PDS Employee Spotlight – Katie Warga
As she comes upon her one-year anniversary with PDS Planning, Client Relationship Manager Katie Warga credits both her colleagues and clients with making her job so enjoyable. “It’s nice to be around people with the same mindset and to be able to make a true difference in peoples’ lives.”
Katie attended Capital University, earning a Bachelor of Business Administration in Financial Economics. While she was a student, Katie interned for Budros, Ruhlin & Roe, and embarked on a four-month internship with a wealth management firm in London, England. After graduating, Katie worked at Nationwide Financial before joining the PDS team.
When talking about her role with PDS, Katie makes it clear that every day is a little bit different and “we don’t spend a lot of time at our desks around here.” As a Client Relationship Manager, she provides assistance with planning services and client communications, as well as trading, money movements, and software maintenance.
At PDS, we are proud to have a team of forward thinking leaders guiding and developing our internal team. Learn more about Katie’s work with PDS, as well as about how she spends her time away from work.
How do you think PDS is different from other financial planning firms?
At PDS, we are client-first at all times. We constantly put ourselves in our clients’ shoes when we are making decisions on their behalf, ensuring that we do what’s in their best interest at all times.
What is your favorite aspect of working at PDS?
I’m drawn to the wonderful group of individuals at PDS, as well as the values of the firm. My favorite thing about working here are the people; but not just my coworkers. I really enjoy our clients. It’s wonderful to be around individuals with the same mindset and to be able to make a true difference in peoples’ lives.
What are some lessons learned during the pandemic?
Personally, the biggest lesson that has come out of living through the pandemic is that I have more patience, which is what I’m seeing in others as well. I think we have all learned to slow down, take time to understand, and then move forward with a plan of action. Having patience and an understanding attitude has been necessary with not only my career, but also with relationships and technology.
Do you see anything new on the horizon of the financial planning industry?
I think we are slowly (but surely) moving towards a more virtual financial planning industry – maybe even app-based. As wealth is passed down from the older generations into the hands of younger age groups, they’re beginning to determine how we do business.
Of course, there are positives and negatives with virtual financial planning. But, I do think technology and virtual connection actually gives us more time to be one-on-one with clients. We can be more intentional about the time we spend with our clients and on nurturing the relationship.
Tell us about your family
I grew up in Minerva, a small town in Northeast Ohio. We lived on a 13-acre farm with about nine cats and three dogs. My dad is small business owner of an engineering firm and my mom is a 6th grade Language Arts teacher. I have one brother who is in his third year of college, studying engineering. I’m very close with my family— we all enjoy planning fun activities together, like scuba-diving in the Keys and boating on Lake Erie.
I’ve lived in Columbus since becoming a student at Capital University in 2014. My boyfriend and I live in the Grandview area, along with our dog, Eddy. While Columbus has become home to us over the last 7 years, we enjoy visiting our roots in the country-side.
When you are not working, how do you like to spend your free time?
One word: traveling! I’ve been very fortunate to visit many countries since I started traveling abroad, but that’s been put on pause with Covid. Next year, my boyfriend and I are hoping to resume our travels with a European trip that includes visits to London, Paris, and Italy. I have been planning this trip since I got home from my London-based internship and am anxious to get to do it!
We also have about 30 house plants in our small apartment—we’ve found we have quite the green thumbs. When we’re not tending to our dog or house plants, we really enjoy cooking and experimenting in the kitchen. Watch out, Ina Garten!
What are you reading/watching/listening to?
At the moment, I’m binge watching the UK version of Love Island, and have been for a few months—the British slang is the best part. On the music side of things, I’ve had Van Morrison and Hall and Oates on repeat – I just really love 70s and 80s music.
What are your words to live by?
I’m a believer in everything happening for a reason, like happy coincidences. Even when life delivers something challenging, you can always find some silver lining.
Tell us about your involvement with PDS Cares or how you hope to become involved
Since I’m still new to PDS, I have not been involved with PDS Cares yet. I’m thinking of hosting a trash clean-up for the new Quarry Trails Metro Park near my apartment which would be a great way to give back to the community. While donating to organizations can be achieved in many ways, volunteering your time and effort can be equally impactful.
Connect with Katie on LinkedIn.
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