September, 2015 Member Spotlight By: Paula Zwiren, Esq., Zwiren Title Agency, Inc. Amy Cooke Senior Private Banker, Vice President Wells Fargo Private Bank [email protected] Amy Cooke and her career have traveled a unique and fulfilling road. From her beginning as an auditor at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) in Manhattan working with major companies in the TICE Group (Technology, Information, Communication, Entertainment) in 2001, to where she is today as a Vice President, and Senior Private Banker at Wells Fargo’s NJ Headquarters in Summit, she has become expert in many facets of wealth management. Early on, Amy found she was more interested in building relationships and consulting, than auditing and focusing on technical accounting skills. The accounting and consulting world changed with new governmental regulations, and she pursued an opportunity to work in Private Banking at JPMorgan, in 2004. Amy began working with clients with portfolios of $25 million and above, the ultra‐high net worth segment. As a mere Analyst at the time, she was asked to help develop a lending platform that catered to high net worth clients, or those with wealth $1 million and greater. She saw the opportunity in the market and decided to take on the challenge of developing a new platform within a well‐known Bank. The training, mentoring, and teamwork in this position gave her the strong foundation she has today. Amy saw this as a way to create new opportunities and serve a broader population. She had to step away from how things were done previously and create a new approach to a different client segment. In her next phase with JPMorgan, she expanded her expertise as a relationship manager in the Private Bank Law Firm Group. Her clients were top law firms and their partners, who are based in the US, with holdings, offices and business around the world. She leveraged her credit background, but also had to learn the investment side of the business and estate planning techniques. Moving to New Jersey and Wells Fargo last year was a family decision. Until last year, her entire career has been in Manhattan. Her husband and she are both from New Jersey. With a young son, they decided it would be best to live and work locally to be more available and less stressed as their family grows. She really wanted to better integrate her professional life with her personal life. Amy, and the Private Bank at Wells Fargo offer a wide diversity of specialties in banking and an a la carte service of needs. She helps ensure families have the right financial plan in place for them and future generations, to best meet their goals. She works as part of a team that handles all facets of their Balance sheet. This includes asset allocation and investment management, estate planning, insurance, business succession planning, charitable giving, Special Needs Trusts, and more. Amy’s specialty is helping with customized banking and lending solutions. She helps client’s establish lines of credit, finance aircrafts, purchase artwork, fund life insurance premiums, and purchase real estate, both residential and commercial, for personal use or as an investment. She also offers real estate asset management services for client’s that do not want to manage the day to day operations of the properties. As an entrepreneur, Amy enjoys the challenge of building her business and visiting with clients. Amy’s clients have accounts beginning at one million to up to several billions of dollars. When asked what one thing she would give as a word of wisdom to the women reading this, Amy immediately said. “Don’t be afraid to ask. Go out of your comfort zone.” Obvious keys to her success are, being a people person, a team player, and someone who is curious, and loves meeting needs and solving problems. Amy suggested that her ability to move up quickly in her career is because, “The stars must have been aligned.” Amy herself is the Star. Amy is looking for new clients to help finance commercial properties or offer broader wealth management advice. Referrals to Amy will receive the best‐personalized and professional service with comprehensive products and creative management and resources under one roof.