ON BEHALF OF OUR TEAM, I invite you to enjoy our annual perspective in “The Long View.” As another year passes, I am afforded the opportunity to sit down and write about my reflections on the year passed and thoughts on the year to come, an exercise I have come
to greatly enjoy.
CHANGE, while for many this is viewed as a four-letter word, over the course of 2021 I have leaned into change as a positive and enabling force. When embraced, change can take us to places and lead to accomplishments we may have never
thought possible. However, change is not without risks, and I do not recommend approaching it with reckless abandon or to change simply for the sake of change. With that balance in mind, I welcome the axiom, “If you don’t like change,
you will like irrelevance even less,” and I invite you to join me in that embrace.
What has struck me in 2021 is the accelerating pace of change. With each passing month, I am amazed by how the once futuristic has become commonplace and conversely, how often I need to explain my references to our younger employees. The next generation
of great leaders at First Merchants Private Wealth Advisors has never “taped” a show, left a message on an answering machine, sent a fax, used a typewriter or even written a check! At the same time, as “digital natives” they
master technology quickly, readily point out wasteful steps in processes and see human dynamics and how they can impact financial plans and portfolio construction through a different lens.
With the dichotomy of perspectives on our carefully constructed team, we have undertaken an ambitious review of our internal processes and the technology that empowers us. This will be a multi-year undertaking, but our clients and employees deserve and
demand it.
While the need for change dictates so many of our decisions, it is with a keen eye that we also stay focused on what cannot and should not change. The client must be the center point of all of our actions and guidance. As fiduciaries we are bound legally
and ethically to act in the best interests of our clients. That is how the team at First Merchants is wired. As new employees join our team, we ensure they share such wiring.
Your team at First Merchants shows up to work every day focused on delivering for you as your partner in prosperity. It’s not a job for our team, it’s a passion and a vocation. Our focus is on understanding your needs and dreams while harnessing
the resources to develop and execute the appropriate plans for your pursuit. At the same time, we are also managing changes that could either knock you off course or aid in your journey. That’s what you should expect from your partner. Thank
you for the trust you have placed in First Merchants and enjoy “The Long View.”
MICHAEL JOYCE
President, Private Wealth Advisors
Download and read the entire First Merchants Private Wealth Advisors "The Long View 2022 Business Vision."