By Mary Beth Roach
Over Julia Trivisonno’s career in the banking industry, she has seen and appreciates that the institutions are willing to invest in their employees’ growth and present many career opportunities along the way.
She is the senior vice president, CNY Key Private Bank market leader, leading a team of 13 experts (the majority of whom are women). They help families, business owners and institutions, solve complex financial problems. They do this by customizing a comprehensive wealth management plan focused on wealth preservation, growth and wealth transfer based on the goals and needs of their clients.
She earned a bachelor’s degree in business management and started her master’s at Syracuse University Whitman School of Management thinking that perhaps she’d follow in her grandfather’s footsteps and become a business owner.
But she was destined to make her own footsteps. She started her professional career with ADP in its outside sales group, working with clients on payroll and HR solutions.
“I had an admiration for people that work with clients helping them to solve problems. I developed relationships with centers of influence and partners in the community,” she said.
One of those partners was a banker running his financial institution’s small business division, and he asked Trivisonno if she had ever considered working at a bank. Initially, she said she had no interest in that field, but he explained that the relationships she enjoyed with her clients were very similar to the approach in banking.
“I decided to take a leap of faith,” she said, as she started her career in banking. As the bank realigned its business banking partnerships, she demonstrated success so they increased her branch responsibility and directly aligned her with a partner. When that bank left the area she was part of that downsize.
In retrospect, she said it was one of the best things that happened to her. She took the opportunity to network, interview at various companies and explore her options.
She decided to stay in banking and worked at M&T for more than 13 years before ultimately coming to KeyBank.
She appreciates that banking has invested in her, partly because she has always expressed an interest in learning. She believes, too, that KeyBank has offered her the support to grow “in any capacity.”
“It’s allowed me to really take those steps along the way to get to where I am today.” She said this as she completes a Heritage Specialist designation with the Heritage Institute focusing on family governance.
Her philosophy on leadership, too, has played a part in where she is today.
“Women are natural at being able to lead from their logical and emotional brain. Leading with your head from the heart — that is our superpower,” she said.
