Our acquisition of Baker and Company brought with it many seasoned and experienced professionals, which we’re proud to have on our team. Today we’re highlighting one such team member, Account Executive Chris O’Donnell
Chris is a 2nd generation financial professional, having grown up with a father in management at a local Broker/ Dealer in the Cleveland area. His father shared the ins and outs of his job with Chris, who decided that it was a career which he’d like to pursue. Once Chris finished college, he landed a job at Sherwin-Williams corporate headquarters working in coatings application support. Over the next five years, he was trained up on the phone systems and learned the basics of customer service and working with representatives and clients, all the while keeping his eye out for an opportunity at a financial institution.
Chris’s opportunity came in late 1996 when his future boss at Baker and Company asked Chris if he’d consider sitting for the Series 7 exam and joining the team. Chris accepted the offer and was licensed in March of 1997, joining Baker and Company on its Broker/ Dealer side.
Today, Chris works with all of the company’s retail clients to service their various needs including trading, quotes, research and reporting. Over the past 26 years, he has seen many changes both in the industry and regulations, as well as his clients’ needs changing with the times. But with every change, Chris has taken pride at his small firm’s ability to buckle down and adapt to the new regulations and technological advancements to stay ahead of the curve. And he continues to enjoy the exciting nature of his work and handling new, time-sensitive requests from clients to get them the information they need to inform their investment decisions.
That’s why Chris was so pleased when, after the merger with L.M. Kohn, President Carl Hollister told the team that they liked the Baker and Company business model exactly as it currently was, so there were no extra hurdles during transition . He has benefited from the influx of support for his role and technology tools that help him do his work even more efficiently.
“Baker and Company is a smaller firm, and it’s always had that family feel. L.M. Kohn has a very similar culture, which is why it’s been such a great fit,” said Chris. “Everyone I’ve met from L.M. Kohn has been incredibly welcoming and helpful. There’s not a lot of outside noise, just business as usual, only with more support to get the work done.”
To learn more about Chris O’Donnell, or any of the other representatives at Baker and Company or L.M. Kohn, contact us.
