Private Bank Investment Executive, Fifth Third Bank (Lexington)
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Photo by Mick Jeffries
As a private bank investment executive for Fifth Third Bank in Lexington, Jennifer Wilson puts people first.
“Ultimately, my job is to take care of the client,” Wilson said. “I do everything I can to make sure the client is taken care of and happy — not just at an acceptable level, but above and beyond.”
Wilson attributes her success with her clients to building relationships based on trust
“If people don’t trust you as a person, they will never trust you with their money,” she said.
Heavily involved in local charities, Wilson donates her time to organizations such as Big Brothers and Big Sisters of the Bluegrass and the Bluegrass Domestic Violence Program (BDVP).
Wilson is also the co-founder of the Lexington Chapter of RBI (Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities). She opened the chapter with her husband, former University of Kentucky baseball player John Wilson.
“RBI is the official charity of Major League Baseball and offers a free baseball league in the summer for underprivileged children,” she explained. “This summer will be our third year and will serve over 200 area youth.”
Wilson’s commitment to helping others, along with a successful ability to juggle her career and home life, is a result of an effort to constantly improve her life as well as the lives of those around her.
“There’s a Japanese business model called kaizen,” Wilson said, “which means ‘constant improvement.’ I try to incorporate this philosophy in everything I do. To me, it means never settling, always trying to self improve and to be better.”
A graduate of the UK’s College of Communications and Information Studies, with a focus in corporate communications, Wilson started her career at Merrill Lynch, in an entry-level support position. There, she put kaizen to work by building her credentials.
“Early in my career, I was surrounded by very successful people in this industry who pushed me to educate myself further,” Wilson said. “Every night after work, I studied to attain my Series 7 [general securities] license, allowing me to legally trade on any exchange in the world. I went further to attain my Series 66 and CRPC [Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor] from the College of Financial Planning.”
Wilson is currently studying for her AWMA (Accredited Wealth Management Advisor) designation.
When asked for advice from those looking to follow a similar career path, she encourages those that she mentors to never stop learning.
“Excelling in this career path means constant education,” Wilson said. “What we do is constantly changing.”
Wilson also recommends maintaining a good sense of humor.
“You just can’t take life too seriously,” she said. “Have fun and do your best. If you’re having fun and working hard, everything seems to fall into place.”