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2015 40 Under 40 Honoree: Weston Kissee

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When Weston Kissee was appointed regional leader for Edward Jones last year, he became the youngest in that category out of approximately 250 regions in the firm. The designation was a huge honor, Kissee says, and a responsibility he takes very seriously.

“This year, I was invited to become a limited partner in the firm due to branch office profitability coupled with my success in leadership roles,” he says. “Being offered a stake in the outcome of a Fortune 500 company, especially at my age, is a unique privilege.”

As regional leader for the 48 branch office teams in southwest Missouri, Kissee is responsible for building and managing a leadership team of 15 financial advisers. From the beginning, he has worked hard to listen and ask questions, engage leadership from within and leverage individual opinions and talents for team advancement. As recruiting leader for the company’s 72-office region, Kissee takes particular pride in the significant role he has played in bringing on new financial advisers.

“In the last six years, I have been personally responsible for bringing more than 10 individuals to the firm,” Kissee says. “Many of those I’ve recruited were close friends, and the Edward Jones opportunity removed them from jobs where they felt frustrated or underappreciated.”

Their new careers have helped them fulfill dreams they weren’t sure they would ever reach, he says.

Daily interaction with clients is another important opportunity Kissee has to influence the success of others.

“I help people achieve things they never thought possible, as many of my clients don’t have a goal in mind to begin with,” he says. “Using a five-step process, I walk each client through the path from where they are today to where they want to be in the future to meet their financial goals.”

Kissee has taken an active role in Drury University affairs through consulting for the Women’s Entrepreneurship Symposium and Alumni Council. He also has hosted a Drury senior as an intern in his office. That intern is now going through the application process to work for Edward Jones following graduation. Most recently, he mentored several new architecture graduates, who are raising funds to build a school in the African nation of Burkina Faso.

Service as professional division chairman for the 2013 United Way campaign is an additional point of pride for Kissee.

“Under my leadership, a traditionally underdeveloped division exceeded funds raised in the previous year by more than 10 percent,” he says.     

Being the most veteran member in Rotaract Club of Springfield has brought Kissee yet another leadership opportunity.

“I serve on the nominating committee to ensure the club continues to be managed well into the future,” he says. “A simple idea I brought to the table – eliminating lunch fees for visiting potential members – turned out to result in club growth of nearly 35 percent.”[[In-content Ad]]

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