I never planned to work in IT. I started my Vanguard career serving our Personal Investor clients, helping them manage their investment accounts. Through that experience I gained an appreciation for the value of having financial literacy and the disadvantages of not having it.

Over the years, my passion for empowering others with financial education only grew. Over time I increased my financial acumen and became a CFP® professional in anticipation of becoming a financial advisor. So how did I wind up in IT?

Well, one day I saw an interesting advice job – an opportunity to support the technology that drives Vanguard’s advice products. After learning more about the product owner role and the team, I felt compelled to apply. It was a longshot, but what did I have to lose?

Then, two months after seeing “product owner” in a job posting for the first time, I was joining IT.

Tech-powered experiences

Vanguard has always embraced innovation to help our clients. It is well known that we championed cost-efficient investing – first with our mutual funds, and then, with our ETFs. Similarly, we promote access to trusted, world-class financial advice for those who desire a partner on their financial journey.

What may be less well known is the fact that Vanguard has always been a virtual (or “digital”) company, in that we primarily serve our clients virtually, not in offices. With this model, technology plays a huge role across every aspect of the organization.

Since joining the advice technology organization, I have contributed to a plethora of client-centric initiatives. I helped modernize how we rebalance clients’ portfolios, allowing us to scale. I drove bringing tax efficiency to employer plan participant investment recommendations, improving client outcomes. As an advice technology organization, we are committed to improving our platform and services to better support clients in reaching their financial goals.

Working for an organization that fosters innovation allows my team to solve complex problems with creativity. We leverage emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence and machine learning techniques, and cloud-based architecture to deliver a world-class experience to investors. We are exploring ethically responsible ways to leverage these resources to bring more personalization to our clients’ financial solutions, while protecting clients and their data. Embracing innovation removes the limitations of the current way of doing things and unlocks new possibilities.

Empathy is essential

In my first year directly serving clients, I received a handwritten letter from a client, saying. “I highly recommend the gentlemen for his helpful service to me last month.” Receiving a handwritten anything now-a-days is unheard of, but even in 2016 that gesture was rare. His letter is a reminder that we are serving real people.

After years of directly helping clients with their financial situations, I have learned to empathize with their perspectives. Through empathy, comes better understanding. My team keeps our clients at the center of our efforts. Through continuous collaboration with business partners who are obsessed with our clients’ experiences, we craft client-centric solutions and constantly refine those solutions with client feedback.

I may not have “planned” to join IT, but I am where I belong. As an advice product owner, I am promoting the financial wellness of our clients with the power of technology.

– David R.

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