Client Services: Secret Powerhouse of Wealth Architects

“Year-Ends Without Dead-Ends” 

Spotlight on COO, Jina Yi, as told by Wealth Architect Tyler Scott

Jina’s motto is no dead ends. No challenge is insurmountable to her. I’ll always remember the small miracle she performed for our client on December 31st, 2019. Every year, there is a flurry of financial activity clients wants to complete before the new year. At 5:30pm on New Year’s Eve, our client requested a large Roth Conversion that would need to be done before midnight. Our client and Jina were both on vacation and there was just no way to get the paperwork done in time.

Jina has a network of strong, long-term relationships with custodians and other professionals in our sphere. Though she was on vacation, Jina called her contacts and negotiated an agreement to permit verbal authorization for the transaction, contingent on submitting the signed documents the next week. Jina resolved this seemingly impossible undertaking, as down to the wire as it gets.

“Cheered Up In Lockdown”   

Spotlight on Client Experience Coordinator, Jennifer Colvin, as told by Wealth Architect Hélène Brown

When you see Jennifer in action, her passion for bringing joy to others is apparent. She has a skill for curating interesting and personalized experiences to congratulate and celebrate our clients for their biggest life milestones or events. She puts together ways to recognize clients that uniquely resonate with them, by researching and taking note of their interests and tastes. If she knows a client loves seafood or sweets, she will find something truly unique in that category.

During the pandemic, Jennifer adapted and got creative. When a wine-loving client of mine was retiring, and the hospitality industry was still closed, she sent wines to her and arranged a live, virtual tasting with the winery. For a foodie client’s wedding celebration, Jennifer coordinated with him to surprise his wife with a special virtual cooking session with a renowned chef from across the world. Jennifer prepared a beautiful package with a menu, ingredients and other items needed. To guarantee promptness, she hand-delivered it to the client’s home herself.

“But How Are You…Actually?” 

Spotlight on Client Services Associate, Lisa Hurst, as told by Wealth Architect Pat Phillips

Client Services isn’t just about custodian administration, sending recognitions and handling crises. It’s about getting to know and understand the clients to better help them achieve their dreams. This is Lisa’s calling. She has formed really special friendships with clients over the years and not just for the client’s benefit; Lisa clearly gets personal fulfillment from these connections, too. She often proactively calls clients out of the blue just to check-in and ask how they’re doing.

I saw her make these calls more frequently during this past tumultuous year. In a time when many people are not actually good, a friendly call – not asking for anything, just taking a sincere interest in their well-being – goes a long way. One client was even inspired to send Lisa a care package with masks and hand sanitizers at the onset of the pandemic, precious commodities at the time. We never expect gifts, but that was a testament to the genuine bond and feeling of care our clients feel with Lisa.

“The Task of the Big Ask” 

Spotlight on Director of Client Services, Brittany Engelhardt, as told by Wealth Architect Iris Nguyen

Brittany excels at building a strong rapport with clients, colleagues, and custodians. She regularly goes above and beyond to make something happen. One time, our client had a last-minute deadline that required a substantial favor from one of our custodians, to expedite a late application. The custodian representative would not have gone out of his way to accommodate this request had Brittany not already built such a positive working relationship with him.

Urgent favors inevitably come up and they only end in a win-win when there’s a certain mutual respect that has already been established. You can’t recreate it in an instant or if you only call someone when you need something. Brittany devotes time every day to nurturing our partnerships and building authentic relationships and trust that pay off both personally and professionally. These skills have enabled her to successfully deliver on big asks in high-stakes scenarios again and again.

Thank you to our Client Services team who truly serve with excellence!