Over the past 20 years, Buckingham Family of Financial Services has developed a mission that goes well beyond wealth management services. It also has fostered an environment where advisers are encouraged to work collaboratively to ensure the best long-term client-adviser relationships. Considered an innovator in the field, now Buckingham has taken another progressive step by reaching out, specifically, to attract more women on both the adviser and client sides.
Shannon O’Toole Kuhlman joined the Buckingham human resources team in 2008 and now serves as chief talent officer. She says her main responsibility is to serve as the firm’s ‘culture keeper.’ “I am responsible for recruiting and selecting new associates, retaining those we hire, and making sure we have high-performing associates who deliver the service experience our clients deserve and expect,” she explains.
Kuhlman says the firm has always done a great job of serving its female clients but wanted to take it a step further by launching Women and Wealth. It’s an initiative to help advisers provide women investors with custom wealth planning and asset management services that focus on the personal needs and experiences unique to women. “In working with female clients, many of our advisers noticed a commonality in their stories,” Kuhlman explains. “So we recognized an opportunity to engage women on a different level.” Buckingham hired Manisha Thakor as director of wealth strategies for women and formed a six-person advisory council composed of women in various roles at the firm to support this specific area. “We’re all about serving our clients one relationship at a time, regardless of demographics, but this offering addresses our female investors in a more purposeful way,” Kuhlman says. “Women want to be empowered when it comes to their financial decisions.”
This year, Kuhlman became the first woman named to Buckingham’s board of managers. She says the percentage of female advisers nationwide is 23 percent, and the company plans to exceed that statistic. “Talking about your financial situation is a highly emotional conversation, and clients want to work with advisers who understand their needs,” Kuhlman says.
The company’s focus on creating a positive, supportive work environment is another way to better serve clients by attracting—and keeping—the best young talent. “The importance of top talent is at the very core of our strategic plan,” she says. “We want to make sure our associates feel like they are doing challenging work, help them feel connected to what they do, give them feedback, and provide them with mentor and leadership development programs.” She adds that Buckingham also supports associates in their personal lives, as well, which Kuhlman appreciates as a working mom. “We just had a day when we could bring our children to the office. It was so nice to share with my three boys what I was working on and help them understand why work is so important to me.” She says the firm makes sure associates have what they need to succeed. “We don’t sell particular products, so essentially our people are our greatest assets,” Kuhlman notes. “The way they interact and engage with our clients has gotten us to where we are today.”
Pictured: Shannon O’Toole Kuhlman
Photo: Bill Barrett
[Buckingham Family of Financial Services, with local offices at 8182 Maryland Ave., Ste. 500, provides comprehensive wealth management and financial planning services to individuals, businesses, trusts, nonprofits, medical professionals and retirement plans. For more information, call 314.725.0455 or visit buckinghamadvisor.com.]