What was your best business decision?

To leave a successful career with a large Wall Street firm to start Balentine & Company with my dad in 1987.

Who were your heroes growing up and how did they influence your life and career?

My dad was always my hero. He taught me the virtues of hard work, integrity, and faith.

Where is the most exotic place you have ever been?

In September 2008, I went fly fishing in Northern Mongolia. That was also the week Lehman Brothers failed—not a good time to be on vacation!

What was your hardest lesson learned?

That you can’t change the culture of an organization unless you’re the one in charge.

What is the toughest business decision you’ve faced?

To resign as CEO of a publically traded investment management business and start over again as an independent firm in the depths of the Great Financial Crisis. But we had a vision to build the type of firm we’d hire to manage our own money—and we did it.

What are the big issues that Balentine and companies like it need to solve to truly benefit the parties they serve?

Ours is an industry mired in conflict and lack of transparency. As Charley Ellis famously said, “We’ve confused the economics of the business with the values of the profession.” At Balentine, our role is to simplify clients’ lives in a conflict-free setting, providing peace of mind and performance.

What inspires you to come to work each day? 

Balentine’s welcoming environment, combined with anticipation about learning something new, are both huge motivators.

What do you like to do in your down time away from work?

One of my biggest passions is Greek dancing, which I have been doing since I was four years old. Traditional costumes and music are paired with choreographed steps to form such an expressive experience. It’s the best way for me to bond with my culture!

Where is the most exotic place you have ever been?

Lunahuaná, Peru. I stayed in a country house where the organic garden onsite has over 300 species of plants. Down the road, I was able to go zip lining from mountain to mountain, ATV riding around town, and white-water rafting.

What is your favorite sport or activity? Why?

I love to watch football, both NCAA and NFL (Go Gators! Go Eagles!). I also love to play Ultimate Frisbee. If you think about it, it’s a mixture of football, soccer, and basketball, and there’s hardly any downtime while playing.

If you were a superhero, what superpower would you have?

The ability to be multiple places at once.

What was your best business decision?

Walking away from a comfortable position to join Robert Balentine and my other partners to reconstitute Balentine as an independent firm. It was a huge risk for my young family, but the opportunity to start with a clean slate and build a lasting firm to manage client assets the way in which we would want our own capital to be stewarded has been more rewarding than I could have imaged at the time.

If you weren’t in this business, what would you be doing?

Perhaps teaching in some capacity. Nothing is more rewarding than to help someone finally have that “a-ha!” moment. Having studied theoretical economics and applying those concepts in building my own business, I have developed strong opinions of what the textbooks are missing and how academia can benefit from a practical, entrepreneurial perspective.

What keeps you up at night?

Differentiating ourselves in a perceived “sea of sameness.” Many people believe that independent Registered Investment Advisers, brokers, trust companies, banks, and even consultants offer the “same thing,” when in fact there are important differences in business models and investment philosophies that influence outcomes. Often people spend more time planning their next vacation than planning their investment future.

How do you contribute to Balentine’s global perspective?

I was born in South Africa, continued my education in the UK, and began my career in London. My wife is from Augusta, GA, so we “split the difference” and decided to raise our family in Atlanta.

How and why did you get into this business?

I was drawn to this industry as a senior in high school watching the 1987 crash unfold. I was fascinated by what drove this machine called the market and wanted to know how it worked. While it is a centuries old mechanism, it is perhaps the purest form of capitalism in existence, and I saw “Wall Street” as an immediate way to convert hard work and knowledge into reward.

What was your best business decision?

To help found Balentine as an equity partner in December 2009.

Why did you choose to come to work at Balentine?

Despite the economic and market malaise at the time, it was a great risk-adjusted decision. As a founding partner, I enjoy having control of my own destiny, leaving an old guard traditional bureaucracy to participate in building a firm with people I truly like.

Why does Balentine exist?

Balentine exists to provide clients with a better alternative to managing all matters financially related and to develop, grow, and empower employees to become future leaders.

What do you think makes Balentine different from other wealth management organizations?

Our level of commitment. Passion is not just a word. I see it every day in the effort and emotion folks bring to their work.

What inspires you to come to work each day?

I love what I do. I have the latitude to execute/implement strategy, I know that my voice will be heard, and I appreciate the support I receive from my colleagues.

Why did you choose to come to work at Balentine?

I reached a point where I didn’t feel like I was in control of my own professional destiny. I really wanted to be someplace where I could be more creative and make changes that didn’t take years to come to fruition. When we founded Balentine, we all had an idea of what we wanted to do differently. It’s exciting to start over knowing how we wanted to build the business and, for me personally, to build my operations team from scratch; you don’t get that very often. That being said, it’s the hardest thing that I’ve ever done, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything.

What was your best business decision?

Founding Balentine. Any of us could work anywhere in this industry. We could probably work fewer hours and be less stressed. We’re all here because we want to be here, and I think that’s the most important message for clients and staff. We made a choice to do this every day. This is not the easiest journey, but it’s the one that we think is the best.

What do you think makes Balentine different from other wealth management organizations?

We put a real premium on making life easier for clients. In this day and age, there is too much information, too many forms to fill out, and it becomes overwhelming. We try to have all those conversations internally, so that when we speak to clients we know exactly what it is they need and the best way to handle a situation. Clients have busy lives. Our goal is to make their lives easier, not to be the central focus of their lives.

How and why did you get into this business?

During my time at Emory, I was fortunate enough to spend two summers working for the former Co-Founders of Bear Stearns’s Private Funds Group at Hudson Partners. I found the opportunity to research and evaluate different industries and investment opportunities to be extremely engaging.

Why does Balentine exist?

I believe that Balentine exists to provide conflict-free business and investment advice in an industry where interests are often less than fully aligned.

What inspires you to come to work?

The opportunity to learn. Being surrounded by colleagues with decades of experience in the industry who are knowledgeable, willing teachers makes every day exciting.

What do you like to do in your time away from work?

I grew up playing competitive baseball and basketball, so I love to play in my free time.

What inspires you to come to work each day? 

Finding innovative ways to help our clients reach their goals and seeing team members grow professionally inspires me to come to work every day.

How and why did you get into the business?

I was inspired to get into the business from watching two of my favorite movies: Wall Street with Michael Douglas, and Trading Places with Eddie Murphy.

How does your role fit into the big picture of serving clients? 

As the Head Trader of Balentine, seeking the best execution for our clients is just one part of the equation. Finding liquidity to get the trade done, in what seems to be an ever-changing trading landscape, is also highly important.

Why did you choose to come work at Balentine? 

My decision to come work at Balentine was driven by the entrepreneurial and collaborative culture that exists at the firm. After all, people are more productive when they’re a part of the environment they help create.

What do you like to do in your down time away from work?

In my time away from work I enjoy spending time with my family, cycling, and golfing.

What do you consider a necessity in being successful?

Getting up early, procrastinating as little as possible, using your mind as often as possible to keep it fresh, and never assuming that you can’t get better.

How does your role fit in the big picture of serving clients?

To bring value to clients via prudent capital allocation and quality investment decisions.

What are the big issues that Balentine and companies like it need to solve to truly benefit the parties they serve?

Eliminating conflicts of interest (which, fortunately, Balentine has already done).

What do you think makes Balentine different from other wealth management organizations?

The value we put on client satisfaction, knowing that business success will come secondarily from that.

Who were your heroes growing up?

My grandmother, who escaped Europe just before World War II, as well as Ronald Reagan.

Why did you choose to come to work at Balentine?

I joined the firm in December 2009 as the first non-partner employee. I was attracted to the opportunity to work for a small organization while participating in the creation of a new firm.

What was your best business decision?

Serving as Balentine’s Transition Manager was a great experience for me. Having seen the struggles clients face when transitioning to a new firm, I had the opportunity to develop the Transition Manager role with the help of seasoned industry professionals. The role continues to provide value to all our clients. We have one group focused on the nuances of new client on-boarding while allowing our relationship management team to provide uninterrupted service to our existing clients.

What inspires you to come to work each day?

The opportunity to interact with interesting, intelligent, and motivated individuals. I also enjoy watching younger co-workers develop a love for the business and the supportive environment.

Why did you choose to come to work at Balentine?

Balentine’s values, culture, and staff reflected exactly what I wanted out of a company; I’ve never felt so welcomed and appreciated.

What was your best business decision? 

My best decision was to move to New York upon graduating from college. I knew almost no one and had no job lined up. However, New York taught me how to hustle and handle adversity in a way I never knew.

What is your favorite sport or activity?

Hands down, kickboxing. It’s my daily work out and the best stress reliever available.

If you weren’t in this business, what would you be doing?

I would most likely join my family’s food business. My mom owns a gourmet food-to-go and home goods shop called Simply Fresh Market. I’ve always loved to cook, so it seems natural to join her.

What inspires you to come to work each day?

Balentine has the people, experience, and leadership to make a tremendous impact on clients and change the landscape of the wealth management industry. It’s inspiring to be a part of that, and it motivates me to elevate my own role and contribution to the team.

What do you like to do in your down time away from work?

Read for pleasure (particularly with a mountain view), watch my kids play together, and host backyard Sunday cookouts with friends and family.

Where is the most exotic place you have ever been?

Český Krumlov, a magical town in the Czech Republic.

Why did you choose to come to work at Balentine?

The people. It’s exciting to join an organization with such talented team members who have not only an insatiable drive for excellence but also the conviction to care deeply for clients and each other.

What was your hardest lesson learned?

There is an internal battle we face every day, whether we realize it or not. We experience anger, envy, doubt, sorrow and regret, but we also experience joy, peace, kindness, empathy and generosity. We can choose which side of ourselves to feed.

What inspires you to come to work each day? 

I love what I do, but I REALLY love who I get to do it with. The Balentine team possesses a wealth of knowledge, demonstrates passion for the industry, is dedicated to our clients, and genuinely cares for one other.

Where is the most exotic place you have ever been?

Traveling is one of my passions. I’ve been to a handful of countries in Europe and South America, and I would love to continue exploring the world with my husband and daughter. The most exotic place I’ve been is Beijing, China. While there I ate a scorpion on a stick; he was a crunchy little guy.

If you were abandoned on a deserted island, what three books would you want to have with you?

I love books focused on strong women. From my most recent readings I’d choose The Glass House and Half Broke Horses, both by Jeannette Walls, as well as The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullough, my childhood favorite.

How and why did you get into this business?

I was in college studying management during the 2008 Financial Crisis. I become fascinated with the capital markets and their interconnectedness; as a result, I immediately changed my major to finance. I was fortunate to land a job in the finance industry right out of college and gained a very wide-angle view of investing.

How does the work you do make a difference?

I try to arm our relationship managers with the best possible information so they can offer clients meaningful insights into our strategies and managers.

What are the big issues that Balentine and companies like it need to solve to truly benefit the parties they serve?

Ensuring the fee that clients pay is well deserved. It is a passion of mine to lower the fee drag from the investors to the capital markets. Businesses like ours need to ensure that we add value over and above our fee.

What was your hardest lesson learned and how did you learn it?

Do not take on more than you can handle. While it still gets reinforced from time to time, I first learned it right out of school, when I thought I could balance much more than I should have.

Where is the most exotic place you have ever been?

I lived in Hawaii for three years during my time with the U.S. Navy, and now everywhere else pales in comparison.