SCOTT SENTENEY – LIFELONG LEARNER
Scott Senteney has certainly gone far since graduating from Missouri State University with a degree in Finance in 2011, both geographically and in his career. Scott, a native of Willard, is now a Relationship Banker and Small Business Specialist with J.P. Morgan Chase Bank in Austin, Texas. Scott started working for Chase in Springfield when he was a high school student. A bright self-starter, Scott began his rise in the Card Services organization in card activation and progressed to handling Chase’s most elite card clients.
Upon graduation, Scott received several offers, but chose to stay with J.P. Morgan Chase, transitioning over to the firm’s retail banking operations. Scott started out as a Personal Banker and, within 10 months, had earned his Series 6, Series 63, and Texas Life and Health Insurance licenses. A few months after receiving these licenses and consistently being a top performer in his market, he was promoted to Small Business Specialist. He is currently ranked number four in all of Southwest Texas for 2013 and is transitioning to Chase Private Client, where he will serve Chase’s most affluent customers.
When asked about what he likes about his job, Scott says, “I really enjoy meeting with clients, getting to know them with an eye towards uncovering their financial needs and working with them to help them reach their financial goals. It’s a very rewarding job, whether it is helping a home buyer get into their first home, helping a local business open their doors, or helping our most affluent clients earn a better rate of return using the expertise of J.P. Morgan.”
Senteney says his time at Missouri State prepared him well for his current role. “MSU helped me in numerous ways, providing me with skills I thought I’d never use, which I now use all the time. My primary niche is investments, and being able to speak with CEOs, retired senior executives, successful entrepreneurs, and other wealthy individuals about what is happening in the markets during unprecedented times is quite challenging. Having learned the fundamentals at Missouri State has enabled me to speak with confidence to my clients.” Secondly, Scott credits his Business Law, Management, Accounting, and Corporate Finance classes for his understanding of business classifications from sole proprietorships to S-corporations along with his understanding of business cash flows, all of which serve him well in his work with small businesses.
Senteney specifically mentions three professors, Dr. James Philpot, Dr. Susan Crain and Dr. Stephen Haggard, when discussing his preparation at MSU, not just for the technical skills they taught him, but also for their assistance in helping him plan his next step after college. When asked for his advice to current FGB students, Scott stresses the importance of taking the time to meet with professors outside of class; getting help with concepts, preparing for exams, reviewing resumes, practicing interview questions, and planning a career. Scott also stresses the importance of being a life-long learner. “I cannot express how important it is to keep moving forward and progressing after you graduate.” Senteney furthers his own learning, in part, through reading. He recommends the following books to FGB students and graduates: The Noticer and Mastering the Seven Decisions by Andy Andrews, How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie, and The 4-Hour Work Week by Timothy Ferriss.