What I do here:
I imagine how we can become more useful to the financial advisors and clients we work for and encourage my teammates to do the same. Then I guide the process of turning those ideas into reality. When I close my door and roll up my sleeves, I am most likely to be working on educational material for our clients or communicating with advisors about what we do, and how and why we do it.
Why I love my job:
After 40 years in the financial services industry, I want to see if I can do things better. I think we can create better portfolios for long-term investors through improvements in the processes and practices commonly used in the construction and management of such portfolios. We can help individuals become more successful investors by increasing their confidence and understanding of investment fundamentals through clear, concise communications. We can offer low fees for high quality investment management services and put a cap on the amount a client pays annually. If we do all that, we will make a difference in the industry and in the lives of the advisors and clients we work with.
Work History:
I started my career in financial services in 1975 working as an intern at the Securities and Exchange Commission while I attended law school. I practiced law in Washington, DC for a little over 15 years, specializing in securities law, ERISA and venture capital transactions. In 1992 I joined one of my legal clients, Atlanta-based ADAM Investment Services, as a senior executive and became President of that firm in 1997. ADAM was acquired by Denver-based Portfolio Management Consultants (PMC) in 1997 and I became President of PMC in 1998. In 2000 I left PMC to found Trivium Consulting, a firm that helped financial institutions develop investment management services for financial advisors. In 2004 I went to work for one of my consulting clients as President of Houston-based US Fiduciary Services. In 2007 I became President of Frontier Asset Management and served in that position for 8 years.
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Education:
Stanford University, BA, 1972
George Washington University, JD (with honors), 1976
Speaking and Writing:
Over 100 published articles and papers
Over 100 industry conference speaking engagements
Board Experience:
Served as a member of the Board of Directors of three financial services firms
Served on the Advisory Board of two financial services firms
Where I come from:
I was born in California and grew up in Silicon Valley before it was called Silicon Valley. I have lived on the East Coast and in the South, but landed in Denver in 1997 and will stay here as long as the Rocky Mountains don’t go anywhere.
A Little Personal:
I play lead guitar for the band at my church. I love hiking and have summited 30 “14ers.” Nothing beats hanging out with my wife and kids.