How One CAO Climbed the Ladder and Is Bringing Other Women With Her

“My father gave me some advice when I was a new manager and I did not know what my full scope of authority was — he told me to stop asking for permission,” says Tammy Buchert, Chief Administrative Officer at RBC Wealth Management. “This strong sense of accountability has served me well over the years.”

With a dash of that kind of confidence and a peppering of mentors, Buchert has been built a successful career at RBC. Even while spending much of her time juggling work and mom life.

“By staying at RBC for 24 years, I’ve developed a reputation as a go-to person,” she tells Fairygodboss. “Building a strong network of colleagues and institutional knowledge has proven invaluable to successfully delivering projects, meeting the needs of those coming to me for assistance, and leading my teams to successful outcomes.”

Buchert has held a number of roles at RBC. She started out as an internal auditor and then moved through a variety of financial analyst and management positions.

“I learned about the business from the ground up,” she says. “After many years of budget cycles, annual advisor compensation plan launches, and year-end cycles, I told my manager I needed something new. She was my ‘Fairygodboss.’ She understood what would continue to challenge me and what the firm needed, and she helped me move into a newly created role of Director of Services and Initiatives.”

From there, Buchert quickly became the go-to person for special projects and responsibilities that needed a strong home but did not belong in the field or an existing support department.

It was through that role that she was able to show leadership the breadth and depth of her skill set, she says, adding that the experience helped her land the role of Chief Administrative Officer (CAO).

Today, as CAO, she leads several key corporate initiatives, including the development of the company’s new headquarters in downtown Minneapolis. She’s also partnered with the head of human resources on the firm’s COVID-19 response and provides leadership to the U.S. Operations and Business Administration business units. It’s a wide-ranging role, she admits, but it’s that particular aspect she loves the most.

“Each day as CAO, I’m faced with a new question, a new challenge, or a new opportunity,” she says. “I enjoy the variety each day brings and love juggling multiple priorities. I guess you can say that’s the mom in me. I am also energized by bringing together experts to solve a problem or meet a new challenge and feel good that my input makes a difference for our home office colleagues, our advisors, and our clients.”

Buchert attributes much of her success to her mentors. She says that RBC Wealth Management is a company with leadership that truly cares and seeks to advance high-potential employees. In fact, over the course of her 24-year career at the firm, she’s had the opportunity to work with three mentors in particular who have helped to shape her career.

“An early manager taught me about work output accuracy, customer service, and building trust and credibility,” she says. “A recent manager taught me about personal advocacy, supporting other women in the workplace, and getting passionately involved in more than just your daily work responsibilities. And another leader taught me about leadership, confidence, and courage.”

But Buchert’s growth and success hasn’t come only because of the support she’s received professionally, she has also found RBC Wealth Management a particularly supportive work environment personally as well.. “I’ve been with RBC through the birth of my two children,” she says. “In the face of all the challenges of daycare and typical childhood illnesses, the after-school sports demands, and the stress of sending children to college, leaders and colleagues at RBC have supported me. I’ve always been able to create a balance between work and personal life.”

RBC offers a wide variety of resources for women including flexible work hours, backup child and elder care, milk stork services, and caregivers. But the company’s support extends beyond its formal programs. For Buchert, it’s the way the managers have supported her in needing to catch a child’s softball or football game. It’s the sponsorship of internal advocacy groups like the 30-year-strong Women’s Association of Financial Advisors and the newly formed Women Empowered group. It’s the overall company culture that raises women up.

“One of the best qualities a former boss had is a strong commitment to balancing personal and work priorities,” she recalls. “She told me that, 20 years from now, my coworkers would not remember if I attended that day’s meeting, but my kids would remember if I attended their school and sporting events. It was thanks to her advice and support that I did attend those events.”

Now as a leader, Buchert is conscious about offering the same support to other women in the workplace. She works to mentor and coach female team members through sharing her experiences and supporting women in finding that same balance she was afforded.

“Now that my kids are away at college, I’m not juggling these personal and work priorities, but, because I’ve been there, I understand,” she says. “I’m passing my experiences on and encouraging new team members to not miss out on their kids and home life and think about what will be remembered 20 years from now.”

She also adds that she’s getting more involved in her community and looking to join a female-focused nonprofit board. While she isn’t able to attend all of the women’s events at the company, she’s making the most out of the ones that she does.

“Women, including me, often get hung up on what we didn’t have time for rather than celebrating what we did,” she says. And Buchert certainly has a lot to celebrate at RBC Wealth Management.

--

RBC Wealth Management, a division of RBC Capital Markets, LLC, Member NYSE/FINRA/SIPC.

--

Fairygodboss is proud to partner with RBC Wealth Management. Find a job there today!