Danielle Papandrea

As the head of the Merrill Practice Management Group, Danielle oversees a team of 20+ coaches and specialists providing industry-leading coaching, facilitation and thought leadership resulting in personal and business peak performance. Danielle and her team are focused on empowering financial advisors and teams to realize their potential, deliver a modern client experience, and drive responsible growth. The Practice Management Group is deeply connected and integrated within thousands of practices through proactive outreach and coaching programs available to all teammates.
Danielle Papandrea has more than 25 years of experience in the financial service industry, focusing on innovative learning and development for financial professionals and leaders. Before coming back to Merrill, Danielle was with BlackRock and founded numerous programs and partnerships including Affinity Partners (leading engagements with clients growing their business by working at the intersection of strategy, planning, operations, leadership, and culture); the Emerging Leader Lab (a ten-month leadership program for Mega RIA leaders); the Build Your Business curriculum (including the Advisory Growth Formula, foundational to all advisor training offerings); and the Professional Development Institute (delivering training programs for internal divisional managers and sales teams).
Danielle previously spent over 15 years at Merrill Lynch/Bank of America. She led Global Financial Advisor Learning, was a pivotal contributor to the design of the Optimal Practice Model curriculum, and innovated numerous programs, including the Essential Partner Leadership Training, a holistic performance enhancement system, and Peer to Peer, designed to enhance advisor shared best practices. Danielle holds the CFP® and CIMA® designation. She is FINRA Series 7 and 63 registered. She is an ICF-Certified leadership coach through Georgetown University and a certified practitioner of many leadership tools and assessments. As a lifelong learner, Danielle holds a Master’s in Organizational Development and Leadership and certificates from Harvard Extension School, Wharton Executive Development, Security Industry Institute. She graduated from St. John’s University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Finance.
Danielle is an active mentor to many and a member of various advocacy groups. She resides in New York City with her husband and children.