Paul Ried '76
Major: Business and Communications
Job Title: CEO/President
Organization: Paul R. Ried Financial Group, LLC
Host Date: Friday, January 12, 2018
Time: 12:30 - 5 p.m.
Location: Bellevue, WA

What student groups/clubs/activities were you involved in when you were a student at Puget Sound?

  • Trail Business Manager
  • Trail Advertising sales
  • Speaking
  • Student Campus Tour Guide for perspective UPS students.

How would you describe your role and organization?

We are a Retirement Planning and Wealth Management firm based in Bellevue with a 30 year history and clients in 32 states. We have 12 associates including 4 Certified Financial Planners, an attorney and a Certified Investment Management Analyst. We are focused on planning for individuals as they prepare for retirement. Our clients have a trusted relationship with our firm and many have been with us for 20 years or more. Clients come to us for our holistic planning approach with an education based collaborative approach. We are blessed to be recognized as one of the top financial planning firms by some of the major national financial publications. Paul founded the firm and is responsible for planning meetings with clients as well as setting the direction and vision for the firm. www.paulried.com for more information.

How would the skills and competencies gained through a liberal arts education be beneficial in the type of work you do?

My time at UPS culminated in a double major in Business Marketing and Communication. This was invaluable in preparing me for my graduate education at GWU where I earned an MBA in International Business as well as to develop the interpersonal skills so important in a successful financial services firm. We strive to have excellent service with a personal perspective ultimately resulting in the success of each client.

What can a student expect to experience by job shadowing you?

Our agenda will involve the following:

  1. An introduction around my career path and what I have learned over the years.
  2. A discussion of the Financial Services industry and the elements it would take to be successful.
  3. Sitting in on a Money Manager Lunch at 1pm with some of the rest of the Financial Team.
  4. An introduction to each of the team members and their role at the firm.
  5. Overview of the investment management and retirement planning process.
  6. An opportunity to ask questions throughout the afternoon.