Building Meaningful Relationships

Wealth Management Advisor Mentors Finance Students

John Bates, ECON ’83, says working closely with clients and mentoring young professionals are some of the things he loves most about working in finance. Those relationships have been the foundation of his more than 40-year career in investment banking and wealth management. Now he’s excited to build new relationships, mentoring Smith School finance majors as a member of the Smith Financial Advisory Council (SFAC).

Bates’ career hit a major stride when he co-founded the Bates Caputo Group with Scott
Caputo and in 2015, became senior vice president and senior financial advisor for the group under Merrill Lynch Wealth Management. He and his team provide highly customized wealth planning, banking and investment advice to help high-net-worth clients not only grow wealth, but also protect it and pass it on for future generations.

Before the Bates Caputo Group, Bates worked as a managing director at Barclays for 10 years after seven years at Credit Suisse and 13 years at Citigroup. All that experience gave him the skills and credibility to build a powerhouse wealth-management group at Merrill Lynch.

Long Island-born and raised and currently living in New York City, Bates has spent many years 
focused on the University of Maryland, specifically Smith, to share his professional knowledge with students.

“I have always seen as a challenge the disconnect between what is taught in the classroom and how that translates to the outside world,” he says. “This is especially true within financial services.”

He says the benefits of getting involved in the advisory council go both ways.

“The exposure to Smith professors, students and Dean [Prabhudev] Konana, gives me real-time
feedback for what is currently being taught and the ability to stay relevant with young students,” he says. “The dialogue between the council and faculty can help shape what is taught in the classroom, as well as foster greater communication with students, thus allowing for more focused career searches.”

Bates says he tells students the importance of networking and building relationships with working professionals to not only find a job, but also to learn about the field or area they are interested in.

“Networking and career navigation go hand-in-hand,” he says. “Don’t minimize the importance of it and the amount of time allocated to it.”

Building those relationships can also help you discover your passion, he says.

“Don’t feel like you must pursue your passion. Instead, your passion will ultimately pursue you as you become more informed.”