William F. Casey, III

William F. Casey, III is a principal and senior financial advisor in the HBKS^® Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, office. His distinguished career includes senior management positions at some of the most respected global financial institutions, including GMAC, Merrill Lynch, Salomon Smith Barney, Union Bank of Switzerland and Mellon Bank.

Bill has a technical background in global banking, asset and liability management, and investments, as well as vast administrative experience. His reputation for hard work and results-oriented pursuit, led to a variety of successful leadership assignments in Zurich, London, Brussels, New York, Toronto and Philadelphia. He joined HBKS^® in 2017 as his firm, Locust Capital Management, merged with HBKS^®.

Bill graduated from Lafayette College with a B.A. in economics/finance and from Temple University’s Executive MBA program. He is active in his community, volunteering his time as a board member for the Bacharach Hospital Foundation and Carson Valley Children’s Aid.

Have you always been interested in finance?

When I was finishing college and interviewing with different industries, most of the opportunities were commissioned sales positions. But I wanted something that I thought would be more substantive, so I was introduced to the banking industry. With a degree in economics and a minor in finance, I was hired into a very well respected bank’s credit analysis training program. I became a financial institutions analyst, which led to a corporate loan officer position. I continued to use my analytical skills and migrated to a role managing client relationships. I then gained exposure to balance sheets, corporate structures, and some very interesting financing strategies when I moved to a role as an assistant treasurer of a Wall Street firm.

These experiences ultimately led me to wealth management where I helped start an RIA. Today as a wealth advisor, I work less with corporations and more with individuals. Dealing with individuals has been fascinating as every situation is unique and the solutions we recommend are very customized

To what do you attribute the success you’ve experienced in your career?

I’m very competitive. I grew up playing sports and I still play squash. I guess I was driven to sports because of my competitiveness. Training and hard work are critical to being an athlete. As a result, I am extremely responsive to my clients. They have my cell phone number and I want them to know they can call me anytime.

What would you look for in a wealth manager?

Hungry and driven are two qualities that resonate with me.  To me someone who’s self-made and self-driven. Work ethic is critical and I’d tell someone looking to hire a wealth manager to look for that in a resume and in an interview.

A genuine respect for the individual is also critical. My mentor, the son of a Chinese immigrant, taught me a lot about respect and managing relationships. Every day when I came to work, he’d ask me, “How can I help you today?” It was his leadership style – he felt like he worked for us, not the other way round – Management, as a relationship!

What is most fulfilling about your work?

Being a fiduciary, we are charged with treating our clients’ assets like they were our own. I take great pride in gaining the trust of our clients and helping them as their trusted advisor. I also enjoy running the office and mentoring our young professionals. There’s nothing more rewarding than contributing to a young professional’s development into an extraordinary contributor.

I sit on nonprofit boards and work in the community because giving back is a very important responsibility that was instilled in me at a young age by my family and then again by my mentor. He was so selfless and generous, and inspired me to be that way to others.

How would you describe the culture at HBKS^®?

The entire HBKS® family and partners are wonderful to deal with and associate with as a partner. They are a family and treat everyone with respect, are extremely pleasant to deal with and leave their egos at the door.