Vince DiLeva ’96

It was the early 90s and Michael Jordan was a global phenomenon. Vince DiLeva ’96 was in high school and his dad started telling him about the stock market. Naturally, DiLeva looked to Nike as a company he wanted to follow. Soon after, his love of investing was born.

His curiosity of the stock market continued as an undergrad at LMU College of Business Administration where he took classes in entrepreneurship, finance, marketing, and real estate investment. And although he had a pretty good idea of his eventual career, he also secured a few internships at brokerage houses.

"I think probably the best form of figuring things out as a student is to have different internships in a field that you think you have an interest in to understand what the day-to-day life is for that career," said DiLeva. "Having a real-life opportunity to dip your toe into what a job looks like is a great stepping stone to see if it's a real interest."

While still an undergrad, DiLeva interviewed with one of the founding partners of SEIA, Signature Estate & Investment Advisors, Inc. He's been with the company ever since, working directly with clients to help them plan for their futures, whether it's retirement goals or vacation home goals. In today's uncertain financial climate, DiLeva does more than coach his clients on their investments.

"Investing can be very emotional, and our job with clients is to take that emotion out and build the right plan and path to help them be successful, whether they are working toward retirement, or once they are retired, figuring out 'how do I live on my assets now?' My job is to put them at ease so when they want to stop working, they have a plan in place."

It's fitting that DiLeva's pathway to investment management began with a pair of Air Jordans. Today, it's led him back to basketball through SEIA's sponsorship of LMU Athletics and men's basketball. "The idea of giving back to universities has always been first and foremost for the firm," he said. "My wife and I are both alumni, and we love the school. I had a short stint in baseball, and being involved in sports was an incredible experience for me, so if we can give back to the community through LMU Athletics, I'm pleased to do that."

If you'd like more information on investment management, you can reach Vince DiLeva ’96 at 310.712.2320 or vdileva@seia.com. To support LMU Athletics, visit lionsathleticfund.com.