Michael Schoonmaker

Chief Operating Officer

What makes Michael so uniquely positioned to be a successful Chief Operating Officer of our business just so happens to be the years he spent on ‘the other side of the table’. Naturally, Michael brings a steady hand and a keen, strategic mind to his duties at National Advisors, but to hear him tell it, hand and mind take a backseat to his greatest asset: His ears.

“Empathy is everything. Those years I spent on the other side of this business helped me more fully understand what our clients need from us. And how best to bring it to them.

”To that end, Michael hit the ground running. In just his first year at National Advisors, he brought that ‘voice of the client’ to bear, spearheading initiatives like the redesign of our client service model and decreasing distractions within the company that take away from client needs. His proactive, helpful approach has helped us improve processes so that they are more consistent, allowed us to meet client needs on a more personal one-to-one manner, and simplify doing business with us.

With a quarter century’s worth of experience at various firms, including leading Investor Centers in the Pacific Northwest as a Market Leader, leading and building an RIA platform leading the Private Client Group and a variety of sales positions, Michael’s thorough understanding of the client side of the business impacts every decision he makes as COO. He also brings that empathetic ear to coworkers, helping them to grow both professionally and personally.