Sarah Snider Gresham

Sara Snider Gresham is a director at Merrill Lynch, following a family tradition in wealth management. Encouraged by her father, Harvey Snider, she pursued finance, completing her BS and MS at The University of Alabama in just four years.

Her career was shaped by a internship with Merrill Lynch, leading to a series of roles of escalating responsibility starting as a global wealth and investment management analyst.

After a year and a half, she landed in the retirement division. When asked to create a unique original project to present to the team, she focused on the opportunity with women and wealth management, noticing a wave of women creating and inheriting money and what opportunities that might present to the firm.

“That leader ended up building a team to focus on how Merrill can do more and better with not just women clients but also with other diverse communities.” And that led to more opportunities for Gresham to lead teams and initiatives within the company.

Key Takeaways
Family Tradition: Gresham’s career in wealth management was influenced by her father’s long tenure at Merrill Lynch, who has also served as a mentor to her.

Career Breakthrough: A serendipitous internship at Merrill Lynch launched her career…and she is still at the firm.

Giving Back: Actively involved with her alma mater as a member of the Associate Board of Visitors, mentoring students and supporting the community.