Class of 2016 BA and 2017 MSIM Alumnus Brandon Berdecia is now working at Charles Schwab in New York City as a Client Relationship Specialist.
From Centereach, New York, Brandon came to Franklin with the intention of double majoring in International Management and International Relations. As semesters passed by, he ended up being inspired by the investment and banking courses that the department of Economics and Finance had to offer, which brought him to get not only his BA in International Banking and Finance, but also a Master’s degree in International Management in 2017.
It was indeed during his time at Franklin that he developed his interest in entering the fields of private banking and wealth management with a focus on client advisory. As he remarked, “as part of my MSIM program at Franklin, I interned at Arner Bank in Lugano, where I had a firsthand view of consumer behavior and attitudes in the field of financial advising and experienced working with regional and professional expertise on all aspects of investment advice and asset management.”
Brandon now works as a Client Relationship Specialist at Charles Schwab in New York and supports multiple Financial Consultants and their clients. “Right after my internship in Lugano, I moved back to Long Island looking for a career path in which I could utilize the knowledge that I had learned at Franklin combined with the professional skills I had gained so far, and that also meant living in proximity to one of the major global financial centers -- New York.”
At Schwab, “we believe in putting clients first,” Brandon noted, “and we are committed to helping clients find appropriate solutions for their personal situations. In my role, I work at proactively uncovering business development opportunities and connecting prospective clients with a Financial Consultant who is able to assist them in developing strategic wealth management plans and help them to invest for the future.”
Empathy is an ability that Brandon developed while at Franklin, particularly while serving as President of Franklin’s Student Government Association (SGA) and being exposed to a vast array of cultures, personalities and experiences. “I was put in a position where I was made aware of the needs and concerns of students and worked with my fellow members of all backgrounds to address the issues at hand.” Now at Schwab, he finds that those skills help immensely when interacting with clients and coworkers, “by allowing me the ability to understand how to engage and interact with others on a professional level, while also acknowledging the emotional and personal feelings one often has with regards to one’s finances.”