Jessica Miles joined Merrill in 2014 after earning a bachelor’s degree in corporate finance from the University of South Carolina. She serves as a senior vice president and wealth management adviser at Ellison Kibler. As the first female partner on one of the oldest wealth management practices at Merrill, Miles offers a fresh perspective to financial planning for affluent individuals, retirement plans, foundations, and endowments. She holds the Certified Financial Planner CFP certification. Her dedication to delivering personalized and comprehensive strategies helps to ensure that each client’s unique needs and goals are met.
Leadership to me means walking beside people, not in front of them. It means understanding what someone needs to succeed and then doing everything in your power to help them get there. Whether it's a client trying to navigate a major financial decision or a colleague early in their career, my job is to listen first, ask the right questions, and then show up fully for that person. I've never believed that leadership is about being the loudest voice in the room. It's about making sure the right voices are heard.
My greatest strength is building trust. With clients, that means asking thoughtful questions, listening carefully, and following through every time. With my team, it means being honest, being present, and investing in people's growth the same way I invest in my clients’ futures. I’m still working on giving myself permission to pause and celebrate progress. I tend to move on quickly to the next goal and I’m learning that acknowledging wins, for myself and my team, matters just as much as chasing them.
I’ve been fortunate to have many mentors throughout my career, but my partner Rick Migliore stands out as someone who truly changed my trajectory. He gave me a chance early on when I was still finding my footing in this business and believed in my potential before I had the track record to prove it. Having someone open doors and advocate for you is something I don’t take for granted, and it’s why I try to do the same for others now.
My greatest fear is not leaving things better than I found them for my team, for the families I serve, for the young women coming up in this industry. I don’t think about legacy in a big formal way. I focus on whether I showed up today in a way that meant something to someone.
The best advice I ever received was to be comfortable being uncomfortable. Growth doesn’t happen in the easy moments. It happens when you raise your hand for something you're not sure you're ready for, when you have the hard conversation instead of avoiding it, and when you stay in the room even when you feel out of place. The decisions that shaped my career the most were the ones that pushed me beyond what felt safe or certain. Looking back, every time I leaned into the discomfort instead of away from it, something good came from it. I've tried to carry that lesson with me and pass it on to others whenever I can.
Becoming the first female partner at Ellison Kibler, one of Merrill's oldest and largest practices, is something I'm incredibly proud of. But honestly, my greatest accomplishment is the relationships we've built along the way. Helping families navigate some of the most important financial decisions of their lives and seeing them come back with their children and grandchildren is what means the most to me. The recognition is an honor, but their trust is the real accomplishment.
Listening is a skill, not just a pause between talking. The advisers and leaders who truly listen and who make people feel heard before they offer a single recommendation are the ones who build the deepest relationships and the most enduring careers. I’ve tried to make that my foundation, both in how I serve my clients and how I help lead my team.
I would have trusted my instincts sooner. Early in my career, I sometimes hesitated or deferred in rooms where I absolutely belonged. It took time for me to realize that my perspective as a woman, as a CFP, and as someone who genuinely cares about people wasn’t just valid, it was valuable. I’d tell my younger self to take up space with confidence because the lens you bring to the table is exactly what clients and colleagues need.
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