What is the most fulfilling aspect of being an advisor to your clients?
The part of being an advisor I cherish the most is having the opportunity, on a very personal level, to help my clients achieve better financial outcomes. My clients are executives and business owners who value having a trusted advisor to guide them through complex issues. In order to properly counsel my clients and cater to their specific needs, I leverage my expertise gleaned from a 25-year career in wealth management and investment banking. The areas of expertise I advise my clients on include optimizing single stock exposure, navigating liquidity events and tax-efficient wealth transfer. I find it deeply rewarding to develop chemistry and a trusted rapport with my clients as part of discovering what is most important to them. After we have established that bond, I view it as my mission to help them achieve those goals.
Share one of your most memorable professional accomplishments with us.
One of the professional accomplishments I’m most proud of is having co-authored Bernstein’s white paper on Special Needs Planning. I realized that there was a dearth of good planning insights for families on this subject when I tried to figure out my own family’s long-term plan for my middle son, Milo, who has complex disabilities. My research colleagues immediately supported the efforts, and ever since, Special Needs Planning has evolved into a national area of expertise that differentiates Bernstein from other wealth management firms. Our insights in this field are making a real difference in helping families with disabled children, and I am so grateful to have this be a part of my legacy at Bernstein.
What has inspired you to stay at Bernstein for as long as you have?
When I joined Bernstein more than 16 years ago, I was still single. I’m now married and a mother to three beautiful boys. While there has been quite a bit of change in my life over these years, Bernstein has been a constant force. Even after many years, it still feels like a dynamic and exciting place to work. Bernstein embraces change from seizing upon new investment opportunities to ensuring that we are on the cutting edge of technology that will benefit our clients.
My own view of success has changed over time and taken on a much more personal meaning. My hope is to positively impact my clients’ lives and be viewed by them as an authentic and insightful advisor. I find great satisfaction in helping my clients achieve their goals. I also hope to help women and executives from diverse backgrounds achieve even better outcomes than they imagined possible.