Keith Piken was recently named president of Capital Group Private Client Services. In this interview, Keith discusses his background, lessons he’s learned and his commitment to clients.

Tell us a bit about yourself.

I was born in Brookline, Massachusetts, about a mile away from Fenway Park, and raised in Sudbury, a suburb outside Boston. My father sold women’s coats and my mother was a homemaker. Neither of them had a financial background, so they were both very surprised when at 13 years old I began pestering them with questions about certificates of deposit. I’ve always been intellectually curious about finance and the markets, and I enjoy trying to understand “why and how” things work.

You have an amusing story about your first job out of college.

After graduating from Boston College, I was hired into a two-year training program at Fidelity Investments. I was thrilled at the opportunity and thought I made the big time until I was taken to my “office,” which was a desk in the copy room. Picture two industrial size copiers and me at a small desk. I laugh at it today but it ended up being an invaluable learning experience because I got to know a lot of people quickly, as everyone inevitably came in to make copies and would do a double take. “Wait, this guy isn’t in here making a copy. He’s actually sitting in here.” Talk about a conversation starter.

What drew you to Capital Group Private Client Services?

Part of it is personal. My dad passed away unexpectedly when I was in my mid-20s. It was a big blow to our family and, aside from the grief every family goes through in losing a loved one, his passing raised a number of financial questions. As the oldest son and the one in the financial industry, it fell to me to sort it out: Where are the mortgage documents? Did he have life insurance? Does my mother have enough money to live?

We didn’t have an advisor, so I was forced to learn a lot in a very short period of time. I remember thinking, “Wow, imagine if there was someone who could help me with this and walk me through what I should do.”

This experience showed me in a very personal way the importance of professional advice, financial planning and the tremendous difference that a knowledgeable and trustworthy advisor can make. That’s why our Private Wealth Advisors work so closely with clients and put so much emphasis on getting to know them as people, getting to know their families and understanding what’s important to all of them. We place a high priority on advance planning because we want clients to be prepared for whatever comes their way financially — good or bad.

Capital Group Private Client Services devotes a lot of resources to serving clients through expanded investment options, more comprehensive wealth management services and upgraded technology tools. Will that continue?

We continually seek to improve and to give clients the best service in every way possible. For example, we’ve put a lot of effort into improving our digital tools, especially the client portal through which clients access their accounts. We plan to do more in terms of technology — mobile and digital — all with the goal of improving ease of use, access to information and overall functionality. In the same vein, we will continue to roll out new investment options and wealth planning capabilities to meet clients’ growing financial needs.

What’s your vision for Capital Group Private Client Services going forward?

It all starts with what won’t change, and that’s our core beliefs. Our commitment to clients, and to always doing the right thing for them, will never change. I believe deeply in our mission. Clients have always been — and will always be — our North Star. Someone recently asked me what I want clients to say about us and my answer was simple. I said, “I want them to keep saying what they’re saying about us now.”

The financial industry tends to gauge success in terms of asset size or how big a firm is. We don’t. We measure ourselves by how good a job do we do in taking care of the clients who’ve entrusted us with their wealth and their family’s generational wealth. I always think about the families and the foundations and the not-for-profits that we serve. We have very direct influence over the financial aspects of their lives. That position of trust is a blessing and it’s very important to us. That’s never going to change.