GREAT TEAMS START WITH GREAT PEOPLE.

Meet Blaine Oliver.

What is your role at MorganFranklin, and what do you do?

I lead the financial services risk and regulatory practice, which includes determining which products and services we focus on, who we hire, and our client profile, and overseeing key financial services risk and regulatory engagements.

Please tell us about your professional background and what led you to pursue a career at MorganFranklin.

I spoke with several colleagues from prior firms who thoroughly enjoyed their experience at MorganFranklin and their leadership. The role was also attractive to me as it would allow me to be more of an entrepreneur and accelerate the growth of a successful practice.

What three characteristics do you need to be successful in your role?

• Effective communication to help our clients understand relevant insights across the respective organization and how they should incorporate them into their strategy
• Relationship and leadership focus on building a cohesive team, maintaining morale, and building trust with clients.
• Agility to adapt to the fast-paced, ever-changing industry and client needs and to drive the change internally required to meet those needs.

What does an ideal Saturday look like for you?

• Wake up usually before sunrise and work out.
• Give my lovely wife a break and take my son to get a local espresso and breakfast.
• Mosey over to Lowes to procure the goods needed for a home or yard improvement project
• Once my son and I wrap up the home or yard improvement project (he’s two, so he sometimes chips in), enjoy dinner and red wine with either neighbors or family in town

We hear you enjoy wine adventures with your wife – can you share your most memorable wine exploration?

Fairly early in our relationship, my wife and I took a risk and went to Napa, where we spent a few days bouncing around the area, enjoying the different vineyards, eating incredible food, and making spontaneous purchases. The highlights included frolicking around the vineyards and a memorable dinner at French Laundry.

What wine pairs well with Risk & Regulatory projects?

I’d say a nice round, approachable Côtes du Rhône red wine to counterbalance some of the fast-paced and demanding regulatory-related projects.

What is your proudest moment at MorganFranklin, and why?

I recently had the chance to take on a project outside of my typical domain, establish a trusted relationship with the client, train up the team, and grow the team to 3x the original size. Most importantly, the client continues to be thrilled with the team’s value and sees each member as an integral part of the broader team.

What advice would you give someone hoping to pursue a career at MorganFranklin?

In the current environment, there is incredible value in knowing the products and services of your brand and the products and services across the Vaco portfolio. To help you with this, find every opportunity to engage with leaders and staff across company lines, whether it’s through networking events, mentor programs, or just introducing yourself to deepen your knowledge.