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By DEREK REDD
There are times when you enter a situation where you're the expert, WesBanco vice president and private banker Jeremy West said. At that point, you're the guide, the person tasked with leading the discussion and educating others.
And there are times, he added, when you're not the expert. The key is to know which time is which and operate accordingly.
West's position in private banking for WesBanco means the idea of a "typical" workday really doesn't exist, he said. There are days he thinks may be quiet that turn fast-paced. There are regular parts of the schedule - morning conference calls with regional partners and staff looking at current market conditions, afternoon customer meetings and loan request processing and after-hours events.
But the nature of West's customers means that a high-priority task can come through in the blink of an eye.
"In my current position, I deal strictly with high-income, high-net-worth customers who have very specific needs and requests," he said. "I need to be able to pivot and respond to their requests immediately. Those requests could range from an international wire, a last-minute luxury car purchase, or a consultation as to whether someone should pay cash or finance a second home."
Consultation and advisement are two huge components of West's work, and he said it is very important to remember that not everyone is as well-versed in a concept or situation as you are. When one is in the role of advisor, they must guide others through issues and options in ways those customers can follow.
"There are many times I begin a conversation with someone, assuming that they are familiar with what I'm talking about, only to realize that they really have no idea what I'm talking about, or their perception was completely different from what it really is," he said. "Customers come to us for financial solutions and it's important for us to not only give them those options, but to make sure they fully understand how those particular solutions work and impact them directly.
"Many people see what we do as daunting, so we have to break it down piece by piece, which is what I have learned to do and put to use my entire career," he said.
Yet, those in advising roles must be cognizant of when they find themselves outside their sphere of expertise. At that point, faking it to make it won't help you or the customer. In that scenario, West said he falls back on a phrase he lives by - "stay in your lane."
"It's important to know your limits and when it's necessary to bring in someone else who has the expertise to help out," he said.
Helping has been part of West's DNA for years. An Ohio County native, he offers his time to a number of groups. West currently serves as chair of the City of Wheeling Planning Commission, and chair of the Development Committee for the WLU Foundation. He sits on the Elmhurst Board of Directors, is a trustee for Oglebay Institute, and a member West Virginia Bankers Association BankPAC committee. He's also involved with several events and projects at The Good Zoo and can be seen volunteering there at events like Boo at the Zoo.
That work ethic has served him well and is something he believes would serve young professionals well.
"Work long, work hard, put in your time, and be effective at what you do," West advises young professionals. "Make yourself irreplaceable to your organization. Things don't happen overnight."
The banking landscape of the Ohio Valley is on good footing, West said, and the future looks promising. Marcellus Shale has been a game-changer, he said, giving bankers like him the opportunity to advise people about generational wealth like the area has never seen before.
He also is watching companies look at Wheeling and the rest of the Ohio Valley as a great place to plant their flag. Their arrival, he said, will help in so many other categories.
"As new companies begin relocating here, not only does this give us the opportunity to provide the initial financing to them directly, but also to what we refer to as the secondary and tertiary financing opportunities that come along with long-term support businesses-suppliers, grocery, housing, etc.," he said.