Alyssa Morris, JD
Managing Director, Client Advisor
“By providing financial education and improving literacy, we can empower more women to take control of their financial lives and gain independence and confidence.”
In honor of Women’s History Month, we’re showcasing some of the inspiring talent at Freestone. By highlighting the successes of powerful women and asking them to share their wisdom, we hope to empower women to not only enter the financial services industry, but to excel.
Alyssa had successful careers in both investment banking and corporate law before she transitioned to helping high net worth individuals and families manage their financial lives. Alyssa began her financial career working in leveraged finance in New York at Bankers Trust. After earning her law degree, she joined Latham & Watkins in San Francisco, practicing corporate law with a focus in debt and equity financing, M&A and joint ventures. Following her work as a corporate attorney, she joined UBS Investment Bank as a Director in the Leveraged Finance Group. After UBS, she spent several years working with institutional investors raising capital for top-tier fund managers.
What inspired you to get into the financial services industry?
One of my high school math teachers kept telling me I should become an engineer because there weren’t enough women engineers… but that didn’t sound appealing to me (no offense engineers!). I thought finance seemed more exciting and also in need of more women, so I set my sights on Wall Street. I eventually landed in wealth management because I wanted a career that combined both financial services and helping people – inspired by both my dad (a former banker) and mom (a retired social worker).
How can financial literacy empower women?
Nobody can truly be confident about their current financial situation and future financial path unless he or she understands it. You need knowledge to have confidence. By providing financial education and improving literacy, we can empower more women to take control of their financial lives and gain independence and confidence. I think many women feel a sense of relief when they start to understand their finances and enjoy the process of learning it much more than they expect to!
What advice did your mentors give you throughout your career?
The most important piece of advice that one of my mentors gave me was “don’t be afraid to pave your own path.” This advice was so important to me in giving me the courage and confidence I needed to make some difficult decisions throughout my career — such as returning to finance after a career in law, transitioning from corporate finance to personal wealth management, and reducing my hours when my kids were young.