Four years ago, retail account management supervisor Chris Burton started working at T. Rowe Price in the Retail Investment Services department. While pursuing a degree in English, he had never considered a career in finance or even knew it was possible. “I also never thought that I could lead a team of associates and help them attain their goals," he says. “But we never know what we can handle until we experience it for ourselves."

In his current role, Burton is motivated by helping others, particularly the nine associates he manages on his team. “Each one of them has their own goals and their own motivation for being here," he says. “My job is to get them all to work together toward one common departmental goal."

In one of his first experiences with the firm, Burton received a call from a client who was in a money bind and discovered he had a T. Rowe Price account started for him as a child. “He had started a new position with a company that wouldn't give him his pay increase until he finished a two-month training," recalls Burton. “And he needed cash now." However, the client's account was challenging to access, requiring both a Form W-9 and a signature from an uncle who lived on the other side of Texas. After four days of callbacks and countless reassurances, Burton was able to complete the transaction.

Although he worried that the multi-step experience would deter the client from investing with T. Rowe Price in the future, it actually had the opposite effect. “He complimented me for the great job that I did, keeping my cool and explaining what needed to be done each and every step of the way," Burton says. “He even promised that when he was financially ready to start another account, he would do it with T. Rowe Price based on how much I helped him and his family," Burton says. “The experience showed me that out of 40 calls a day, you can potentially do that one thing that greatly impacts someone else's life."

Whether he's improving his clients' lives or motivating his team, Burton has learned to bring a personal touch to every interaction. And he always keeps this top of mind when handling delicate situations with his associates. “When I'm having tough conversations with them, I try to bring my past experiences with me," he explains. “Bringing in a human element helps to level the playing field so that I can meet my associates halfway."