Robert Cupp, chief fiduciary officer of WesBanco Trust and Investment Services, said he really enjoys the human side of his job and giving clients peace of mind.

WHEELING — Of the traits that Robert Cupp, chief fiduciary officer of WesBanco Trust and Investment Services, feels makes him effective in his job, chief among them is that he’s a good listener.

“To be successful in this business, you have to be an outstanding listener,” he said. “I’m more of a listener than a talker. I just found great value in hearing people’s stories.”

And in trust management, listening to clients’ stories allows Cupp to put together the best, tailor-made plan he can to make sure that client’s resources go exactly where necessary to help where they’re needed. Creating that lasting legacy is one of the things that Cupp enjoys most about his job.

Born in Wheeling and a West Liberty University graduate, Cupp earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology. He was looking at the industrial side of that discipline as his vocation, conducting efficiency analyses and time studies. It was statistics-heavy and repetitive, he said, and he realized it just wasn’t for him. He shifted gears and became the manager of the St. Clairsville Toys ‘R’ Us.

Yet, he didn’t completely abandon the financial world. Cupp said that, while working at Toys ‘R’ Us, participation in the 401k program was nearly 100% at the corporate level, but very low at the store level – except for Cupp’s store in St. Clairsville, where it was 100%. Corporate officials asked him why that was.

“I said, ‘Well, I got the material, and I gave a seminar in the break room for all the employees, and told them how to understand asset allocation and how to decide what they wanted to do. And so they all signed up,'” he said. “They said, ‘Can you do that with the other stores in the market?'”

So Cupp started visiting the region’s other Toys ‘R’ Us locations to give 401k seminars. In that process, he thought that might be his calling. So he got his brokerage license and went to work for asset management firm Legg Mason. During his training there, he was exposed to the company’s trust department and realized that was his future.

“I was really intrigued by the whole aspect of trust planning, building something that would last beyond your life,” he said.

His career would take him to WesBanco where, outside of a two-year stint as a vice president at United Bank, he has worked since 1998. Even though he’s in the banking world, Cupp said he routinely puts his psychology background to work in helping clients map out a plan for their finances.

“I’m like, tell me about the cast of characters in your family. And tell me what concerns you have for them. What dreams do you have for them? Tell me about the extension beyond that. How about children and grandchildren? Is there anybody that you’re particularly interested in that you think is going to really go places. Are there any others that are struggling, that you have concerns about?”

Through that, Cupp builds the roadmap that clients take back to their attorneys to create a trust plan.

Attorneys appreciate getting that map, Cupp said, rather than trying to divine a client’s desires through stream-of-conscious discussions. When that plan is set, clients come back to the bank and put the plan into action.

Trust management can help clients help others beyond familial bonds. Cupp said one of his favorite things he’s able to do is help clients set up private foundations that allow them to assist the causes they want to benefit with as much anonymity as they wish. That way, Cupp said, the client can continue making meaningful contributions long after they’re gone and also enjoy seeing the benefits of their generosity while they’re here.

Cupp said that, for prospective clients, the most effective way to start creating a trust is to have a plan, to be able to answer the many questions Cupp would ask in an initial consultation. That way, the client can more quickly figure out the best way to leave a lasting legacy.

Trust management is a lot about offering clients peace of mind, Cupp said. He has had pretty raw conversations with clients. He has seen them upset and worried about the future. He has seen them overjoyed when things work out.

Cupp remembered one client for whom he created a trust who had a son with special needs. The client wanted to make sure his son would always be cared for, even after he was gone. It was a longstanding relationship and, as the client grew older, his health began to decline. One day, the client called Cupp very upset.

“He just says to me, ‘Bob,’ and there’s just silence on the line. And I’m waiting, and I’m waiting and waiting, and I can hear him breathing, and he’s like, ‘I just can’t do it anymore,'” Cupp said. “And I just said, ‘Don’t worry about it. It’s all going to be fine. We’ve got everything in place. Don’t worry about a thing.”

That client died the next week, Cupp said, but he was able to give that client the comfort in knowing everything would be OK. That, Cupp said, is one of the most rewarding parts of his job, to offer peace.

“There’s a lot of great things that happen while you’re alive,” Cupp said, “and the trust allows those great things to continue after you’re gone.”