Chad Gann has been in the air force for almost 26 years, and for the last 10-12 years, he was a diplomatic overseas. He attended California Lutheran University MBA in Financial Planning program to transition from being in the air force to becoming a CFP. However, due to his assignments in the air force, he was not able to complete the experience hours necessary to obtain his CFP. Today, he works as a senior manager for a company that provides consulting services for federal clients in construction. As a senior manager, he advises the government to manage the proceeds they need to make each construction project successful.
The degree MBA in Financial Planning degree has helped Gann succeed in his career because the financial planning component has given him the tools, he needs to create a comprehensive plan for his clients. The lesson Gann learned from the program is to listen to the client and what they want. Gann states, “if you listen, they will tell you exactly what they need to be successful.”
The most significant trend in his career is talent management because learning a skill or trade is a valuable asset in the business. However, “building a strong team of people to work with triumphs the raw skill in whatever discipline.” The skills Gann believes are essential skills to have are listening and strategic planning. Listening allows you to understand the client’s needs and wants to tailor the best service possible, while strategic planning will enable you to consider yourself in 5-10 years and plan backward to achieve your goals.
Gann decided to pursue his degree in financial planning because “as a farm family, our idea of wealth in the future was having a life insurance policy. As I got older, it was not a viable plan. Seeing that was a norm growing up and that there is a power to make money work for you instead of working for money. I wanted to know how it works is what drew me to the CFP program at California Lutheran University.” The course that Gann enjoyed the most was the Capstone course because that allowed him to apply everything he learned in the course. However, the time zone difference made it difficult to take the courses at the time because he was in Berlin, Germany.
Gann offers the following advice to students pursuing their degree in financial planning, “the end goal might be a job as a financial planner; the curriculum in the MBA portion of the program applies to many different disciplines and not just in the financial planning field.”
About the Author:
Rafael Nieves Rios is a graduate student at California Lutheran University, graduating in 2024. He is studying for an MBA in Financial Planning.