Integrity, professionalism and respect are just some of the qualities that make servicemen and women well suited to financial services careers.
At 11 years old, Robin Hogan, Complex Manager of Morgan Stanley Wealth Management's Raleigh, NC branch, knew she wanted to serve her country.
She had read an article in the Charlotte Observer about a prisoner of war and was deeply affected. The POW’s efforts to never give up or give in resonated with her.
In the summer of 1980, Hogan would take that memory and put it into action. “I had watched a TV show about women at the United States Military Academy at West Point. Women were first allowed to enter the Academy just four years before. I remember telling my father I could do what the women in the show did.” She applied and was accepted during her sophomore year.
Hogan followed that up with Active Duty in the U.S. Army and later joined the Iowa National Guard. After her brother-in-law suggested she would excel in financial services, she began a wealth management career and now runs Morgan Stanley’s complex in Raleigh.
Hogan connects the skills she learned in military service with the ability to serve clients in Wealth Management. “Veterans understand selfless service to others. Now more than ever I believe that duty to serve is a must. Veterans also understand the necessity to accomplish the task and the required prioritization of tasks so that nothing falls through the cracks.”
From the camaraderie and team work, to communication, professionalism and respect, military veterans exemplify many qualities that make them highly desirable candidates for employment. For one, they are problem solvers who can perform under stress. “Veterans are also not afraid of the hours needed to get the job done,” says Hogan. “They have the discipline to accomplish the mission.”
Hard work and building trust
Robert Hatala, branch manager of Morgan Stanley South Park in Charlotte, N.C., has a similar take. Hatala is a West Point graduate who served as an officer in the Army during Desert Storm after graduation. He says veterans are “taught from day one to speak the truth and to have incredible integrity when dealing with others. You must have integrity to be trusted on the battlefield."
The military, he says, also teaches you to put others before yourself: “In the Army it is all about the mission and the people in your platoon or company. This teaches you to value all of the employees in your office and what each brings to the organization."
Hatala started his Morgan Stanley career in 1992 and moved into management in 1999. What attracted him to the business was “being able to work with people and grow a business; success would be based on my personal ability to work hard and earn trust."
Hatala says advising clients is “the hardest easy job you can have. To succeed you have to go connect with people, earn their trust, deliver all the resources and intellectual capital of the Firm, and keep soldiering on."
His advice for career-seeking veterans? “Don't underestimate the value that you can bring if you are looking for a job in our industry. If you're looking for a lucrative career and are willing to take a risk, this could be wonderful for you."
Hogan adds, “Every day we ask people to trust us with their financial lives and that’s a huge ask. Veterans understand structure, policy and procedure which is a huge asset. Any Veteran who can combine these skill sets with their own unique instincts will make great things happen for clients.”
Morgan Stanley is committed to an inclusive recruiting strategy and being the employer of choice for prospective employees who have completed military service. Morgan Stanley demonstrates its commitment to veterans, active reservists and the broader military population through development, engagement and philanthropic initiatives across the Firm and in the communities where we are located.
To learn more about Morgan Stanley’s training and development programs, visit our Financial Advisor Associate Program site.
