A Trusted Advisor: Will Froelich '07 Master's in Finance '06 BSBA (Finance)

When Will Froelich began his undergraduate classes at Eller, he knew he wanted to be a wealth advisor, but he really didn’t know what options existed for him. A Texas native, he earned his Bachelor of Science degree in finance from the Eller College of Management in 2006 and then spent his summer after graduation caddying with golf pro and current FOX Sports reporter Shane Bacon in St. Andrews, Scotland.

This once-in-a-lifetime experience proved to be beneficial when he interviewed with one of the top recruiters for GenSpring Family Offices (then Inlign Wealth Management) in 2007 while working to earn his Master's in Finance. While the conversation touched upon Froelich’s academic experiences, the recruiter, a golf fan himself, was fascinated to hear about the Scotland trip. And, for Froelich, the interview helped land him a job and jump-started his career as a wealth management advisor.

“I initially was not familiar with a multi-family office, but quickly learned that these families were like small companies with much complexity and a need for sound advice,” Froelich said. “What appealed to me most was we always acted in the best interest of each family. We were never selling.”

Today, Froelich works as a client advisor for Phoenix-based Miller Russell Associates, serving clients with assets of $2 million and more with investment advisory, financial planning, tax planning, estate, and other wealth management services. “We act as the trusted advisors for families, individuals, and institutions,” he said. “As fiduciaries, we always act in the best interest of our clients and we never sell product. We recognize that each of our clients has different goals and objectives, and as an independent firm we are uniquely able to custom tailor every portfolio we manage to provide precisely the right solution for every client’s unique needs. Not only do I find this type of work to be fun, but it’s rewarding and I always want to work in this capacity.”

But getting to this point was not easy. Froelich, a Kappa Sigma alumnus, credits Eller for preparing him to earn his Certified Financial Planner certificate as well as his greatest academic achievement – becoming a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA). “I am most proud of earning the CFA charter. It was a long road that included many personal sacrifices, including long days studying resulting in time away from my wife and children. The credit has to go to my wife who supported me the whole way through and to Eller, where I gained a foundation of knowledge that has led to success in my career.”

Not only did Eller College give Froelich a good foundation for his career, the faculty made a big impact on him. He remembers professors Chip Ruscher, Arvind Singh, the late Ed Dill, and others fondly, but it was Sandra Rothschild who really stands out. “I had little interest in business writing and communication when I first took her class and really dreaded the whole curriculum. Ms. Rothschild ultimately forced me to retake it, which didn’t make me happy, but I ended up truly enjoying it the second time around. I got so much out of that class and to this day hold an interest in the subject,” he said.

Top photo of the Will Froelich with his wife Megan and their sons courtesy.