Kellie Richter on First Command

THE FORCE BEHIND FIRST COMMAND’S MARKETING AND CLIENT EXPERIENCE STRATEGY REVEALS HOW HER MENTORS INFLUENCED HER, AND HOW SHE PAYS THAT FORWARD

I was intrigued by the opportunity to leverage more than 25 years of experience in the financial services industry to truly improve clients' quality of life, but what really sealed the deal was meeting my future colleagues on the executive leadership team.

I often think your biggest strength can also become your biggest challenge. I think that’s true at First Command, where our strong culture of service means our people often perform heroic acts to deliver that service.

I am most excited about our mission. Everyone is here because they want to be part of something bigger than themselves. In our case, it’s about helping military families pursue financial security.

I watched my mother raise four children while pursuing her master’s degree in education and go on to become a high school principal, which at that time had traditionally been a male role.

I had both male and female mentors throughout my career and they all share something in common: They challenged me and provided constructive feedback.

My mother taught me through example that career possibilities are endless if you work hard, build your qualifications and invest in strong working relationships.