Donald J. Trump Calls on Financial Professionals to Have Passion and Stay Focused

In a Speech at the Association for Financial Professionals Annual Conference, Trump Outlines Steps to Success in Business and in Life

SAN DIEGO, CA – NOVEMBER 7, 2004 – Business leader Donald Trump, speaking to the thousands of finance and treasury professionals attending the 25th Annual Conference of the Association for Financial Professionals (AFP), told the audience that the first step to success in business or in life is finding work you can be passionate about.

Trump, who recently attracted millions of viewers as executive producer and star of the NBC reality drama, "The Apprentice," has had his share of challenges, but has always recovered by following his instincts and working hard. He urged financial professionals to love what they do but sometimes go against the tide because “You can never be sure when you might fail.”

Not that this has stopped Trump from pursuing new deals. He’s currently building the biggest structure in Las Vegas and a 90-story tower in Chicago, he says. In fact, making money in bad markets is just as easy as making money in good markets, Trump said, if you follow your instincts and filter out bad advice. “My agent told me ‘The Apprentice” wouldn’t make money. He even put it in writing,” Trump said. “So I fired him.”

Trump highlighted the importance of banking relationships throughout his career. “The same institutions I did business with in 1990, I do business with today. I worked out deals,” he said. He said that strong financial professionals are essential and what he looks for first when hiring financial executives, Trump said is, “Honesty.”

“It was rewarding to hear a business leader of Donald Trump’s stature recognize the importance of building strong financial relations,” said Jim Kaitz, President and CEO of the Association for Financial Professionals. “Each day AFP members are called on to develop these relationships and to make decisions vital to their organizations. Trump advised financial professionals to remain focused and also flexible to succeed.”

Considered the most important forum in the finance industry, the AFP Annual Conference is attended by thousands of seasoned treasury and financial professionals who come together from around the globe at the AFP Conference to keep pace with challenges facing organizations and the treasury function.

Trump’s books include The Art of the Deal, Surviving at the Top, The Art of the Comeback and How to Get Rich, all of which have topped the New York Times best-seller list. He signed copies of his new book for the financial professionals at the AFP event, attended both by corporate practitioners and professionals at banks.

The Association for Financial Professionals, headquarters in Bethesda, Maryland, supports more than 14,000 individual members from a wide range of industries throughout all stages of their careers in various aspects of treasury and financial management. AFP is the preferred resource for financial professionals for continuing education, career development, certifications, research, representation to legislators and regulators, and the development of industry standards. Sponsored by the Association for Financial Professionals, The CTP designation is the globally recognized industry standard for treasury and a requirement for a changing profession. More than 16,000 professionals have earned AFP’s certification since 1986. For more information about AFP, visit www.AFPonline.org.