The Academy

Katherine Daniels is a Merrill Advisory Center Team Manager at one of our contact centers, and while she manages a team that takes service calls, the key aspect of her position is to be a gateway for her teammates to the rest of the company. Once members of her team learn and become experts in the systems they are using, they then start to explore the different career avenues available to them based on what inspires them and makes them most fulfilled throughout their workdays. Katherine works very closely with each individual on her team and focuses on inspiration and fulfillment. “My definition of success is excelling at what you’re doing, and enjoying it while you’re doing it." 

For Katherine, The Academy is an incredible hands-on tool that offers support for all levels of roles. “Everybody wants to see you succeed. We give you the tools that you will need to excel, and also help you identify any problem areas early. The sooner you’re able to see what part of your day is the toughest for you, what types of interactions are the hardest for you, how can we make that easier for you…that’s the kind of support that you get from The Academy, aside from the really high level of training.”

From a client service representative to managing high-impact financial centers in Manhattan, to his current role as a registered market leader, Kowsky Georges attributes his rise throughout our organization as a result of mentorship and our training and development offerings. “I never looked at the ‘rise’ part [of my career] – it was really just the education part. It’s, how do I continue to learn, because if I stop learning, I stop getting better.” Ongoing offerings through The Academy gave him “honest time to self-reflect,” which allowed him to evaluate both his strengths as well as see opportunities to become a better employee.

And it hasn’t always been a straight path up. Kowsky recognizes the importance of moving laterally to deepen his skill set, and sometimes staying in a role a little longer to gain extra confidence. “It’s more like a jungle gym than a ladder.” The Academy has greatly helped him navigate this non-linear approach, helping him see his attributes and passions and focusing his growth around the areas that really matter to him.

For Kowsky, his passion is helping customers realize the potential in their lives. He remembers a time a woman came into his financial center wanting to know if she could take her baking hobby and transform it into a business. Kowsky connected her with a Small Business Consultant as well as a Merrill Financial Solutions Advisor, and through extensive conversation they determined that she could indeed pursue her dream. The customer was so overwhelmed and emotional that she put her head down on the table. “It’s a powerful moment that we have with clients to really make a difference, and we have to honor that responsibility. That’s the reason why that self-reflection and development is important."