Senior Managing Director

John Patnaude

Advisor Headshot

I Give My Clients Confidence

The trust required to place one’s assets under an advisor’s care cannot be underestimated. Clients take a leap of faith, which I believe deserves the highest level of service, responsiveness, unbiased advice and commitment to always do my best.

What has inspired you to stay at Bernstein for as long as you have?

I regard Bernstein as the finest investment firm in the United States. I love that we have a single focus, state-of-the-art planning tools and some of the most talented people in the business. I appreciate that Bernstein has a collaborative firm culture where everyone gets behind the same plan in terms of winning a new client or doing the right thing for an existing one. I appreciate Bernstein’s global research footprint and the unique perspective we bring to our clients. I appreciate our thought leadership research, which is why we are viewed by clients and other professional advisors as a trusted partner and provider. I appreciate our fiduciary standard and culture in regard to the confidence that we give our clients.

What is the most fulfilling aspect of being an advisor to your clients?

The most gratifying part of my job is providing clients with peace of mind. I do this by creating a thoughtful financial strategy specifically tailored to my clients’ unique needs. There is nothing better than a client who lets me know that I am completely trusted and my guidance and insights are appreciated. Lastly, I like to bring solutions to the table so I can help clients solve their problems. Fortunately, it’s easy to accomplish everything that I enjoy about my job because Bernstein has such a diverse, talented and brilliant roster of thought leaders throughout the firm. I feel comfortable calling on any of the people at Bernstein, at any time, to assist me with my clients.

Tell me about the types of clients you work with.

My clients generally fall into three broad categories; multigenerational families, business owners and corporate executives. The commonality they all share is a complex set of needs beyond simply managing money. Each of my clients has genuine concerns and goals around family legacy planning, education, wealth transfer and philanthropy. Fortunately, Bernstein has industry-leading research and an endless team of professionals to help spur my creativity in terms of producing thoughtful ideas and solutions for clients.