From Marine to Schwab branch manager

Before Casey Zeringue became Schwab’s Cherry Creek, CO branch manager, he spent four years as a Marine serving in a reconnaissance unit—now known as MARSOC—where he trained Special Forces teams, deployed to Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Somalia, Djibouti, and Ethiopia, and jumped from planes as part of a HALO team. 

“I was part of a direct-action team,” he says. “You travel the world, train elite teams, and operate in high-stakes environments. It was intense, but it taught me ownership, accountability, and discipline—values I still carry with me.”

What he remembers most fondly from his time in the military is the sense of shared mission. “You’re surrounded by professionals who are all focused on the same goal. That kind of unity is rare.”

After leaving the military in 2007, Casey faced a challenge familiar to many veterans: finding a new career that could match the intensity and purpose of military life. 

While finishing his degree at CU Boulder, Casey attended a student career coffee event and noticed a Schwab representative sitting alone. Casey introduced himself and shared his story—military service, private security work, small business ownership, and a late start to college. After an hour-long conversation, the rep said, “I would welcome the chance to have a leader like you at Schwab.” 

That moment stuck with Casey. “It showed me that Schwab values military experience.”

Soon after, Casey joined the second cohort of Schwab’s Financial Consultant Academy—a program that specifically recruits career changers and people with life experience outside of the finance industry.  

“It was the perfect jumping-off point,” he says. “You get your licenses, learn the business, and build the foundation for a long-term career.”

Though the corporate environment was a stark contrast to his military past, Casey found purpose in the challenge. “I was underprepared, sure. But I leaned into the positives. I was older than most of my cohort, and my military training made me a natural leader. That gave me confidence and a sense of direction.” 

Today, Casey leads his branch with the same mission-first mindset he learned in the Marines. “I treat my branch like a military unit. I lead through ownership, accountability, and discipline. I coach my team to think collectively, not just individually. We’re here to champion our clients’ goals, and that takes teamwork.”

He credits Schwab’s leadership culture for allowing him to thrive. “Schwab lets me forge my own path and trusts me to complete my missions as I see fit. Trust like that is hard to find.”

Mentorship is a cornerstone of Casey’s leadership. He’s a regular mentor in Denver’s First-Generation Multicultural Student Program and often connects with veterans through Schwab’s Military Veterans Network (MVN), an employee resource group for veterans, active military, military spouses and military supporters that’s open to all employees. “When a veteran joins Schwab, my name usually comes up. I help them navigate the transition to corporate life, understand the culture, and find their footing.”

He believes mentorship is about paying it forward. “Nobody gets anywhere alone. If I have wisdom to share, keeping it to myself would be selfish. I want the people I mentor to be better than me someday.”

Casey’s journey—from Marine to mentor, from coffee meeting to branch manager—is a testament to Schwab’s commitment to actively recruiting military members, veterans and military spouses. It’s also a reflection of the mutual respect between Casey and the firm.