative descriptions – hahaha!

What are you most proud of accomplishing?

Personally, that I have built a loving relationship with my wife and my two boys. Everything else pales in comparison to the impact and legacy that these relationships will have on the world. While there is an inherent difficulty/tension in successfully juggling one’s personal and professional lives, the payoff in striving to do so has become more apparent as I’ve gotten older and my perspective has broadened.

Professionally, that I was able to evolve my career from being a “typical CPA” and leaving the internal audit world to becoming a successful public speaker and business development executive. That evolution to my true professional passion, relationship development, has been a wonderful experience for me. While I was successful in my more traditional CPA related roles, I truly found my joy and passion in combining that with my people and relationship skills. The cliche is true (at least in my case), it truly doesn’t feel like work when you love what you do.

What are you most passionate about when it comes to helping or working with clients?

Making sure that our clients are treated the way that I would want to be – the way that I would treat a family member. I constantly strive to put myself in the shoes of our clients, to understand their concerns/needs, to help them take advantage of opportunities, and to ensure that we are helping to improve their lives. To me, every relationship with a client is a gift that I handle with care. If I approach my clients with that mindset, they will hopefully realize that I sincerely value their perspective and want to help improve their lives.