Career path of a Managing Director, Corporate and Investment Banking at Wells Fargo
Eric's career path was unconventional, taking "six and a half years" to complete undergraduate studies before embarking on a diverse range of early career roles in consulting, human resources, and project management. After an MBA and a Wells Fargo training program, the individual enjoyed a 22-year tenure at the same institution, progressing to Managing Director in the Technology, Media, and Telecommunications industry group, managing "25 client relationships" in New York City.
Career Exploration, Career Development, Executive/Leadership, Overcoming Challenges, Real-World Examples
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Eric Frandson
Managing Director, Corporate & Investment Banking
Wells Fargo
UC Berkeley
UC Berkeley, MBA
Anthropology, Sociology
Finance (Banking, Fintech, Investing)
Sales and Client Management
Scholarship Recipient, Took Out Loans, Worked 20+ Hours in School, Transfer Student
Video Highlights
1. Eric's career path highlights a non-traditional route to success, encompassing diverse roles in consulting, human resources, and project management before pursuing an MBA and joining Wells Fargo.
2. His experience showcases the value of exploring different fields to find the right fit, even if it takes longer than a typical five-year plan.
3. Eric's 22-year career at Wells Fargo demonstrates the potential for growth and advancement within a single company, highlighting the importance of continuous learning and adaptability in a dynamic industry.
Transcript
Could you walk me through your career path? What were your experiences in college? Did you have any internships or jobs before your current role?
You might have heard of the phrase "five-year plan" for finishing undergrad. I was actually on a six-and-a-half-year plan. My undergraduate journey included military prep school, which was sort of between high school and college proper, a service academy, and a military academy.
I took a small hiatus, went to two community colleges, and then finally transferred to UC Berkeley. All told, it took six and a half years to get my BA in sociology. Along the way, I didn't have any formal internships. I had jobs, but not a proper internship; that came later.
When I finished, I considered going straight to graduate school. Frankly, I was fatigued and decided I was going to start working. Over the next five years, I dabbled in a few different directions, exploring and trying to find my footing.
I had three jobs. The first was in public contracting diversity consulting. I did that for a couple of years at a very small, boutique firm. Then I did a gig in human resources for a large accounting firm, which was interesting and different. Finally, I did some project management and a jack-of-all-trades role in a small public school district in the Bay Area.
Before I ultimately went back to Berkeley for my MBA, I did an internship during my MBA. When I graduated, I finally started in a training program at Wells Fargo. It was sort of like another MBA, but for about six months, I was trained in the fundamentals of banking and credit.
Then, 22 years later, here I am. I've been with Wells Fargo literally 22 years. I've had the same email address but worked in five different business lines and three different cities. So, the same big employer, but lots of change and movement across that time horizon.
Now, I'm a managing director and what we call a relationship manager in an industry group called Technology, Media, and Telecommunications (TMT). It's an industry group with customers all across the country, large, sophisticated companies, many of which you would know. Our businesses are organized by industry groups, like healthcare, consumer, and retail. I'm in what we call TMT for short. I'm based in New York City now and am responsible for my 25 client relationships.