Main Responsibilities of an Assistant Vice President at a Fortune 100 Bank
After graduating from the University of Arizona with a finance degree and completing a sales internship, Zach took an unexpected career path, becoming an area manager at Amazon despite lacking the typical experience. This led to roles at Charles Schwab, where they pursued an MBA, then Morgan Stanley, culminating in their current Assistant Vice President position managing a team of approximately 80, showcasing a flexible and growth-oriented approach to career progression marked by strategic pivots and "double promotions."
Career Pivoting, Financial Services, MBA, Management, Leadership
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Zach Bransky
Assistant Vice President
Fortune 100 Bank
University of Arizona
Arizona State University (ASU) - W. P. Carey, MBA
Finance
Finance (Banking, Fintech, Investing)
Finance
Greek Life Member
Video Highlights
1. He started his career with an internship in financial services and later worked as an area manager at Amazon, demonstrating adaptability and a willingness to explore different career paths.
2. He pursued an MBA while working at Charles Schwab, highlighting his commitment to professional development and his ability to balance work and education.
3. He progressed from an entry-level role at Morgan Stanley to a management position overseeing a team of 80 people, showcasing his ability to advance his career and take on increasing responsibilities.
Transcript
Could you walk me through your career path, starting with your experiences in college? Please include any internships or jobs you had before your current role.
I'm from Arizona, born and raised. I was born in Phoenix, then moved to Flagstaff, and went to college in Tucson at the U of A. I majored in finance.
While I was in college, I had an internship in financial services, doing sales for a small financial advisor firm. I was a senior and decided to completely pivot from that path.
I was applying to jobs that seemed interesting. I applied for an area manager role at Amazon and was fortunate enough to get it. This was interesting because I had applied for a team lead position for recent college graduates.
They wanted to move me to New Jersey, but at the time, I didn't see that move as plausible. I told them I'd chosen to stay in Phoenix and thanked them for the opportunity. They then mentioned they had another role for me in Phoenix if I was interested, so I signed up.
That role was actually more of a full area manager position for someone with about five years of experience. I was thrown into the fire a bit, learned a lot, and stayed there for several years. I realized I was halfway up the ladder and didn't necessarily want to climb anymore, so I decided to pivot back into financial services.
I went to Charles Schwab, which has a large presence in Phoenix. Some friends were working there and were very happy. I worked in institutional client management at Charles Schwab for about four and a half to five years.
While I was there, I got my MBA full-time. There were definitely some late nights, but it was very worth it. I went to ASU, which has a great program.
When I graduated with my MBA, I decided it was time for another pivot. I wanted to do something more high-level. Morgan Stanley was starting an institutional office in Tempe, so I got recruited there.
I took on a more entry-level parent relationship management role for that position. I received a double promotion, so to speak, onto the management team. Now I manage more of the risk side, and about 80 people report up to us. It's very challenging and very rewarding.
In my personal life, I'm into fitness and snowboarding. People are often surprised you can snowboard in Arizona, but I go up to Flagstaff quite a bit.