BY JOE INNACE
LEAVING SILICON VALLEY FOR WEALTH MANAGEMENT An Entrepreneurial Odessey
There are more than 31 million entrepreneurs in the United States, according to research by the Massachusetts-based Babson College team of the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor.
William (“Bill”) Pollak, Founder of Itineris Financial Advisors
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Most of them, as expected, are motivated by opportunity. They are quick to identify a need and then act to monetize it. Others are naturals. For example, consider the journey of William (Bill) Pollak, founder of Itineris Financial Advisors based in Walnut Creek, California. “I think I was born to be an entrepreneur,” Pollak told Advisors Magazine in a recent interview. Right after college graduation, Pollak began a career working with startup enterprise software companies in the San Francisco Bay area. He was attracted to the idea of working in the technology industry and especially working for new and innovative companies that would help large enterprises solve difficult business problems. Pollak worked in the business applications software industry for 26 years. His responsibilities spanned various functions—including sales, solutions engineering and systems implementation. Over time, he moved into senior management roles. “And then, at the tender age of 47, I got really interested in becoming a financial professional and eventually just made the decision to start a wealth management business,” Pollak said. JULY 2022
The driving force: When in the software sector, Pollak recalls being challenged to find a knowledgeable and trustworthy financial advisor for his own family. “I never could find that person who I really loved working with and, frankly, whose knowledge was greater than my own.” So, over time he began to think that the wealth management field would be a great place for someone to make a difference. “I’d been one of those underserved clients for a long time, and I had a vision about how I could make a very positive impact, similar to what I’d accomplished in the software industry for about two and a half decades.” And so it was that about 12 years ago, Itineris Financial Advisors came to be. Since then, Pollak’s practice has grown to appeal to clients who are like-minded and ready for a change. “My current practice is focused on serving clients who are really very much like my myself during those years when I was thinking about going through my own career change,” he said. “Overwhelmingly, I primarily work with mid-life professionals who are about to, or are already experiencing, some sort