In his first job after graduating from the University of Washington, Steve Giles enrolled in his employer’s 401(k) retirement savings plan. His investment returns soared in the heady markets of the late 1990s. So did Steve’s interest in financial services.
“That was the beginning,” Steve says.
At different times in his life, Steve wanted to be a corporate lawyer, like his father, and a teacher, like his parents-in-law. His profession as a financial advisor has allowed him to combine attributes of both.
Like a lawyer, Steve is heavily involved in researching and analyzing, evaluating and strategizing. And education is at the heart of his relationship with clients.
“I teach them,” Steve says. “And,” he jokes, “I’m really good at reading and writing upside down.”
Office skills and an obvious passion for the business got Steve an assistant’s position at a financial firm, while he studied off-hours at City University of Seattle for his master’s degree in personal financial planning.
When he and his wife, Jennine, moved to Wisconsin to be closer to her parents, Steve sought a place where he could keep growing in the financial profession. He joined Landaas & Company in 1999.
“I like waking up in the morning knowing that I can come downtown and solve people’s financial problems,” Steve says.
As a father of three children, Steve also has the listening skills and patience needed to give clients customized attention.
“Everybody has a different story,” Steve says. “I like knowing that I can help them.”
Steve enjoys curling, travel, gardening, outdoor recreation, cycling and volunteering. He is the former head coach for mountain biking at Nicolet and Whitefish Bay high schools and continues to coach riders between 6th and 12th grades through the National Interscholastic Cycling Association. Steve also volunteers with the Milwaukee Metro Mountain Bikers and is a former board member of the Urban Ecology Center.