Ilana Cotrim

I began my professional journey in 2000 in Brazil, driven by a strong sense of justice that led me to law school. While studying, I fell in love with capital markets as a subject and decided to pursue a career in that field. I worked as legal counsel for major banks in Brazil, including Banco Santander and Itaubank, for nearly 10 years. When I moved to the U.S. in 2010, I faced a choice between returning to school for a JD or transitioning into a different role within the financial industry. I chose the natural path and started in Swiss private banking just four months after arriving. After having my first child, I moved to a family office for more flexibility, then returned to my previous team to maintain my licenses. I worked with that same team when we moved to XP Securities, and since 2018, I've been at Merrill Lynch with a different team. I've been there almost eight years now. Three years ago, I earned the CPWA designation, and I continue to study and grow constantly. I currently serve as business manager for my financial advisor team, where I function as the COO. My days are varied - I help clients with transfers, investments, trades, and succession planning, working closely with our wealth planning team to understand each client's situation and determine the best setup for them. I also manage all the client associates, oversee our metrics and numbers, and ensure we're delivering on expectations. I really like what I do and don't see myself doing anything else.