What has inspired you to stay at Bernstein for as long as you have?
Bernstein has received my complete and total devotion for many years. Without a doubt, I attribute this to the unique hybrid that is our culture: rigorous research and a commitment to ALWAYS act in the best interest of clients. Certainly, clients come to us to leverage in-house expertise. The brilliant minds at Bernstein come up with innovative solutions to maximize a client’s wealth and meet their goals. Yet more important than dollars and figures is that our firm thinks from the clients’ perspective and does what’s best for them in every aspect of the relationship. There have been times where I made a mistake that could have gone unnoticed. In every case, the firm fully supported me in terms of making the client aware of the issue and fully reimbursing them for every penny they had lost as a result of it. For further proof, I am friendly with a few lawyers that serve as outside council to AB and they insist that we treat our clients with more integrity than any of our competitors.
Tell me about the types of clients you work with.
My clients are busy, sophisticated and successful people who deserve excellent service. They include individuals, single and multigenerational families. All value transparency and my clear, direct communication style. As a straight shooter myself who likes to save time, corporate executives, private business owners, prominent public figures, nonprofits, foundations, endowments as well as people in the midst of complex divorce circumstances tend to gravitate toward me. By attuning to each person, I hear them out, get to the heart of the matter quickly and start to create an actionable plan. My number-one objective is that clients feel comfortable asking me anything, which is why I refrain from using complicated lingo or format scripts. They will never feel self-conscious when expressing what is on their mind. By cutting through the weeds and leveraging the depth and breadth of Bernstein’s resources, I can focus 100% of my faculties on figuring out how to achieve my clients’ goals.
What passions do you pursue outside of work?
As a single mother to two young adults, I work tirelessly to communicate my personal values to them. Teaching by example is my style. I’ve done my best to expose my family to experiences that have made them appreciative of their privilege. As a result, they’ve developed a responsibility to give back, which makes me incredibly proud of the people they’ve become. My own volunteer commitments are varied. As a lifelong New Yorker, runner and social justice advocate, serving on the board of The Armory Track & Field Foundation is most personal, Growing up nearby, it was exciting to see the facility transform over time from a dilapidated structure to a state-of-the-art competition center. However, it is their mission of "running through the pain" that resonates most with me. They teach participants how to translate the discipline and perseverance gained from running to push themselves beyond their wildest dreams. In my spare time, I am an avid marathon and ultra-marathon runner.