Staffing & Culture | 12.20.22
Rising Stars: Year-end Reflections and Advice for the 2023 Cohort
by: BISA Staff
BISA’s DE&I Rising Star classes of 2021 and 2022 had an eventful year, experiencing both challenges and celebrations. We asked a few of them to share their top moments and key takeaways as 2022 comes to a close. Plus, they give advice to the 2023 class.
What have been your proudest achievements of 2022?
Tameka Galloway (TG), Assistant Vice President/Wealth Relationship Manager at Citigroup: I was diagnosed with cancer late last year. I spent almost all of 2022 undergoing chemo and radiation. As of December, I am officially in remission! During this time I had to work remotely when I could. I was afraid that I would not meet my sales goals. However, upon returning to the branch in late August, I worked very very hard and met my goals in less than three months.
Jessi Beach (JB), Senior Investment Services Representative at Wescom Financial Services: 2022 has given me the opportunity to better contribute to my team, our organization as a whole and to the community I serve. I have been able to take what I learned in 2021 from leadership opportunities and the BISA Rising Star Program and really apply this to all aspects of my life. Recently elected to the Wescom Foundation, being a part of this charitable foundation that focuses on building better lives for all of Southern California brings me great pride and joy.
Eric Loberg (EL), Senior Compliance Analyst at Cetera Investment Services: Celebrating my 15-year work anniversary; protecting senior investors from financial exploitation, scams, fraud and other types of financial abuses; and serving as co-chair of the Cetera Investment Services Employee Engagement Council.
Lisa Becher (LB), Region Manager at Huntington Financial Advisors:
In 2022, Huntington launched our Unified Advisory, which is a partnership between Huntington Financial Advisors, Private Bank and the branches. In addition to being some of the early adapters with closed cases, my team has solidly led the entire organization for the year. I believe that one of the biggest advantages of working with a bank broker-dealer is the multiple partnership opportunities that are available. Everyone, most importantly the client, is more successful when we all work together. To watch my team lead and excel in this space has been an incredible part of my 2022.
Matthew Unger (MU), Senior Financial Advisor at Wilmington Advisors @ M&T: My proudest moment of 2022 was earning my CFP designation. I worked on obtaining my CFP for several years and passed the exam on my first attempt. It’s one of the highlights of my career to date as an advisor.
What is one key idea or concept you learned this year?
Jami Yoder (JY), Premier Securities Services Team at Sammons Institutional Group®: One of the biggest things I learned this year is that being a good leader is not always about being the strongest, smartest or most decisive person in the room. Oftentimes, it is about listening, being vulnerable and admitting when you don’t know all of the answers.
TG: I learned the value of having great relationships and partners. My office team and senior leadership team supported me more than I could have ever imagined. They ensured I was well taken care of personally and professionally. It just reassured my decision to come and work for such an amazing organization.
JB: The biggest takeaway for me this year is that the most successful leaders are not afraid to say no. Over-commitment can actually keep us from growing and set us into undue stress. Of course, that is not to say we should not be part of the solution, but we can always better prioritize utilizing the strengths of the entire team.
EL: I’d like to become more knowledgeable about the insurance business, so I am pursuing an insurance license.
What are you most looking forward to about being involved in BISA next year?
TG: Because I was not able to take full advantage of the mentorship aspect due to my treatments, I am looking forward to taking full advantage of that.
JY: I am looking forward to attending the BISA annual conference, to continue to build connections with those in the industry, as well as strengthen connections with my fellow Rising Star recipients.
MU: Continuing to build relationships with some of the people I’ve met through BISA. I was fortunate to make some friends through the Rising Star program, and it’s really valuable to discuss trends in the industry and ideas with folks from around the country.
LB: I truly enjoy hearing how the different programs work. I’ve been at my current broker-dealer for almost 17 years. I know my space very well, but I am not as familiar with others. I like to hear what is working for others and see how we can incorporate that into our program.
How are you preparing for the new year?
JB: Preparation to me is a daily item to focus on and not something that just comes with the new year. We are always looking for growth and achievement, and with that comes the ability to keep an open mind and learn from everything you can. It's about bringing something better to the table than what was given last year, and we are always looking to improve for ourselves and the members we serve.
LB: The key to 2023 is the growth of new households. In the bank space, we have our partners to help us with that, but we have opportunities within our business to improve to help drive that as well. Client referrals are a prime example of one way we can improve to help drive growth.
What advice do you have for the 2023 Rising Star cohort?
TG: Network, network, network!
JB: Take it all in and participate in every opportunity you can. Being selected as a BISA Rising Star is such a great honor!
JY: Lean into the experience, connect with others in your Rising Star class and take advantage of the different opportunities that come along with it!
EL: Just like most things, you only get out what you put in, so be engaged.
LB: The best advice I can give you entering my 25th year in the industry is to build partnerships everywhere you go. The people that I’ve seen that are most successful are those that partner well and are willing to take others' best practices and incorporate them into their own businesses.
Want to hear more from the Rising Stars? Check out this podcast to hear from Amy Busch and Mary Tuggle and this podcast to hear from Michael Lollman and Jenny Kaskel.