Please give us a brief overview of your academic and professional background.
I presently serve as chief investment officer and managing partner at Pearl Wealth LLC, a registered investment advisory firm I co-founded in late 2017. I oversee and manage Pearl Wealth’s investment process and client portfolios. I am also engaged in business development as a registered investment advisor representative.
I have been managing investment portfolios for individuals and institutions for more than 20 years. Previously, I ran the Portfolio 21 Global Equity fund; a product that I helped develop and launch in 1999. I managed the fund through the summer of 2017.
I attended graduate school at PSU. I received my MBA in 2002. As an undergrad, I studied business at Montana State University.
What do you enjoy most about teaching in The School of Business at Portland State?
I most enjoy helping students understand investment concepts and strategies and then watching them develop their own unique investment perspective and style. I get to observe and guide students as they pitch investment ideas to their classmates, and then if successful, implement in a “real money” portfolio for the CFA Society of Portland. It is great to be able bridge portfolio theory with actual investment management practice.
What classes do you teach in our graduate programs?
I co-teach FIN 573, Investment and Portfolio Management, with Dan Rogers and Piman Limpaphayom.
What are you passionate about in your work?
I am passionate about investing. Developing customized portfolios that enable my clients to achieve their financial objectives and mitigate market risk brings me satisfaction.
Whether at work or play, I’m always thinking about investment opportunities. When I have a good experience with a company, product or service, I contemplate the investment possibilities. When I come across a successful business or learn about an innovative business model, I consider the investment implications.
When you are not teaching, what do you do in your free time?
When I’m not teaching or working, there is a chance you will find me in the Bloomberg Lab at PSU late in the afternoon checking in on markets or testing an investment thesis.
Otherwise, I spend my time at skateparks with my son, on the court helping coach my daughter’s basketball team or enjoying a quality meal with my spouse or friends.
What does redefining business mean to you?
Redefining business means taking calculated risks in order to obtain a desirable outcome. Success requires risk-taking, but fully understanding and mitigating risk increases the likelihood of achievement. Thinking long-term and creatively are key to managing both risk and opportunity.
Portland State University Graduate Business Blog 