Featured Picture: Supplied by Stifel.
Stifel Monetary Corp. is a multinational impartial funding financial institution and monetary providers firm based mostly in the USA. Not solely is the agency devoted to helping folks with their monetary targets, they’re additionally real supporters of organizations, together with the US Ski and Snowboard Staff.
Stifel’s sturdy dedication to the U.S. Ski Staff is predicated round a partnership that goes past the slopes; they need to be sure that every athlete on the staff is well-equipped exterior of the game.
The corporate initiated an internship program this 12 months, primarily at their Park Metropolis, Utah, personal consumer group workplace. Two excellent athletes have been chosen for this internship, aiming to familiarize them with the finance business, assist them handle their funds, and discover potential profession paths past the game.
The 2 athletes who have been chosen by means of an software and interview course of have been Dasha Romanov from the Stifel U.S. Alpine Ski Staff and Hunter Hess from the Stifel Freeski Professional Halfpipe Staff.
Chris Nielsen, the Department Supervisor at Stifel Park Metropolis, acknowledged, “We perceive that their precedence is the nationwide staff, however we expect that the best worth of the internship is to present them some instruments, alternatives, and perception into post-skiing life.”
The Internship Define
Within the first 12 months of this eight-week internship program, the Stifel staff collaborated to search out methods to supply athletes a beneficial expertise whereas additionally accommodating a versatile schedule.
In a agency the place there are loads of guidelines, laws, and licensing necessities, they have been confronted with the problem of making a plan that was achievable and would maximize Hunter and Dasha’s expertise.
The staff determined to present them the chance to focus extra on the advertising facets of the agency.
“I feel we ended up arising with a extremely good stability,” Chris defined.
He continued, “The athletes did a mission the place they researched what different branches are doing and carried out analysis that permit us perceive what a few of our strengths and weaknesses are in our promoting.”
The interns began on the headquarters in St. Louis, Missouri, the place they accomplished orientation. All through this system, they have been launched to a wide range of Stifel staff, managers, and prime executives.
Partaking with a wide range of folks inside Stifel supplied them with data and networking alternatives.
“Assembly numerous departments and getting a holistic view of Stifel was fascinating throughout that first week. It was instructional and provoking to see how totally different elements of the agency work collectively, and it gave me an opportunity to noticeably contemplate if finance is one thing I need to pursue sooner or later,” Dasha acknowledged.
Chris added, “I’ve all the time believed that if you wish to achieve success at one thing, discover profitable folks after which pay attention intently and do precisely what they do. In order that’s the chance I actually attempt to present: to level them in the fitting route to speak to probably the most profitable folks within the enterprise.”
A Heat Welcome
Dasha and Hunter kicked off their internship with restricted expertise and minimal data of finance. Dasha had some familiarity because of her mother and father working within the discipline.
Regardless of the novelty of the ideas for each athletes, their enthusiasm to be taught was embraced by the staff at Stifel.
Hunter acknowledged, “We have been handled exceptionally nicely. Everybody broke issues down and answered all our questions, making it simple regardless of our lack of prior data.”
Dasha added, “Everybody right here is so useful; going the additional mile is regular right here. I wanted to resolve a difficulty, and whereas I used to be transferred to a few totally different departments, each particular person on the opposite finish of the road was affected person and useful and genuinely wished to assist me unravel the problem.”
To make sure that the 2 athletes obtained beneficial mentorship in this system, Chris arrange conferences with totally different staff that they might join with. For instance, Chris put collectively conferences for Dasha with totally different ladies from throughout the agency.
“Listening to that feminine perspective from ladies excessive up within the firm has been thrilling and invaluable,” Dasha acknowledged.
She continued, “Everybody I spoke to emphasised the significance of relationship constructing and belief within the business. For newcomers trying to construct relationships, Stifel is ideal. Everybody has been so welcoming and keen to speak to me.”
Educating Athletes Life Expertise Past Sport
Dasha acknowledged, “Younger folks have to be financially literate to know their cash, optimize financial savings, and management spending.”
The staff at Stifel made it a precedence to make sure that the athletes left the internship program with monetary data that’s relevant of their day-to-day lives.
Chris dove into the components that he believes are vital to show the subsequent technology: “I feel serving to younger folks perceive the significance of financial savings, creating wealth, correct funding alternatives, the self-discipline of financial savings and administration, after which understanding how you can handle wealth because it’s acquired.”
He was delighted to point out the 2 athletes alternative ways to make the most of their wealth and plan for a greater future. He additionally wished to point out them that the monetary business is about serving to folks, and that’s the most satisfying a part of the job.
Chris acknowledged, “One factor that they realized is that the monetary half is comparatively tutorial. However what we actually do for folks is handle folks, and we assist them make plans. And that’s very satisfying.”
“When we have now these relationships, which are usually profession relationships and even multi-generational relationships, you develop into a part of your consumer’s household, which is nice satisfaction. So, hopefully, they realized that the monetary business isn’t just about cash; it’s about managing cash, and it’s about creating these relationships,” he continued.
Persevering with the Internship Program
Subsequent 12 months, the Stifel staff is trying ahead to accepting one other set of interns to take part in this system. Since this was a pilot 12 months, they’re hoping to take what they’ve realized and improve it.
Julia Sullivan, Stifel’s Park Metropolis Model Partnerships and Activations Specialist, acknowledged, “We are going to take what we’ve realized from this internship and simply fine-tune it for subsequent 12 months. Hopefully we’ll have the ability to maintain it going and maintain educating the brand new technology.”
Chris added, “I imply, ideally, we’d love for the entire staff who’re to have the ability to have an internship with Stifel.”
The athletes have been thrilled to have the ability to take part in this system, and so they expressed how vital it was to them.
Hunter acknowledged, “Gaining a extra complete understanding of Stifel and seeing how everybody helps one another to realize the most effective outcomes for purchasers has been nice.”
He continued, “If you happen to get the prospect, work with Stifel. It has been wonderful.”
“I’m actually grateful for this chance. We each really feel fortunate that Stifel even affords one thing like this to athletes. This has been an incredible likelihood to be taught and develop as folks exterior of our sport,” Dasha added.
“Stifel is trying ahead to creating positive that we don’t simply assist the athletes on the slopes; we assist them exterior of that as nicely,” Julia emphasised.
