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photo by steed media service
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Vice President and Senior Portfolio Manager of the Northern Trust Company
When Bernadine
Jackson-Kelley was growing up, there were only a hand-ful of career
options women were encouraged to pursue. After college, she followed in
her mother’s footsteps, and began teaching at a small suburban school
in Missouri. Not feeling completely fulfilled, a chance meeting with a
financial consultant one summer would forever changed the course of her
life.
“I ended up going back to school,” explains
Jackson-Kelley. “After getting the equivalent of a bachelor’s degree in
business, I continued to pursue a master’s degree in business
administration with an emphasis in finance.”
Jackson-Kelley discovered her niche in investments and quickly rose
through the ranks at Northern Trust Company. Today, as vice president
and senior portfolio manager, she’s thriving in this challenging
profession.
“I manage portfolios for high net worth individuals, personal worth
accounts, agency and starting accounts — typically over $1 million. I
have accounts as large as $12-15 million,” explains Jackson-Kelley of
her many duties.
Despite her pristine track record, Jackson-Kelley still feels the need
to prove herself and believes the key to eliminating financial
prejudice lies in creating a more diverse playing field.
“We need more women and minorities in this business,” opines
Jackson-Kelley. “It’s very challenging, but it’s also extremely
rewarding, when you stay focused on the fact that we can add value to
so many areas in the communities. We [should] learn about how to save,
how to invest, and how to transfer wealth to the next generation; not
just to be consumers, but to make a difference in someone’s life.” – adam jones
