Banking & Finance
Louis Stanasolovich
founder, president and CEO, Legend Financial Advisors Inc.
Smart Business Pittsburgh | October 2008
Louis Stanasolovich has devised a
strategy for combating the brain drain
syndrome afflicting Pittsburgh: internship
programs.
Pittsburgh boasts more than 30 vocational and higher education institutions,
yet many graduates of these schools
leave the area to chase after opportunities in other cities, according to studies
based on the latest census report.
Through his extensive internship program, Stanasolovich has created big-city
opportunities at his company, Legend
Financial Advisors Inc., right here in
Pittsburgh. And with a founder, president
and CEO that was named one of
“America’s Best Bosses” by Fortune
Small Business, Legend is a desirable
place to be for any aspiring financial planning adviser. And, unlike many internship
programs, Stanasolovich’s is paid.
Stanasolovich first started his internship program when he started the company in 1994. Both the program and the
company have grown considerably since
then — 18 interns buttress a 19-person
staff. The intern-to-employee ratio is
unusually high at Legend, but it suits the
company well. The interns become an
intrinsic part of the team, and many of
them find full-time employment after
their 24- to 36-month terms.
Part of Stanasolovich’s success, and
consequently the success of his interns,
comes from his unique training style.
Every intern undergoes training
designed by Stanasolovich that incorporates educational videos — the same
videos that full-time employees study, so
the transition, if there is one, from intern
to full-time staff is a smooth process.
With such a large program, there is not
room to hire every intern. But
Stanasolovich has come up with a creative way of taking care of them all, even
after their time at the company. As he continues to gain recognition for his program, Stanasolovich aims to invite other
advisory firms into Legend in order to
spread the word on the benefits of having interns, and even offer advice for
creating their own internships. In the
process, he introduces them to his graduating interns that cannot be hired full-time at his own firm. That way, even
those that do not find a full-time opportunity with Stanasolovich still have the
chance to consider Pittsburgh-based
careers.
HOW TO REACH: Legend Financial Advisors Inc., (888) 236-5960 or www.legend-financial.com
