Shakeel Manji
Associate Advisor
Telarray’s newest staffer, Shakeel Manji, first came to Memphis from England for an unusual reason: “I was recruited here for tennis, and played all four years at the University of Memphis. We were a D1, top-25 team. I loved it.” He loved it so much that Manji stayed to get his MBA with an international focus at the Fogelman School of Business, where he first heard about Telarray.
“After I graduated in 2020, I was talking to Telarray about a job on the investment team,” he said, “but then I got stuck in England during the COVID lockdown, and my visa fell through. It was a challenging time.”
Maybe the lockdown delay was a blessing in disguise because, by the time Manji got back to the States, coaching tennis to make ends meet, he’d begun talking to Telarray President Richard Paessler about another job. This client-facing role is better suited to his strengths and passion for helping others.
Finally, good news: Shakeel got his visa in November and began working this month in a new, six-month training program designed to help him become an Advisor at Telarray.
“Right now, I’m with Brandy and the client services team. Then I’ll go two months with the investment team and two months with the reporting team. By that time, I’ll have my Series 65 license and begin working with Owen (Keith), helping him with all of his client needs.” Eventually, Manji hopes to work toward his CFP (Certified Financial Planner) designation and build his own client base. “I’m excited – it’s a good opportunity, and I’m grateful to be a part of the team at Telarray.”
“I think Shakeel is going to do exceptionally well,” said Paessler, who is also eager to see the results of the new training program.
Everyone at Telarray has been friendly and welcoming, said Manji. “It’s been great to see how knowledgeable and helpful everyone is. I’ve already learned so much.”
