Angela Fitzpatrick
Angela Fitzpatrick is a Senior Client Advocate with over 20 years of experience in the financial services and employee benefits industries. She began her career at Merrill Lynch, where she spent nearly 16 years supporting compliance managers, reviewing daily securities transactions, and training administrative staff. She then served as an Operations Coordinator at Raffa Wealth Management, assisting high-net-worth clients with account management and wealth growth strategies. Since 2009, Angela has worked as a Senior Client Advocate, managing benefits enrollments, eligibility, claims escalations, billing inquiries, and compliance support while serving as a trusted liaison between HR departments, insurance carriers, and employees.
Throughout her career, Angela has earned a reputation for professionalism, reliability, and exceptional client service. She holds Health and Life insurance licensure, has developed training materials for new employees, and has received multiple awards recognizing her ability to manage complex, high-volume benefits issues. Her approach combines technical expertise, empathy, and persistence, enabling her to navigate challenging situations while maintaining accuracy, compliance, and a client-focused perspective.
In addition to her professional accomplishments, Angela is deeply committed to community service and personal growth. She has volunteered with organizations such as Manna Food Center and the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, and her experiences as a single mother and breast cancer survivor have strengthened her empathy and dedication to helping others. Angela’s work reflects her core values of integrity, accountability, and service, making her a trusted advocate and valued professional in every role she undertakes.
• University of Maryland - BS
• University of Missouri–St. Louis
• The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society
• Manna Food Center
• Shepherd's Table
• Community Bridges
What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to a genuine passion for helping people, shaped by my own experience as a single mother who once faced a lapse in health insurance. With more than 20 years in the employee benefits and financial industries, including 15 years at Merrill Lynch where I advanced from a temp role to training incoming financial advisors, I have built a reputation for integrity, responsibility, and unwavering follow-through. My strong customer service instincts, affirmed through consistent Myers-Briggs results, guide my ability to remain calm, compassionate, and solution-focused even in challenging situations. As a Senior Client Advocate since 2009, I handle benefits enrollments, eligibility corrections, claims escalations, billing issues, and compliance support while serving as the liaison between HR departments, insurance carriers, and employees. This work requires technical expertise, empathy, patience, and persistence, all of which define my approach to ensuring accurate resolutions and clear communication. I am licensed in Health & Life insurance, have trained numerous employees using materials I developed, and have earned multiple awards, including Merrill Lynch merit awards and Bravo Awards, recognizing my ability to manage complex, high-volume benefit challenges. Recently completing breast cancer treatment further strengthened my resilience and reinforces my belief that caring deeply about outcomes for others is what truly sets me apart.
What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I ever received came from my mentor at Merrill Lynch, a manager who recognized my potential and promoted me after only three months. She built my confidence, taught me the financial industry, and gave me the opportunity to train new advisors. This mentorship laid the foundation for my leadership style and reinforced my commitment to a customer-first approach.
What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
My advice for young women entering this industry is to believe in yourself from the start, even when the job feels overwhelming. Ask questions and trust that you are capable of handling challenging tasks. Always maintain professionalism and empathy, even when working with difficult personalities. Take pride in being detail-oriented and dependable, as these qualities make you truly invaluable in the employee benefits field.
What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The biggest challenges in my field include navigating the middle ground between carriers, HR departments, and employees, resolving issues that are often beyond my control, and keeping up with constant industry changes. At the same time, there are significant opportunities to make a meaningful impact during stressful moments in people’s lives and to become a trusted advocate and reliable support system for employees and employers alike.
What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
The values most important to me in both my work and personal life are empathy, dignity and respect, honesty and accountability, and service. I strive to remember what it feels like to need help, treat people with respect, especially when they are vulnerable, own my mistakes and correct them, and support others during difficult situations. My experiences as a single mother and as a cancer survivor have deepened my appreciation for good health, strong support systems, and meaningful work.
Locations
Private Company
Indian Trail, NC 28079