I was thrilled by the opportunity to join Osaic for a lot of reasons, but mainly because of the people and where the firm was on its growth journey. The opportunity to interact with and shape a positive, collaborative client experience for Osaic independent advisors—and the employees I work alongside every day—was and continues to be a passion of mine. Delivering an optimal client experience is at the core of my being. I love to serve people.

And, candidly, as I got to know Erinn [Ford] during the interview process, she, too, was influential to my decision to join Osaic. I was looking to continue my career journey with an inspiring leader who has vision, is committed to excellence in client experience, and creates a culture of collaboration. Her authentic character and heart embody that.

I’ve been fortunate to spend a lot of time thus far with financial professionals and large enterprise leaders, and I’ve been thoughtful while still learning to be an active listener to our clients’ desire for more and more communication. I’ve observed some trepidation and reluctance to change as future transitions are considered, but as I dug deeper, I’ve realized it’s perhaps due to not enough communication that highlights the many ways we’re actively working on solutions in support of advisors’ businesses. In addition, I find it’s important to discuss the firm’s strength and our readiness to help prepare them for upcoming change, and create more excitement around that given the breadth of what we have to offer both now and in the future! To me, overcommunication is key and helps people through change of any kind. Keeping our financial professionals front and center is something we’ll continue to prioritize.

To be a strong communicator, you must be a strong active listener first. For those clients who’ve been vulnerable enough to share trepidation, which I completely respect, it’s about reinforcing with them what I’ve heard, and then either helping them understand where they may not have received enough information, or how we as a team can further create an optimal client experience.

I also take seriously the responsibility of proactively sharing the strategic efforts underway that directly support our advisors’ businesses and will position them for growth and enable them to run their businesses the way they want to because they have an industry-leading partner in Osaic. I’m built on clients first and hopefully that comes through in a leadership style that embraces accountability, authenticity, and excellence in delivery.

A lot of people who have contributed to my personal and professional growth. First and foremost is my mother. She’s my greatest mentor. She was a working single mom who raised me and my two brothers, and she’s the most resilient person I’ve ever met despite what she’s been through. She embodies character, integrity, and a strong work ethic. She also taught me the power of mindset - to always focus on what I can control and how I can make a meaningful impact. How I treat and serve others with respect, commitment, compassion, and empathy is always in my control and, like I mentioned when we first started talking, it is core to who I am. I couldn’t be more grateful to serve our clients and my team, as part of #TeamOsaic.