Full Name
William A. Coppel
Job Title
Managing Director, Chief Growth Officer
Company
First Clearing
Speaker Bio
As a member of the First Clearing Leadership Team, Bill leads First Clearing’s organic growth and productivity initiative, as well as its platform-adoption initiatives. He also oversees First Clearing’s thought leadership efforts, brand positioning and market strategy, leading a team of seasoned communications and marketing professionals.

After starting his career as a financial advisor, Bill rose to senior-management positions in retail sales, marketing and product development, as well as on the clearing side of the business. Throughout, he has been active in the industry, serving on the Financial Services Institute Broker-Dealer Conference Task Force, the SIFMA Membership Committee and the SIFMA Sales & Marketing Committee.

Formerly a nationally ranked age-group triathlete for over 10 years, Bill also has an extensive background in wellness, with experience in fitness, nutrition, human performance and mind-body connections. Recently, he has been exploring how wellness intersects with financial services: If the ultimate goal is to achieve well-being in all areas of life, then financial advisors are uniquely positioned to help clients do just that, he asserts. In fact, for advisors to remain relevant in the 21st century, they will need to deliver value beyond that of an algorithm — value not limited to investment management. Bill is now developing First Clearing’s vision for the future of advice, in which the role of the financial intermediary — the advisor — includes the delivery of services aimed at “Cultivating Client Well-Being.”

Bill serves on the board for the Missouri History Museum, and volunteers for The Mission Continues and KidSmart. He earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from Fairfield University, holds an MBA from Olin Business School at Washington University in St. Louis and is a graduate of the SIFMA Securities Industry Institute at The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
William A. Coppel