Pioneering to Serve Intercultural Clients Better: NAIFA Diversity Champion Stephen Kagawa

How can the financial industry better serve our diverse world? With innovative thinking and fresh approaches.

Looking through the eyes of those we serve. Aligning our offerings, processes, networks, and alliances to their needs. Meeting them where they are.

Stephen Kagawa and his team are leading the way with this kind of fresh thinking.

Focusing on the Asian, Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities, they’ve developed a distinctive way of doing business. And it is fueling growth in their thriving financial organization, The Pacific Bridge Companies (Pacific Bridge) and Aloha Financial Advisors.

Pacific Bridge is a vibrant intercultural wealth management firm.

They work with wealth advisors across Asia and the United States. They deliver services to help clients meet cross-border realities, including:

• Providing highly tailored financial strategies for individuals, families, and businesses
• Navigating the complexities of intergenerational financial matters between the U.S., Asia, and worldwide
• Guiding first-generation and ethnic communities from Asia in financially acclimating to their lives in the U.S.

This independent financial firm has deep roots serving the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities.

Stephen is third generation of his family in the financial services industry. During a paid internship, one of his trainers helped open Stephen’s eyes to see life insurance as more than just a product. “She shared the story of how life insurance dramatically changed her outcome. It moved me to tears,” Stephen recalls. He came to appreciate the value of the services his family and others like them provide to their clients and communities. Though the years, he re-imagined his practice to what it is today: helping financial advisors guide their clients wherever in the world their lives may lead. “I didn’t want to just maintain. I wanted to leave my own legacy, similarly to what my father and grandfather did. That thinking led to a new vision: transforming Pacific Bridge into a truly intercultural firm.”

Real clients inspired Stephen’s vision.

“We saw the unique challenges our clients faced – whether financial, practical, or personal. One major reason? Geographic fragmentation. Some family members remain in Asia while others emigrate to the United States. Business owners and their teams work in both countries. Cultural disconnects can make it even harder. These realities present challenges that, frankly, our industry has been slow to help solve. Our vision is to lead the way in tackling those tough issues.”

Bridging continents, countries and cultures is at the heart of this vision.

Stephen and his team are bringing it to life through exploration and hard work. Stephen shares learnings from the journey:

1. Dig into culture: “Early in our transformation, I had an a-ha moment. I realized I was looking at everything through my ‘red, white and blue eyes.’ I am an American. That is awesome, but it brings with it a worldview that can be limiting when serving clients in an intercultural financial practice. So, I made a radical move. I spent several weeks every month visiting Japan to immerse myself in the culture. I dug into what matters most to them. Explored intergenerational money dynamics. Learned the toughest things they face. I did this for years. It was game-changing. One example is how we speak of taxes. In the U.S., we freely discuss tax minimization strategies. You simply don’t discuss this openly in Japanese culture. I could go on and on. I gained insights that were essential in elevating our practice.”
2. Expand your network: “It takes a team to tackle the challenges of intercultural clients. Multiple disciplines must come together,” Stephen observes. “This may include insurance providers, tax professionals, investment advisors, bankers and legal consultants. Bringing the right people to the table, you can break through many of the ‘obstacle illusions’”. He has started a brain trust of allied professionals to exchange ideas and best practices. As a preferred provider at Pacific Bridge, Ameritas is part of the dialog. “They are ready to join us at the table to provide financial alternatives for advisors and clients,” he affirms. “They help us meet needs with choice and flexibility.”
3. Invest in access: “We’re committed to creating access to our teams, in relevant locations,” says Stephen. “Serving clients well means being where they are.” Pacific Bridge includes ten interdependent financial planning and wealth management firms in the U.S. and Asia. They are headquartered in Monrovia, California, and maintain offices in Honolulu, Tokyo, and Hong Kong.

What’s next? Expanding the vision to serve others.

“Our current focus is the Asian, Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities. But these learnings can apply to any culture, any community. There is a world full of people the financial services industry can serve better,” asserts Stephen. “Our planet is increasingly connected and fluid. How are we helping people whose American lives intersect with other cultures and other countries? Our country gives us freedom to explore new frontiers, to invent new things. We need to rise to that great opportunity.”

The financial services industry is taking notice.

Stephen was honored as 2020 Diversity Champion by the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors (NAIFA). He is also a regular recipient of top honors with the Million Dollar Round Table (MDRT). The accolades have opened doors for more dialog. “I’m inviting my industry colleagues to join me in changing the way financial services are delivered,” he says. “Everywhere I go now, people are eager to talk about helping their clients better. That’s exciting. But I’m more interested in action than dialog. To fulfill our promise, we’ve got to roll up our sleeves, together. Transformation is tough. But it’s worth it.”

Learn more about Stephen Kagawa and The Pacific Bridge Companies.

Connect with Stephen on Linked In

Interested in growing your own independent financial practice with Ameritas? Learn more.

Stephen Kagawa and The Pacific Bridge Companies are not affiliates of Ameritas or any of its subsidiaries