Jim Gersack, CFP®
President
How do you feel First Western differentiates itself?
Jim: There’s a difference between private banks that offer wealth management and wealth management firms that offer private banking. We’re the latter.
Private banks tend to highlight products, not solutions. The result is a “financial junk drawer” full of products, but no plan. We create solutions built around a client’s life goals, and our products support those solutions, not the other way around.
Rick Will, CFP®
Portfolio Manager
How does Wyoming’s unique financial climate provide evolving opportunities for your clients?
Rick: There are undeniable financial benefits in Wyoming—our trust laws, privacy, asset and creditor protection, and, of course, our tax laws. Further, the financial stability of this state provides enormous confidence that such benefits will remain and expand. Yet none of these benefits matter without an advisor who understands you and can deliver a plan to support your lifestyle, goals, and objectives. At First Western, that is our focus.
Karen Walker
Private Banker
How would you describe the client experience at First Western Trust?
Karen: Personal and intimate. We get to know our clients as people before any planning occurs. As a fiduciary, we put our clients’ needs before our own gain, so every recommendation has to support their vision for their families, businesses, and legacies.
Kay Jones
Chairman
How does First Western Trust define wealth?
Kay: For most firms, wealth begins and ends with money. For us, money is only a part of the whole. We see wealth as the sum of your relationships,
your experiences, your values, and your finances. Money is a means to build the life and legacy you wish to create. First Western Trust designs
customized solutions to help you get there.
Patti Stancarone
Senior Relationship Manager, Lending
How do you deliver solutions to your clients?
Patti: Each and every solution is derived and delivered within a team-based approach. Each of us brings our own expertise to the table, from investment banking, private equity, lending, philanthropy, and beyond. As a result, we can design holistic solutions that encompass the full scope of our clients’ needs and intentions.
Mike Eden
Relationship Manager, Business Development
How would you describe your company culture?
Mike: Here, we’re very collaborative and entrepreneurial, which comes from our roots. First Western Trust is the first and only wealth management firm designed specifically for the Western wealth management client. Many of our clients created their wealth, and as a result want a partnership to navigate the financial planning process. We collaborate with our clients to build the plans and solutions that speak to their values.
GORDON FINNEGAN, Associate Relationship Manager
How do you relate to a more entrepreneurial clientele?
Gordon: Many of us here have built de novo offices for firms or started our own businesses, myself included, so we understand the entrepreneurial mindset. We think creatively, we’re passionate about what we do, we get excited to create something unique—just like entrepreneurs. We relate to self-made individuals because we share their drive, but for us, that comes in the form of successful wealth planning.
