If you didn’t work for Bernstein, what else would you be doing?
I really have three passions—problem solving, storytelling and adventures. In many ways, this job affords me the first two. I love getting to know my clients and what makes them tick. And while I do find investments exciting, there is little adventure to be found behind my desk. So, when I can, I love to take time to go on journeys with family and friends and get out of my comfort zone. Last summer I traveled to Tanzania with my college roommate and climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro. The year before, I crossed the Drake Passage on a ship to Antarctica, where I hiked glaciers and jumped in the Antarctic Ocean. And growing up, I was an avid reader, finding adventure in the pages of each new book. So I guess if I weren’t working at Bernstein, I would be backpacking across Australia and trying to write the next great American novel.
What has inspired you to stay at Bernstein for as long as you have?
When I first joined Bernstein in 2018, I interviewed with five people who had collectively spent nearly a century at this firm. I knew it was a place where people could not only be successful, but also build a lifelong career. That’s all due to the colleagues you’re surrounded with, as I’ve discovered in my time here. Put simply, two descriptors fit everyone at Bernstein—smart and nice. We place a high standard of excellence on everything we do for our clients, and we do it through partnership, collaboration and mutual respect. I’ve spent time in numerous offices and roles here—and have always been pushed to deliver my absolute best while being supported in my efforts to do so up through the highest levels. The resources I am offered, the support I am given and the amazing people I am surrounded by ensure not only that working at Bernstein is rewarding and fun, but also that my clients are getting the very best.
What kind of experience do you offer to your clients?
A favorite quote of mine is, “If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough.” As someone who learned investment management from the ground up at Bernstein, I take the responsibility of educating myself and my clients seriously. Many of my clients are experiencing significant financial planning for the first time. Often, they’ve sold a business or are taking control of family money. For many, these transitions can be emotional, invigorating—and also overwhelming. My job is to wrap my arms around all of the complexity of their situation, demystify investing and provide simple answers to complex questions. Every client should feel that I am with them every step of the way, as their advocate, trusted resource, confidant and most importantly, advisor.