s a U.S. Navy SEAL team leader, Jonathan Sanchez led elite groups of fighters on multiple covert missions in different countries.

While their plans were top-secret at the time for the safety of the SEALs, Sanchez wants it widely known today that military veterans make great employees.

Sanchez, a 10-year Navy veteran who completed his sixth year as a SEAL at the time of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, is now a senior vice president and wealth director for PNC Wealth Management.

He knows firsthand about the transition challenges from military to civilian life. While veterans often need time reintegrating, he says, they bring the valuable ideals, high motivation and skills gained through military service to the business world.

“I believe the future of America rests on how we treat our veterans who are now coming home from the longest-standing conflict the United States has seen with an all-voluntary force,” Sanchez said.

A graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy where he earned a bachelor’s degree in economics and a minor in German, Sanchez was one of 16 midshipmen selected for Navy SEAL (Sea, Air, Land) training. Graduating first in his class of 140 SEAL candidates, he was named Honor Man for overall performance and demonstrated leadership.

Sanchez was a platoon commander for SEAL Team THREE, leading multiple overseas exercises and covert missions in the Middle East and Africa.

After taking time to reconnect with his family post-Navy, he worked in the investment advisory business in Baltimore and Chicago. An Ohio native, Sanchez and his family moved to Cincinnati in 2009.

At PNC, he leads a team of nearly 30 employees who advise high-net-worth clients. He also is one of 1,000 PNC employees serving with the company’s Military Employee Business Resource Group who advocate for and hire veterans.