Sirus Turkzadeh’s early career ambitions stemmed from his mother’s financial expertise in day trading. Following his undergraduate studies and early career experience at Bank of America, Sirus (’24SPS, Wealth Management) embarked on a successful seven-year journey in wealth management.
Motivated by a desire to challenge himself and enhance his professional capabilities, Sirus next decided to pursue a Master of Professional Studies in Wealth Management degree from Columbia University School of Professional Studies (SPS). It was a decision he kept a closely guarded secret throughout the rigorous 16-month program—surprising his family the morning of his graduation.
Now, armed with insights gained from the Wealth Management program, Sirus strives to further advance his career. In a recent chat, he shared what he gained from his time at Columbia SPS and how he kept his enrollment a surprise from his family.
Can you tell us about yourself and your background before entering Columbia's Wealth Management program?
I am a first-generation Iranian-American. I was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. I owe everything I have to my mom, who sacrificed everything to raise me and my brother after my dad passed when I was 11. I attended the University of California, Irvine, earning my bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with a dual emphasis in accounting and finance. During my time at school, I worked for Bank of America as a teller. I quickly realized that I liked banking and finance and knew I would like to pursue this further. I jumped right into the wealth management space working at Morgan Stanley in their advisor trainee program.
I’ve spent seven years in the industry and have loved every moment of it. I met my business partner at Merrill Lynch, where I was recruited after completing Morgan Stanley’s trainee program. We are now at Royal Bank of Canada and continuing to grow our business.
What initially drew you to the field of wealth management, and how did you decide to pursue your studies at Columbia?
There’s a home video we found recently of me at age three. My mom laughs in the video and asks if I want to work on Wall Street, and I nod affirmatively. Fortunately for me, my mom was a trader until I was five. She stayed at home with me and my younger brother, and she would trade options for herself. I remember her asking me to read the value of the Dow while she took a shower and report back to her. The numbers were too big for me to know, so I would give her single digits. I would watch CNBC with her and stare at the tape of symbols until I would get dizzy. At night, my mom would put on Louis Rukeyser’s show Wall Street Week and I would sit and pretend like I understood what was going on.
Fast forward to college, I had completely forgotten that I ever wanted to be a Wall Street broker. While working at Bank of America, a nice couple would always ask me for help with investments. My manager would jump in and stop me from giving them advice (I was obviously not licensed), but I realized that maybe wealth management could be my calling. I gave it a shot, and I have not looked back. I am so lucky to be able to say that I truly love my job.
Sirus Turkzadeh and his family after the big reveal on Graduation Day.
Could you share the reason behind your decision to keep your enrollment in the program a secret from your family until the morning of graduation?
My fiancée says that I love surprising people. I think it makes me happy to do something out of the ordinary for people. I remember looking into the program while my brother was attending Columbia Law School. I have to say that my brother was a big inspiration to me with his decision to go to Columbia. I had started looking into CFP® programs, and noticed the Wealth Management master’s program at Columbia SPS. When I first mentioned the program, my mom and brother thought that it would be too large of a commitment which could affect my job. I decided that I would make this a challenge for myself to complete this program and surprise them at the end.
How did you manage to balance your studies at Columbia with keeping this aspect of your life private from your family?
This was extremely difficult to do. I have to give a lot of appreciation to my fiancée, Danielle, who was one of the only people that knew and was able to help me stay sane throughout the difficult 16 months of the program. I remember my brother coming over and seeing my screen, and I would panic and close the tabs so that he would not see the Columbia logo or websites open. On numerous occasions, I thought that the surprise was blown, but somehow we made it to graduation.
My mom was over the moon and in utter shock when I revealed the surprise. My brother was also extremely proud of what I had accomplished. They both also realized why I was working so hard for the past 16 months and would miss out on events to study.
Can you describe how your experience at Columbia's Wealth Management program has influenced your career aspirations?
From the first semester, the Wealth Management program at Columbia changed my career. I had a one-on-one call with Professor Bill Woodson where we discussed my current goals and the types of clients I was bringing into my practice. He told me to increase my minimum to $10 million immediately and that I was underselling myself. He said that being in this program and the caliber of advisor that I aspire to be should be reflected in the types of clients I am bringing on. My partner and I increased our minimum to $10 million that week and we had our best year in the business.
The program taught me to think bigger and better for myself. I was able to get access to decades of experience through all of my incredible professors. To be honest, I am very jealous of the new cohorts that get to experience 14 weeks of Bill Woodson’s class, The Wealth Management Landscape.
What are your plans now that you've graduated from Columbia's Wealth Management program, and what goals do you have for the future?
One of the things that I plan to do is stay very involved in the program. I would love to become a Course Associate for one of the classes and maybe someday lecture for the program. Careerwise, the goal is to become a million-dollar producer as fast as possible. I have already passed my CFP®, which I am very happy is done and behind me. I am looking forward to growing my book of business and staying connected with the Columbia community!
About the Program
A 16-month online program with asynchronous instruction, specially designed to accommodate working professionals, Columbia University’s Master of Professional Studies in Wealth Management program is taught by distinguished faculty with deep, applied experience in their respective fields. Additionally, it is a CFP® Board Registered Program designed to help students meet the educational requirements for CFP® certification.
