Based in Bend, Oregon, Kerry is a Certified Financial Planner™ and former financial advisor who brings a unique combination of financial services experience and technology expertise to the wealth management industry.

In 2018, she made a career pivot from advising clients on their financial goals to helping wealth management firms optimize their use of Salesforce. Having worked in a variety of traditional RIA support roles along the way, she understood the challenges firms face in managing client relationships and streamlining workflows in order to deliver an exceptional client experience. This perspective allows her to bridge the gap between the business needs of wealth management firms and the technology solutions designed to support them.

Today, she focuses on helping firms get more value from Salesforce by improving processes, enhancing efficiency, and aligning technology with the way their teams work. She enjoys finding practical solutions to complex challenges and helping organizations make the most of their technology investments.

Outside of work, she loves the outdoors, fitness, reading, and catching live music. She’s also a foodie who enjoys trying new restaurants and keeping up with fun events and happenings around Bend.

What would you tell someone just starting out in the wealth or asset management industry today?

My advice would be to stay curious, build a strong foundation, and build relationships. Wealth management is ultimately a relationship business, and the ability to listen, build trust, and understand clients’ needs is just as important as technical expertise. Also, don’t feel like your career has to follow a straight line. Be open to change, look for opportunities to solve problems, and focus on creating value wherever you are. The combination of curiosity, adaptability, and a genuine desire to help people will take you a long way.

What does the phrase "Do Good with Tech" mean to you?

To me, “Do Good with Tech” means using technology purposefully to make people’s lives easier, improve how businesses operate, and create better outcomes for the people they serve. I believe technology should do more than automate tasks or improve efficiency; it should empower people to focus on what they do best. For wealth management firms, that means spending less time navigating cumbersome processes and more time helping clients achieve their financial goals. Ultimately, “Do Good with Tech” is about putting people first, solving meaningful problems, and making technology work in support of that.

What has changed the most in wealth and asset management since you started in the industry?

The biggest change during my time in the industry has been the shift from technology being a supporting function to becoming central to how wealth management firms operate and serve clients. When I started out as a Client Service Associate, many processes were manual (hello, spreadsheets!), systems were less connected, and a lot of time was spent on administrative tasks. Today, clients expect more personalized, timely, and seamless experiences, and firms are under increasing pressure to deliver them efficiently.

The industry has also become much more data-driven. Tools like Salesforce have evolved from systems primarily used to track client relationships into platforms that can help firms improve workflows, gain better insights, and create more consistent client experiences. More recently, AI has accelerated this transformation, opening up new opportunities to automate routine work and help advisors focus on higher-value activities.

Perhaps the biggest change isn't just the technology itself, but the growing recognition that technology, when implemented thoughtfully, can give advisors more time to focus on what matters most: their clients.