Fidelity Stock Transfer
Background
Fidelity Stock Transfer℠ is an SEC-registered transfer agent founded within Fidelity to help global companies and their shareholders manage securities with ease. The service integrates directly with Fidelity.com and NetBenefits, connecting corporate issuers, employees, and individual investors across multiple touchpoints.
Before its creation, Fidelity’s equity plan clients relied on external transfer agents, leading to fragmented processes and inconsistent shareholder experiences. As companies grew and equity ownership expanded, the need for a unified, digital-first solution became clear.
As the Founding Designer and Co-founder, I played a key role in shaping Fidelity Stock Transfer from concept to launch. We partnered with Fidelity’s Stock Plan Services business unit to deliver a complete equity solution covering both beneficial and registered shares. Working in a highly regulated environment, we designed a seamless, compliant system that now serves companies and their shareholders across every stage of ownership.
The Challenge
Every public company needs a registered stock transfer agent, yet most rely on outdated, siloed systems that separate issuers, employees, and investors. Fidelity saw an opportunity to create a modern, integrated alternative that would strengthen client relationships and improve the shareholder experience.
The challenge was to design and operationalize a new service within an established financial institution that would:
Meet SEC transfer agent requirements.
Integrate with Fidelity.com and NetBenefits.
Navigate multiple layers of compliance, including internal reviews, external audits, and Fidelity’s policies and procedures.
Deliver a unified experience across digital product, service, and communication touchpoints.
The Work
1. Defining the Vision
• Strategic Foundation: Partnered with business, legal, and operational leaders to define the vision, scope, and positioning of Fidelity Stock Transfer as a new business within Fidelity.
• Partnership with Stock Plan Services: Collaborated with the Stock Plan Services group to create a full equity solution connecting both beneficial and registered shareholders.
• Service Blueprint: Designed the full service blueprint mapping every touchpoint across issuers, shareholders, operations, and client service teams to align frontstage interactions with backstage processes.
2. Building the Product and Service
• End-to-End Recordkeeping Platform: Designed a secure, digital platform that integrates directly with Fidelity.com and NetBenefits, allowing companies and shareholders to view and manage securities in one place.
• Compliance and Audit Readiness: Ensured that the platform adhered to Fidelity’s policies and procedures and met all internal and external review standards required for SEC-registered transfer agents.
• Unified Experience: Our team was one of the few within Fidelity trusted to design both the product and the marketing experience, maintaining a consistent journey from first impression through account management.
3. Design Leadership
• Team Building: As the original designer, I built and led a multidisciplinary design team covering product design, marketing design, content, and research.
• Design Systems: Established foundational design patterns and governance processes to ensure visual and functional consistency across multiple Fidelity environments.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Worked closely with engineering, client services, and legal partners to translate the service blueprint into live, compliant experiences.
Outcome
Fidelity Stock Transfer launched as Fidelity’s first in-house, SEC-registered stock transfer agent and has become a cornerstone service for large public companies managing their shareholder base through Fidelity.
• Scale and Impact: The platform now serves Fortune 500 clients with more than $33 billion in assets under administration.
• Unified Experience: Seamlessly connects to Fidelity.com and NetBenefits, giving companies and shareholders a single, coherent view of ownership.
• Comprehensive Equity Solution: Delivered an integrated experience for both beneficial and registered share management under one brand.
• Design Ownership: Demonstrated how a small design-led team can create and steward an entire customer journey across digital and marketing channels.
• Enterprise Innovation: Proved that human-centered design can build new, compliant businesses inside a complex financial ecosystem.
By co-founding and designing Fidelity Stock Transfer, I helped Fidelity establish a trusted, modern transfer agency that redefines how companies and shareholders interact, bringing clarity, compliance, and confidence to every touchpoint.