What’s the best way for people to put their wealth in perspective?
I think of wealth as extending beyond finances—we are wealthy when we have an abundance of the things we value. I encourage clients to dig deeper to pinpoint what they value most in life. This may be odd coming from an investment strategist, but I believe that we feel most fulfilled when we lead our lives in alignment with our values. What is most important to me and how do I ensure that my approach to investing is aligned with that? I’ve worked with clients across a broad range of backgrounds and financial circumstances, and issues often arose when there was a mismatch between their investment and personal objectives. It’s exciting to work at Bernstein, where this philosophy is widely embraced. It facilitates a more comprehensive understanding of the client, their goals and how we can be more impactful and achieve better outcomes via our investment advice.
How have your values and personal background uniquely positioned you to work with your clients?
I was born in Cuba and moved to the US as a child. As immigrants, my parents instilled in me the importance of education, hard work and integrity. We were “lucky”—our extended family lived in the same city, we had a family business and a community to support us. While adapting to a new country and lifestyle was challenging at times, I don’t recall a single instance in which my parents complained about having to uproot their family and start anew in a foreign country. I carry with me, to this day, the belief that with the right mentality, consistency and resilience, most challenges can be overcome. With that in my back pocket, I attended graduate school in Spain, worked in Asia and Africa, and traveled the world. As an investment strategist working closely with global families, I have a unique understanding of the complexities—both personal and financial—that multicultural, multijurisdictional families face because I’ve been in their shoes.
If you didn’t work for Bernstein, what else would you be doing?
If I didn’t work for Bernstein, I would have pursued a career in diplomacy. As I alluded to above, I enjoy traveling. I think this stems from a deep desire to understand what drives people and the world. I often seek challenges and learning opportunities. For these reasons, the thought of being a diplomat and working for the Department of State was very exciting in my early twenties. I took it so far as to intern for the US Consulate in Barcelona between my Junior and Senior years of university.
Luckily, life’s twists and turns brought me to the wealth management industry shortly after, and I felt like I had found a career that would satisfy my curiosity, fulfill my desire to learn and help others and perpetually challenge me to adapt and grow. This lies at the core of why I enjoy my job.