Written by 2024 Summer Wealth Management Intern Greta Panke
My name is Greta Panke, and I am a rising senior at Connecticut College, majoring in economics and minoring in finance and psychology. This summer, I had the incredible opportunity to take part in Wealthspire’s 8-week internship program. Here are some of my reflections on this experience.
My technical skills and financial acumen have flourished in this environment, as well as my soft skills essential for success in the corporate world. I was also able to demonstrate this proficiency in many ways, but most comprehensively by participating in a capstone project. The capstone project involved the creation of an integrated financial plan for a mock client, including situational financial plans built out in company software, estate planning recommendations, investment recommendations, and tax implications. I was able to present my work in the final week of my internship in front of established advisors and team members while fielding their questions. During my team here, I also participated in real client meetings, helping to address areas of concern as needed and assisting the advisors in preparation and subsequent tasks. In addition, I created custom investment targets in Tamarac and assigned them to the appropriate clients whose allocations aligned. I also worked on a project to properly rank the firm’s clients in CRM according to their 12-year trailing revenues. But most importantly, I had access to so many resources that helped me learn and grow my network. All these hands-on experiences resulted in a capstone presentation with work that I am proud of and confident in.
The positivity of my experience, the development of my skills, and the quality of my work can all be directly attributed to the culture at Wealthspire. Here, there is a real emphasis on learning – not only in the advisory track, but by exposing each intern to the full responsibilities of each department within the organization. These intersections are what make Wealthspire unique and what enables the firm to operate at the highest level. I saw first-hand how a strong company culture and optimal team performance are mutual drivers of one another. Great teams are built upon a shared purpose and have clear communication, two things I witnessed every day. Wealthspire maintains its collaborative culture by treating the entire firm as one big team rather than reinforcing a culture of working only individually. However, Wealthspire also celebrates individuality and the distinctive experiences, expertise, and perspectives that each person brings to the table. As a woman in a historically male-dominated industry, I especially appreciated the ways that Wealthspire supports talented women both within the firm, the financial services space, and beyond.
One experience from my summer that stands out is a volunteer day with Habitat for Humanity in East Hartford, CT. A theme that is woven throughout the company culture, and specifically the West Hartford office, is the mission of giving back. For the day, we came together at a build site in the sweltering heat to put together the structure of homes for people in need. The concept of “sweat equity” resonated deeply with me and it felt rewarding to know that serving the community was something that the Wealthspire team valued enough to do on a workday. Working alongside the future homeowners also added a meaningful dimension to the experience.
I reflect on this summer with such gratitude, and I’d like to extend a special thanks to Amy Miller and the whole West Hartford team. I’ve come out of this experience feeling well equipped and eager to see what the future holds.
Wealthspire Advisors LLC and its subsidiaries are separately registered investment advisers and subsidiary companies of NFP, an Aon company.
This material should not be construed as a recommendation, offer to sell, or solicitation of an offer to buy a particular security or investment strategy. The information provided is for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon for accounting, legal, or tax advice. While the information is deemed reliable, Wealthspire Advisors cannot guarantee its accuracy, completeness, or suitability for any purpose, and makes no warranties with regard to the results to be obtained from its use.
