Andrew, with his wife Stephanie, are expecting their first child in September
Content provided by Robyn Murray, Freelance Writer
It’s Christmas morning, and brightly colored wrapping paper lies in shredded swirls as four kids sit around the tree tearing through presents. Ribbons, papers, and boxes fly around the room, while 7-year-old Andrew Reisdorff keeps a mental tally. In the lead, his eldest sister with $50 worth of toys. But close behind, his other sister, who still has one more present left to open than she does. In third place, he and his brother are neck-and-neck.
This is how Christmas works in Reisdorff’s number-crunching brain.
“I’d keep a running total of how much they got and how much I got,” Reisdorff recalled with a laugh. More exciting than any shiny new toy or gift were running the numbers, besting the competition – and of course, counting the money. “I’ve always liked money,” he said. “I just like accumulating it. I’ve always been a saver.”
At home, Reisdorff made a mini business of penny sales, selling stuff he didn’t want to his siblings and making small profits. (When your parents buy it, you don’t have to sell it for much to make a profit.) At school, he’d trade football and basketball cards, feeling exhilarated when he made a good deal.
Today, Reisdorff is still counting dollars and making trades. But the prices have gone way up.
From the Playground to the Trading Desk
Reisdorff, a 6’ tall guy with an easy laugh, grew up on 15 acres of prairie farmland outside Lincoln, NE. His father, an accountant by day, planted rows of spruces and pines and turned the land into a tree farm where families could drive up and pick out their Christmas trees for the holidays. It was a small, successful side business, and it kept the family busy. Reisdorff learned a little about managing money from the business and watching his father work as an accountant. “It brings security,” he said. “If you have money, it’s not something you have to worry about. If you don’t, it’s something you do.”
Reisdorff envisioned himself working at a bank, providing loans for homes and cars to his neighbors. He hadn’t imagined the possibilities of finance until he went to college and enrolled in his first general finance class. After he graduated, he took a job providing loans at a finance company in Omaha, and four years ago took a position with CLS. Now, he is on a team responsible for making multimillion-dollar trades. The team works with brokers to get the best trading prices, or trades directly, which Reisdorff enjoys most. “Trying to get the best price, moving it up and down, trying to get someone to come to your price,” he said. It reminds him of being back on the playground trading cards. “You’re trying to get the best value for what you have to give up. Both sides have to agree, but obviously you want to come away pleased.”
Reisdorff enjoys the team he works with and the company. “It’s growing,” he said, “which is good to be a part of. Every six months or so, there’s something new here. It’s never stagnant or stale.” Reisdorff’s personal life is growing too. He got married last summer, and he and his wife are getting ready for a baby in September, painting rooms and picking out names.
If anyone’s keeping tally, Reisdorff is doing well. He might not be living the dream, but he’s pretty close. “A dream job would probably be to run a pro football or basketball team, but that’s a pretty big dream,” he said with a laugh. “No, this is where I want to be.”
1721-CLS-5/26/2016