What has inspired you to stay at Bernstein for as long as you have?
If someone had told me when I was in my twenties that I would spend my entire career at the same firm, I wouldn’t have believed them. However, Bernstein’s core values have kept me at the firm since college graduation 35 years ago. I was fortunate enough to know Zalman Bernstein, the founder of our firm, whose passion was putting our clients’ interests first, having the most respected research on Wall Street and creating a professional environment that rewards hard work. The founding principles of our firm have guided me over the past four decades. They will continue to do so as I guide my clients, their children and families toward meeting their goals. In a way, it all comes full circle, which is why I love my career at the firm.
What kind of experience do you offer to your clients?
I offer two kinds of client experiences as a Bernstein advisor. The first is what our clients experience, which is the creation of a customized, long-term investment plan to meet their specific goals. My process oftentimes entails solving myriad difficult issues, such as estate planning, philanthropic giving and helping my clients to navigate complicated family dynamics. I also offer my personal and professional experience, gleaned from 35 years at Bernstein, as I guide my clients through their custom investment plan. The combination of Bernstein’s in-depth, firm-wide research and my own knowledge from advising so many different types of clients, in different environments, is instrumental in walking my clients through difficult financial climates. I also use my many years of experience to help my clients avoid the financial pitfalls that less experienced advisors might not see or know how to remedy.
What passions do you pursue outside of work?
I’ve lived in South Florida since the early 1990s. Over the last few decades, I’ve grown with and supported my community in the areas that mean the most to me and my family. I am that guy who will stop my car, in the middle of the road, to help a turtle get to the other side. With a teenage equestrian daughter, animal causes are a priority. Locally, I sit on the board of Sandoway Discovery Center, which educates our community on coastal conservation issues. I am also proud that our family has fostered 13 Labrador retrievers over the years, as foster parents, through Labrador Retriever Rescue of Florida. As I am a father, one of my passions is supporting organizations that support child welfare and family safety. By hosting foreign exchange students at my home, sitting on the Board for Children’s Home Society, which I’ve done for 20 years, and volunteering to sleep overnight with families in need through Family Promise of South Florida I’ve impacted this area in many different ways.