Lester P. Botkin CFP®
Les Botkin has been a financial advisor since 1997. Now, as Chief Executive Officer of Botkin Family Wealth Management, Les continues his life work of developing strategies for clients to help grow their money then transition their earnings into a successful retirement. “Investors need to have a strategy in place for converting their life savings into a retirement income stream that can withstand the volatility of the stock market,” says Les. “Management of volatility is important once you’re spending your savings rather than adding to them.”
The opening of Botkin Family Wealth Management in 2015 was the culmination of a long-time dream for Les. “As a small business owner in America, I feel uniquely connected to my clients, many of whom are also entrepreneurs. And as an independent financial advisor, I feel exhilarated to have the freedom to deliver advice and service in the way I know best serves the client.” At Botkin Family Wealth Management, Les works with clients to:
- develop investment strategies geared to their personal and financial goals
- instill confidence in retirement readiness by determining the level of retirement income needed and establishing a systematic savings plan toward that goal
- create an investment plan geared toward providing both income and growth during retirement, with defensive strategies for handling volatility
- monitor market conditions and their impact on the portfolio, keeping an eye on withdrawal rate and regularly reaching out to inquire about changing needs
Before founding Botkin Family Wealth Management, Les served as Senior Vice President at Morgan Stanley in Upper St. Clair, PA. He was previously Senior Vice President at the Pittsburgh financial planning firm of Hefren-Tillotson. Les honed his business development skills and his gift of communicating effectively in his former career as a PGA golf professional. He was the original director of golf at Pittsburgh’s exclusive Jack Nicklaus signature course The Club at Nevillewood, where he played the course’s opening round with Nicklaus himself, losing by one stroke. “A great relief!” Les recalls. As a pro at other clubs, he owned as well as managed the golf shop, golf program and staff.
Les is committed to continuing his education in financial planning to ensure that clients receive the most informed and current advice. He is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional and holds a BS in Business Administration from La Roche College and an Executive Certificate in Financial Planning from Duquesne University. When asked why he invests so much time in professional development while he has his own business to run, Les says the choice is simple: “If you’re not engaged in professional education and development, you’re not equipped to give clients the most current and accurate information on topics related to their investments.” Les extends his focus on education to fellow advisors and is a favorite colleague of many, always opening his door to those seeking advice and mentorship. Les says, “I enjoy seeing others succeed, and if I can contribute to their success in even a small way, that’s a great feeling.”
Les has been profiled by Reuters and interviewed by WPXI-TV’s Our Region’s Business and Word 101.5 about the greatest risks facing retirees. In addition, he has written articles on investing that have appeared in magazines including Boomers, Upper St. Clair Today and US Airways. Having always been active in the community, Les is past president of the McKeesport Salvation Army, a past board member of the Tri-State PGA, and a current committee member of the FamilyLinks Charity Golf Outing.
Les and his wife Barbara live in Peters Township, PA. They have two children and five grandchildren. “I’ve been lucky in life,” he muses. “I was born to great parents and for more than 40 years I’ve been married to a wonderful woman who did a spectacular job raising our children. I’ve also been blessed with a lot of supportive friends and colleagues along the way.”
