What, exactly, is an engineer-turned-corporate finance executive doing in the world of personal finance? I’d say - exactly what a lifetime of education and experience has prepared him to!
Let me add a little background for those who don’t know me. I am an industrial engineer, who got an MBA, and then spent more than fifteen years as an executive in corporate finance. I learned from some of the best, building and developing world-class teams and processes for large companies. Now, that is a long, circuitous route to becoming a financial advisor. What gives?
In many ways, it all adds up nicely. That long journey has equipped me with a combination of resources that work particularly well in this new endeavor: analytical skills, business knowledge, a keen interest in economics and the stock market, the ability to explain complex financial ideas in simple language, and the maturity that can only come from living through several bruising business cycles.
Come 2020, in a pandemic-induced moment of clarity, I decided to start a firm that would allow me to serve a critical unmet need - to help people clarify their values and goals, develop a comprehensive financial plan and gain the confidence that their family is on its way to securing a great financial future. The business case was easy to write. Here’s a summary:
Too many American families are navigating a complex financial world without a map. This means investing in poorly-researched schemes, not using the tax code to its full advantage, making emotional decisions on when to invest and cash out, not planning for retirement/disability/education etc. In some very fortunate cases, it can even mean not spending enough while young and able.
Too many advisors focused on selling products, or managing assets. This means that even families with financial advisors are not getting the kind of comprehensive planning they need. Being independent and fee-only would mean that we would be objective and good fiduciaries.
I had something specific and valuable to bring to the table. As an engineer, I had been trained to be methodical and analytical in developing plans. As a finance executive, I had worked at great companies navigating three major market episodes (the tech bust, the great recessions and the pandemic). As a life-long student of investing, let’s just say I had learned some expensive lessons at the University of The Market.
I was confident there was a real need and that I could help families really reap the full benefits of what is the most productive and vibrant economy in the history of mankind.
In literature, the third-act typically brings resolution to the plot. In my case, both meanings of “resolution” strike me as appropriate. In one sense, this new venture is a culmination - of decades of education, practice and experience. In a second sense, it also represents a new resolve - a determination to help as many families as I can. I hope to have you all along for the ride - as friends, mentors, and perhaps even clients.
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