The Trust Point Young Professionals (TPYP) Group gathered in Minneapolis, Minnesota on Thursday, May 15th for their second quarterly event of 2025. The theme this quarter was “Problem Solving & Critical Thinking.”
Giving Back at the Ronald McDonald House Charities
Before diving into discussion, the group spent the morning at the Ronald McDonald House Charities, Upper Midwest. Volunteering tasks ranged from cleaning a play castle to organizing the numerous food pantry donations received by the organization. The staff members were kind enough to provide a tour and educate on all of the wonderful things they do for ill children and their families on a daily basis. It was another fulfilling opportunity for TPYP members to give back to the community and learn about the Ronald McDonald House’s mission and values.
Building Critical Thinking and Problem Solving Skills
As the group entered the skill building portion of the day, Randy Van Rooyen, CFA®, CEPA®, SVP of Strategic Relationships and Bill Bosch, President and CEO, led an activity called “Think Like A CEO,” in which several real-life examples were proposed to the group. TPYP members responded with their thoughts on how a couple situations should be managed and what to consider when making these decisions.
In addition, Erica Rytilahti, CTFA, Chief Strategy Officer and Christine Schmidt, CFP®, Senior Managing Director, Family Office spoke about the history of Trust Point’s long-range plan and how the process has shifted over the years, involving more employees rather than just being overseen by the management team. The Young Professionals then had the opportunity to break into groups to discuss whether to create a new long-range plan themselves at the end of the year, or to focus on moving the group forward without one.
The group also ran through a case study about the tax estimate process, guided by Olivia Dwyer, TPYP member, Operational Tax & Process Specialist. She discussed key team members involved, steps in the tax estimate process, and the volume of tasks during key tax processing times. It was eye opening, especially for those not directly involved in this process. The activity helped the whole group understand what other team members throughout the company work on, and how much time and effort are required for our processes to flow smoothly and efficiently to best serve our clients.
Focusing on Service
On the topic of service, the day wrapped up discussing service in a reverse brainstorming activity. After a brief intermission and tornado threat lead the group to evacuate to the basement, examples of good and bad service to clients were discussed. The group reached the consensus that Trust Point has metrics for good service in place by creating teams to respond to clients and internal contacts, acting in a timely manner, and always doing the right thing. These are exemplified both within the organization as a whole, and the TPYP group.
The group looks forward to their next quarterly event to continue building their skills.
