From the April 2008 edition of On Wall Street magazine: And the Winners Are
Look at any one of the Top 10 Branch Managers being honored by On Wall Street, and you will discover the attributes of great coaches and inspiring teachers. In fact, the ability to impart knowledge and wisdom are common to all 10 winners.
"Everyone needs a good coach, and that's how I see myself," says winner, Christopher Shaw, 37, a branch manager for Morgan Stanley in Red Bank, New Jersey. Shaw, a former All-American football player when he was a student at Trenton State College, (now the College of New Jersey), knows what he's talking about. Not only does he administer sound advice at work, but also to the baseball and football teams of his three sons. Shaw is a 14-year veteran of the brokerage business and has been a branch manager for nearly a decade.
In OWS's search for stellar branch managers, the magazine's blue ribbon panel focused on those who demonstrated key leadership skills. It also looked for managers who were ethical, firm yet empathetic, a motivating force and who practiced grace under fire in the sometimes hectic and demanding world of financial advisors. The magazine's judges were OWS columnist and attorney Alan Foxman of the law firm, Lavalle, Brown, Ronan & Mullins, P.A; David Grau, Sr., president, Business Transitions, and Stewart A. Lee, president, Lee Training, LLC.
The typical branch manager nominated for this award has been in the industry for 20 years, with 81% having more than 15 years under their belts.
In addition to Shaw, the winners are Don Clark of AIG Financial in Overland Park, Kan.; Robert O'Neal of AIG Financial in Colorado Springs, Colo.; Brian Donaldson of Hilliard in Knoxville, Tenn.; James McKenna of Janney Montgomery Scott in Tarrytown, N.Y.; Robert Wincowski of Janney Montgomery Scott in Albany, N.Y.; Jeffrey Reiss of Morgan Stanley in Jericho, N.Y.; Michael Hines of Raymond James in Atlanta; Susan Bellehumeur of Robert W. Baird in Waukesha, Wis.; and Chris R. Ishii of Smith Barney in Seattle.
"Brokers can feel isolated, like they're out there alone, even though they work in an office of 40 people," explains Michael Hines, 63, of Atlanta, who has been a branch manager for 33 years. He views his role as being the one who creates a team and manages staff members at all levels. To be effective, he says, "you have to have a lot of compassion and understanding on one hand and, on the other, you have to be explicit and give clear directions."
Branch manager Susan Bellehumeur, 53, of Waukesha, Wis. notes that it's "really critical to be an advocate for all associates." Unlike most of her fellow award winners, Bellehumeur took a circuitous route to the position she's held for the last seven years. After beginning with Robert W. Baird as a receptionist in 1985, Bellehumeur worked her way up—an experience she believes has given her the training and depth of experience needed to excel as a manager. "I understand the associates' and the financial advisors' perspectives," she adds.
Being a good listener and being flexible about problem solving topped the list of nearly all branch managers, including that of Robert F. Wincowski, 57, of Janney Montgomery Scott, who's been a branch manager for 17 years. "To view other ideas with an open mind and realize that because we've always done it this way doesn't mean it can't be improved," Wincowski says.
Brian Donaldson cited empathy, focus and integrity as paramount to the success of a branch manager's tenure. "If you have the specific intent to do what's in the client's best interest that must be conveyed from the top," says Donaldson, 58, who has 22 years in the industry, 14 of them as a branch manager. "And it's always got to have an ethical approach."
Keeping a cool head is one of the best traits a leader can have, says Don Clark of AIG Financial. "You've got to take emotions out of certain situations and communicate well," says the 39-year-old, who has been a branch manager for 16 of the 18 years he's been in the business. What helps him stay calm in the face of high stakes, he says, are his years as a NCAA Division 1 basketball referee.
Despite the headaches that come with the responsibility, some branch managers like Jeffrey Reiss, relish the idea of being in charge. "You get to run your own store and create and cultivate a complex that you think is the most appropriate," says Reiss, 34, a branch manager for nearly four years at Morgan Stanley. He started in operations at Smith Barney about a dozen years ago, and adds: "You're running a real business, and it's fun."
Being a star branch manager requires patience, organization and communications skills along with sales acumen, leadership qualities, integrity, and a genuine concern for people and their success, said Robert O'Neal, 58, of AIG. A branch manager for a decade, O'Neal has been in the advisory business for 18 years.
Chris Ishii loves the chance to empower others and work with a talented group of professionals. Ishii, 49, a branch manager for 13 of his 27 years in the industry, also relishes the "challenges that a dynamic business brings to the doorstep of each and every employee and client and how it creates an opportunity" for him to lead.
For James McKenna, 38, who assumed the role of branch manager in 1999 and has been in the business for nearly two decades, ethics and focus are essential. But what's required, first and foremost, he writes in an email, is: "Putting others first (as a dedicated husband and father of six, I get plenty of practice at this)!!!"
