MAKER Tricia Benner: Carrying a Legacy Forward

As a San Jose, Calif.-based managing director and market executive, Patricia (Tricia) Benner oversees six Morgan Stanley offices, 17 managers and about 300 employees—a role she didn’t step into overnight. Instead, she built the South Bay Market Office from scratch, promoting and hiring her leadership team. Her chosen senior management team is entirely female—something distinctive for the industry. She leads them to success in their day-to-day work by mentoring and coaching them so they can achieve their next opportunity.

Tricia’s ongoing diversity and inclusion efforts haven’t gone unnoticed. This year, she was named a Morgan Stanley MAKER, joining a community of advocates, innovators, and groundbreakers for women’s advancement, all nominated by their peers. “MAKERS care about other people’s careers and aren’t afraid to challenge the norm, think outside the box and pursue new paths to see if we can get to great places together,” says Tricia, who is grateful for the recognition.

A FAMILY FIRM

Togetherness is important to Tricia, whose family is an integral part of her success. Her mother raised her to be an independent woman who could support herself. Her father, a Financial Advisor at Morgan Stanley for 55 years, showed her what it means to dedicate yourself to clients while working for a prestigious company committed to doing the right thing. Tricia’s husband works at Morgan Stanley too, for more than 35 years, as did her father-in-law. Her two sons are employees of the firm as well.

“Cumulatively, we count almost 150 years at the firm, which speaks volumes about loyalty and legacy,” says Tricia, who started at Morgan Stanley 33 years ago after earning her bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Virginia’s University of Lynchburg. “It’s a firm that’s been very good to my family.” Tricia is proud of all three working children, who she’s always told: “It is important to find a career you enjoy; commit to good work and you will succeed.”

Tricia loves inspiring younger generations to explore the virtues of her industry. At San Jose State University’s business school, she mentors students and helps them prepare for the Securities Industry Essentials® (SIE®) exam. “It helps them build their resumes and become better qualified for finance jobs,” she says. 

IN IT TOGETHER

Passionate about teaching others, Tricia shares how, early in her career, she started investment seminars for women to help them plan for retirement. “As advisors, we can show people a path forward,” says Tricia, who transitioned from advising to managing and now relishes the opportunity to help others succeed in their careers. “Sharing my knowledge to help others grow is very fulfilling to me.”

Beyond fostering each individual’s success, she’s focused on corporate culture and nurtures teams to care not only about clients and their performance but also about the overall success and well-being of the entire market. “Everybody wants to be part of a winning team,” says Tricia.

Tricia’s efforts to boost others largely focus on developing women, “whether they’re on my team or any team across the country.” She identified early the number of women in the firm’s talent pool and saw a place for herself to promote them and “get them confident enough to step up” into new roles.

Among her many strategies for elevating women throughout her career in management has been to host offsite lunches. She insists on one rule to attend: “Bring an idea—any idea. It doesn’t have to be a business one.”

Her hope is that everyone in her market is learning from one another and that she’s created a sense of community, with diversity at its core. “Our offices need to reflect the makeup of the communities we serve, and we’re getting there. We’re all in this together.”