Fred Rose, Walther Class of 2007, is the Head of U.S. Wealth Management Banking and Lending for RBC Wealth Management while also leading the firm’s Strategy Group. After graduating from Coe College in 2011 with a B.A. in Business Administration, Fred worked for Merrill Lynch and Morgan Stanley Wealth Management before co-founding Supernova Technology, a leading financial technology provider of securities-based lending solutions. Supernova is now used by most of the top wealth management firms and banks in the U.S. While with Supernova, he consulted with RBC and in 2018 was hired by them as Head of Credit before moving into his current position. Earlier this year, Fred was recognized by the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal as one of their 2025 40 Under 40 for his role leading two of the firm’s leading revenue generating divisions. He also serves on the Board for the Greater Minneapolis Crisis Nursery. Fred lives in Edina, MN with his wife, Melissa, and their two boys, Max and Liam.

While at Coe College, Fred’s senior year found him captaining the men’s basketball team as well as taking on a wealth management internship as he prepared for life after college. He found that he really understood the human connection in this business and that he had a passion for helping people be better with their money. The skills he learned as an advisor led to the opportunity with founding a technology company, and those skills led him to RBC. Fred shared that his advice to others is, “Find something you are good at and keep getting better at it. Take the opportunity to learn from what you have done and keep expanding on what you’re good at. Have a growth mindset.”

When asked how Walther helped set him up for success, Fred did not hesitate. “Walther encourages and supports its students to try everything. What makes Walther so special is that you need the whole team (faculty, staff, parents, etc.) to embrace this, and they do. There are a lot of places that say they want multi-sport athletes, but they really don’t. At Walther, you can not only be a three-sport athlete, but also play in the jazz band, sing in Christian Minstrels, and participate in the drama performances. They put you in positions to grow not only in these areas but as you balance all of these things you learn to figure it out. Being on stage and having to improvise when someone forgets their line has helped me when making high pressure presentations in my job.”

“I also learned a lot of life skills at Walther. I still recall the day my sophomore year when I got called to Mr. Gillingham’s office. Even though I grew up at Walther, I was still fearful walking into his office. He wanted to know why I had left before the post-game meeting without saying anything even though I had just been called up to the team for the state tournament and had not played. I told him I needed to get to the dress rehearsal for the spring musical. He said, ‘Just ask for what you need, even when it’s hard or uncomfortable. You’ll be respected more for asking.’ I think of that often when I need to advocate for something at work.”

“These are the reasons such a small school has produced so many successful alumni. Walther is a really special place.”

Fred cited many favorite memories from his senior year including a Regional Championship in basketball, taking 3rd in State in baseball, and being a lead in the spring musical. But when asked about how Walther deepened his faith, be replied, “It is the overall experience that I miss. The constant reminder that God is there, in good times and bad. Chapel, camaraderie with teammates, praying before and after any event. It was so important that I carry it on.”

“There were many at Walther who were instrumental in molding me into who I have become. Mr. Gillingham, Coach Bo, Mr. Rose, the list goes on and on. I stand on those shoulders in what I do and who I am today.”