The Bartlett Profile
Kelley J. Downing
President & CEO, Senior Portfolio Manager
Ask Kelley Downing what she finds most rewarding about her job as Bartlett's new President and CEO and she'll tell you it's the relationships with her clients and the satisfaction of helping them achieve their financial goals.
"Cultivating long-term relationships with my clients and getting them to the point where they can retire comfortably is very rewarding," says Kelley. "Creating and managing the portfolio to the client's objectives is at the core of what we do. I also really enjoy the financial planning aspect of working with clients and helping them identify their financial goals."
Setting ambitious goals for Bartlett
In addition to helping clients set financial goals, Kelley has established ambitious goals for Bartlett since assuming her new role as President and CEO in mid-2007. She has worked closely with other members of the Bartlett executive team in recent months to create a new strategic plan that enables the firm to stay ahead of trends in the financial services industry.
"Technology is changing our industry tremendously, and we are positioning ourselves to ensure that everything we do on behalf of our clients is backed by state-of-the-art technology," says Kelley. "For example, we're moving toward a Unified Account Management approach where clients who have other investment accounts like a 401-K at work or CDs at their bank will be able to view their entire financial picture in one unified or consolidated statement at Bartlett. Having that total picture of their finances will help us better advise them. Our industry is not there yet, but we're working to be in the forefront of that trend."
Achieving her own goals
Kelley's career and professional accomplishments have prepared her well for her role as the first female President and CEO in Bartlett's 109-year history. After graduating from Miami University with a Liberal Arts degree in the midst of a recession, Kelley realized she needed to move into business to find a stable and rewarding career.
Kelley subsequently earned an MBA from the American Graduate School of International Management and began her financial services career by trading commodities on Wall Street during a highly volatile time when gold was peaking. She found it to be a valuable learning experience but came to realize that trading stocks and bonds, not commodities, was a better career path for her. Kelley found that opportunity at Fifth Third Bank in Cincinnati. Her eleven-year tenure there included managing the Institutional Investments group, as well as providing portfolio management to institutional clients. In 1996, Bartlett extended an offer to Kelley to join the firm which she accepted.
"Before I joined Bartlett, I got to know several of its executives and came to respect them for their expertise and professionalism. I had always admired the firm's reputation within the investment community as well as its strong philanthropic commitment," says Kelley, who grew up in the Hammond-Munster area of northwest Indiana. "I thought it would be great to work with professionals of their caliber and was delighted when I was afforded the opportunity to join this firm."
A customized investment strategy
During her twelve years at Bartlett, Kelley has focused her practice on delivering investment management services to high net worth clients, and to foundations and endowments. Kelley is also the lead portfolio manager for the firm's Socially Responsible investment clients. But, whether it's a large institutional client or an individual, Kelley maintains a personal approach that offers customized solutions for each client.
"I like to ask a lot of questions, listen and then follow through with people on issues that are of concern to them," says Kelley. "Fear and greed drive the markets, so during particularly volatile market conditions my job is to educate clients so that they react rationally rather than emotionally. I strive to keep my clients informed because they worry about their finances, so having a conversation about their security is very important to them. Building that relationship and trust is key."
Working in the financial services field for more than 29 years, Kelley is indicative of the level of experience and expertise that distinguishes Bartlett's portfolio managers from those at other institutions.
"The quality of the people who work at Bartlett has always been our competitive edge," says Kelley. "Our staff's level of experience and education is outstanding, and we enjoy very low turnover so there's a high degree of continuity for our clients.
"We also provide a customized investment strategy that's different from the black box approach most big institutions take. Being flexible allows us to stay ahead of the curve in terms of the breadth of services we offer. Our equity investment style is value-oriented but some clients might have a higher risk profile that would allow for a multi-asset approach utilizing international and small-cap allocations, for example. We take an individual approach based on our relationship with each client, and we can provide that extra layer of sophistication and expertise."
Kelley J. Downing: At a glance
Title:
President & CEO, Senior Portfolio Manager
Education:
BA, Miami University;
MBA, American Graduate School of International Management
Volunteer Activities:
- St. Vincent DePaul Charitable Pharmacy, Founding member
- May Festival
Additional Involvement:
- Ronald McDonald House, Planned Giving Committee
- Graduate of Leadership Cincinnati, Class XXVII
Personal:
Married to husband David; two daughters: Alden and Mallory