Fairygodboss Radio: Kristen Kimmell – Head of Advisor Recruiting and Field Marketing, RBC

As head of Advisor Recruiting and Field Marketing, Kristen Kimmell leads the firm’s efforts to invite the best talent in the industry to join the firm’s nearly 2,000-strong financial advisor base. In her role, Kristen works closely with the firm’s global head of diversity and human resources to recruit and retain diverse talent in both the advisor and corporate ranks. She is also the leader of the firm’s push to cultivate a diverse and inclusive advisor force and elevate the role of women within the wealth management industry.

 A nearly 25-year veteran of RBC Wealth Management – U.S., Kristen is known for out-of-the-box thinking and for her ability to bring teams together to accomplish big goals. She most recently served as head of Credit Strategies and Business Development. She’s also held a variety of roles in Finance, Capital Markets and Wealth Management, including roles leading Technology, Credit Strategy and Business Development. She also serves as the co-executive sponsor of RBC Wealth Management’s Women’s Association of Financial Advisors (WAFA). Kristen began her career in the financial services industry as a financial accountant with Marquette Bancshares in 1993. She joined RBC Wealth Management in 1995 and has held numerous positions, including staff accountant, accounting supervisor and fixed income accounting manager. In 2006, she was promoted to director of financial reporting and administration for RBC Capital Markets. Kristen was named director of strategic finance in 2008, where she oversaw all financial aspects of Private Client Group, including compensation. She became the chief of staff in 2010. She was named co-executive sponsor of WAFA in September 2012. In this role, she provides input and leadership to WAFA on their goals of recruiting and retaining female financial advisors (FAs) and branch directors (BDs) along with enhancing FA productivity. In the community, Kristen is a board member of the Greater Minneapolis Crisis Nursery and the industry association SIFMA Foundation Board.

 She holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting and business administration from Jamestown University.

In this episode of Fairygodboss Radio, Kristen Kimmell explains why we should focus on our successes and accept who we are rather than chasing unicorns.