Our Service 1st culture: Recognizing those who go above and beyond
Named after our firm’s founder, the Robert A. James Award of Service Excellence program recognizes associates who embody our Service 1st culture and live our core values of putting client first, acting with integrity, thinking long term and valuing independence.
Congratulations to the following associates and teams who were recently recognized for their exemplary service in the third quarter of fiscal year 2022.
DRIVE + ACCELERATE project team
Senior PCG Branch Education Consultant Alison Vecchiarelli | Senior PCG Branch Education Consultant Jake Burns | PCG Branch Education Consultant Javier Olvera Jr. | Senior PCG Branch Education Consultant Jessica Accetta | PCG Branch Education Consultant Kris Brickfield | Program Manager Kristine Zambito | Senior Program Coordinator Mackenzie Reyes
Left to right: Kristine Zambito, Chair and CEO Paul Reilly, Kris Brickfield and Jake Burns at the firm’s Quarterly Update event.
DRIVE + ACCELERATE is a sophisticated onboarding program designed to support new associates in becoming productive and resourceful branch associates.
Commitment to service: The Branch Associate Development team who execute the DRIVE + ACCELERATE program is committed to educating associates on processes and best practices to reduce errors while increasing operational excellence. They also adopt firm technology to better deliver streamlined and meaningful client service and deepen client relationships.
Taking action: To develop the program, the team collaborated with subject matter experts, virtual-learning experts, branch associates and branch management. Taking real-time feedback into account, the team decided that a virtual learning platform was the solution needed to continue delivering the Raymond James values proposition as we continue to grow.
Making an impact: Responsible for providing associates with the most timely and accurate information, the team remains focused on continuously improving and delivering results. They developed professionally as expert facilitators, providing an industrious, interactive, scalable and impactful curriculum to associates across the firm.
“The Branch Associate Development team's passion for empowering branch associates is distinguished. The care they put into administering DRIVE + ACCELERATE is what helped benefit associates, their branches and the firm.”
Chris Hatt
Operations/Settlement Specialist II | London, UK
Commitment to service: Chris' dedication to service excellence and his collaboration with colleagues directly results in fewer errors and increased efficiency, improving the overall client experience in a business where there is little room for error.
Taking action: Chris is extremely thoughtful in his approach to problem-solving in the high-paced environment he works in every day. This attention to detail allows him to provide a quality level of service to clients.
Making an impact: Chris' dedication and work ethic, in conjunction with his willingness to collaborate, has been pivotal to the team in becoming a cohesive unit. He uses his experience and skills to take on more responsibilities, allowing the growth and development of others, which has helped benefit our clients and the business.
“Chris started during the COVID-19 pandemic and has just done such a great job learning all of the trading system procedures. He’s experienced with client settlement issues and, overall, a great addition to the team.”
Debbie Fenton
Senior Registered Client Service Associate | Indianapolis, IN
Commitment to service: Debbie lives the client-first mantra. She continually collaborates with clients, guiding them through processes and making sure they are comfortable with the financial concepts that are being implemented. She is persistent in her troubleshooting with clients and proactively looks for ways to help ensure clients have a positive experience with all things Raymond James.
Taking action: During the most difficult of times, her service to the team's top clients has not wavered. Debbie uses her industry experience to make prompt, pragmatic decisions that are in the best interest of all clients.
Making an impact: Debbie has been with Raymond James for less than three years, quickly becoming a leader within her team. She has a wealth of knowledge, shares her knowledge with others to assist them and is willing to embrace new technologies and processes.
“Debbie's commitment to clients and her efficiencies have helped elevate our practice and team members to new levels.”
The Robert A. James Award of Service Excellence
The Robert A. James Award of Service Excellence is an internal Raymond James recognition delivered to individual employees or teams. Established in 2014, The Robert A. James Award of Service Excellence recognizes associates who embody the Raymond James values and uphold our commitment to service through their exemplary actions. Nominations are accepted on a rolling basis and the nomination committee composed of 11 firm leaders awards the distinction quarterly. This may not be representative of any one client’s experience, it’s not an endorsement, and is not indicative of future performance. No fee was paid in exchange for this award/rating.