Samantha Blattner is a wealth advisor at our Stuttgart branch. She grew up in and around a family trades business. That's where she learned early on how important it is to put clients' wishes at the center of everything.
Whether it's a haircut, getting the car fixed or having a new kitchen installed: in theory, you could tackle everything that comes up in daily life yourself. Yet it's for good reason that most people seek support from professionals who know their craft. That's exactly how Samantha Blattner sees her profession as a wealth advisor: "I want to guide people expertly along their financial path - that's what I had in mind even during my training."
That Blattner holds this attitude also has something to do with the home she grew up in. Her father runs a fourth-generation, medium-sized trades business in Stuttgart. "The business in the yard, the office on the ground floor and our apartment on the first floor: I grew up in this environment," she recounts. Her father occasionally took her along to client meetings. "That's how I learned early on how important it is to listen attentively to clients and to put their wishes at the center."
A fondness for numbers and facts
After finishing school, Blattner initially started a degree in economics. She has a fondness for figures, data and facts. But also for the practical side and for working with people. That's why she decided to train as a bank clerk. "Because I wasn't sure whether it was really the right fit for me, I first did an internship." She enjoyed the work and decided to go for it. After completing her training at a large universal bank, she stayed on there for several years in retail client advisory.
Guiding people expertly along their financial path: that goal, though, wasn't really being fulfilled. As is typical with commission-driven advice, it was mainly about getting products out the door to the customer. "The best outcome was when you could reshuffle an entire portfolio," Blattner recounts. She grew increasingly uncomfortable with the sales pressure.
One day she met up with a former colleague who had moved to Quirin Privatbank. "At first I could hardly believe what she told me about her work," Blattner recalls. "That product commissions play no role and that, instead of individual products, the clients' investment goals take center stage: when you come from a traditional bank, it's hard to imagine." She was curious enough to take the leap. Since October 2022, Blattner has now been working at the Stuttgart branch, for Quirin Privatbank and for quirion. "I quickly realized it was the right decision."
A new "colleague"
For a few weeks now, Blattner has had a new "colleague," the AI wealth advisor Q.Ai. It's designed especially for people who so far have little experience with investing but are fundamentally interested in it. What does she think of using artificial intelligence for financial matters? "I think it's really cool," answers the 34-year-old. "It's often like this: I want to know something quickly but don't want to call anyone or make an appointment for it." Q.Ai is available around the clock and quickly answers basic questions about finances and investing. For individual advice, Q.Ai then refers you to human colleagues.
In any case, the advisory service at Quirin Privatbank and at quirion rests on a scientifically grounded investment concept. That keeps emotions out of investment decisions. In conversations with investors, of course, it's still often about the emotional side of investing for Blattner. That side shows up precisely when stock prices rise over a longer stretch or when prices give way more sharply in between. "Then many people question their strategy, wanting to increase their equity share in an uptrend or reduce it when prices are falling." She puts each of these developments into context. "Above all, I explain that the investment strategy depends on your individual appetite for risk and your personal risk profile, not on the market situation."
Happy to stay on the move
A Stuttgart native, she is firmly rooted in her home region. She values the closeness and connection to family and friends. But she also likes to stay on the move. She loves taking trips large and small. Sport has always been part of her life. As a child she was a figure skater. As she got older, she switched to tennis. Today her routine includes yoga and Pilates, among other things.
In the office, too, Blattner doesn't like to sit still for long. When she's on the phone at work, she prefers to pace around over a wide area. Colleagues have even suggested she fit a treadmill under her desk. She could probably manage that with her own hands - she has a talent for it. She and her father installed the kitchen in her apartment themselves.
Whether you tackle something yourself or rely on expert support is something everyone has to decide for themselves. With investing, too. "But I'm firmly convinced that it pays to rely on independent advice," Blattner emphasizes. "Because it lets you avoid many costly investment mistakes."
