Trust “Genuine concern for our clients is the foundation upon which we have built our practice’ ‘We intentionally keep our client list small because we become very much like family.” Aimee Cogan
“I
was always strong in math, and knew I wanted to work in a related field. Around the second grade, I was writing stories that were an early sign to my parents. ‘Sally’s Mom gave her money to buy a loaf of bread at the store. On the way, she stopped and bought a house with some of the money. Her mom was angry but later Sally sold the house for a profit….it goes on!’ So, it was easy to see that math would play a role in my future.” Born in Boston, Aimee moved with her family to Ft Lauderdale at the age of three when her father assumed the management of Port Everglades. A later move landed Aimee in Jacksonville, where she enrolled at Bartram, a college prep school for girls. “While at Bartram, I would join my father on various outings to business and community events. As my Dad’s frequent companion, I became comfortable in the company of business and community leaders at a relatively young age.” Aimee then attended the University of Florida where friends remember her setting the grade curve on exams while also managing a demanding work schedule. “I worked through school at the Outback Steakhouse, which was a great way to develop a focus on customer and client service. The demanding load at school combined with the Outback training and work regimen instilled a strong work ethic in me.” After graduating from the University of Florida with honors, and a major in Finance, Aimee planned to continue on to the school’s MBA program. Fortuitously, the Dean of the business school suggested that she consider gaining a minimum of five years’ work experience before working on an MBA. “I initially wanted to move into investment banking, but trusted his advice.” He also asked if she would be interested in spending a year preparing real-world business case studies in conjunction with the MBA program. Aimee agreed and it turned out to be a career path diversion with a practical appeal. “It felt like the best of both worlds and certainly gave me jump start and a rare insight.” Finished with case studies, Aimee began interviewing with banks across the southeast including SunBank, (now SunTrust) in Sarasota. “I had family living nearby, at the time.
I loved the setting, and strong sense of community here.” Upon accepting that job, she became one of the bank’s first management associates. “I spent the first few years in commercial credit, underwriting and lending, but really enjoyed the wealth management side of the business.” Having worked the five years recommended by the Dean, Aimee was now at a crossroads. “I had grown fond of Sarasota and didn’t want to leave. I thought, why leave, go back, get an MBA and start from scratch. I saw few, well established, investment banking operations in Sarasota but recognized the potential opportunities within personal finance. I felt that wealth management was my best career opportunity and it was something that I really loved.” The death of Aimee’s grandfather reaffirmed her decision. “During 50 years of married life, my grandfather, like many others of that generation, handled most of the financial matters in the household. When he passed-away my grandmother didn’t know what investments they had or what to do with them.” Aimee worked with her family to construct a comprehensive wealth management plan for her grandmother and helped them avert some difficult situations in her later years. “Knowing I could help many clients in the same circumstances confirmed my decision to enter the field.” Aimee spent the next 12 years at SunTrust, where she was licensed in securities and insurance, and then became a Certified Financial Planner™. She spent most of those years as one of the top 5 advisors in the company nationwide. After her marriage to Chris in 2003, the prospects of starting a family began to enter into the picture. “I needed a position and working environment with more flexibility to raise a family.” As a top performer in the region, the major financial institutions were making inquiries about her on a regular basis and offering the flexibility she sought. One of those was Morgan Stanley. An initial meeting or two at Morgan Stanley led to an interview with John Mack (Chairman and CEO at the time) at the company’s headquarters in New York. That meeting sealed the deal for Aimee. “There was no question about moving