"Transferrable Skills" can actually BE transferred. Local man earns prestegious award in new career.

June 29, 2009 - PRLog -- "If customer service REALLY matters ... you can succeed anywhere!"

In 2000, Tom Windfelder was concluding a successful career with a major retailing chain, May Department Stores, which is now part of Macy's.  He had sat in the Board Room, and he had managed hundreds of other executives.   The corporate world had been exciting and challenging ... but, as he says himself, "Been there, done that."   He was ready for a change.

As he left his career field of 29 years, he truely believed that solid business skills were in-fact transferrable.  So he struck out in an entirely new direction... financial planning and investment advisory services.

Now, after only nine years in a field that typically takes decades to acheive such distinction,  he has received the “Five Star: Best In Client Satisfaction Wealth Manager”, a prestigious award granted to less than 7 percent of the advisors in a particular market.

"It was more than a little scary ... striking out in a totally new field ... with just a belief to lead the way"  he said recently.  His belief was simple.  If he focused on the things that REALLY mattered to his new customers, the results would eventually come.

"Try to imagine entering a new career field at 50+ years of age, and not having any established company to fall back on.   I had made my wife the promise that I wouldn't pester our friends or family members for business", (the typical place for those new to financial services to seek accounts).

"I quickly learned that I had to find a niche where I could apply my strengths and core customer service values to make a distinction.  If I did what everybody else did, I'd just be one of the other Lemmings ... heading toward the sea."

It took a while but now Windfelder can enjoy the accolades of an independent third party which evaluates client satisfaction in key service industries.

The award Five Star Wealth Manager award is granted by Crescendo Business Services LLC, which works with city and regional magazines across the nation to present the award to professionals in many industries.

Windfelder and the other Pittsburgh award winners, are featured in a special section of Pittsburgh magazine, July 2009 issue.

The wealth managers were chosen through a survey of more than 41,000 high net worth consumers in the Pittsburgh area who were asked to evaluate only those wealth managers with whom they knew through personal experience.

“I’m honored to be selected, especially with this being the first year it’s been done in Pittsburgh, and it validates that I’m doing the right things for my clients” Windfelder said.  "If you work the things that REALLY matter to your clients and deliver honest top-flite customer care, you can easliy transfer your skills from one career field to another"

It's no surprise that his company motto is:  Planning ... for the things that REALLY matter.

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TBROOKS is a Financial Planning and Advisory firm utilizingAllegheny Investments, Ltd as its broker/dealer. At TBROOKS we specialize in Planning for the things that REALLY matter to our clients.
Investments and Securities thru Allegheny Investments, 811 Camp Horne Rd. Pittsburgh, Pa. 15237. Broker/Dealer and member FINRA/SIPC.