After nearly 40 years on Wall Street, I chose to step away to reflect and to design the next third of my career. Applying my passion for analysis and strategy to my own life, I have been conducting a listening tour and gathering data. This includes interviewing classmates, former colleagues, fellow board members and friends, examining how they have shaped their lives to achieve success and satisfaction.

Douglass Winthrop Advisors (DWA) is a registered investment advisor serving individuals, families, trusts and institutions with long-only separately managed equity and balanced accounts. During my tenure at the firm, AUM grew from $250 million to $5 billion. I was an analyst and member of the Investment Committee, contributing to coverage of 25-30 equity positions with bottom-up company analyses. As a portfolio manager, I was responsible for a book of individual clients and trusts. My roles included Head of Business Strategy and Development; Chief Operating Officer; and Editor in Chief. I served as the Chairman of DWA’s Board of Advisors from 2017 to 2020.

Scotsman Capital Management was a registered investment advisor serving individuals, families and trusts with long-only separately managed equity accounts. Merged into Douglass Winthrop Advisors in 2009. After more than 20 years of working at established firms, I partnered with a colleague to start a new business from scratch. I learned from our successes and failures what it takes to build a start-up venture into a sustainably profitable and culturally healthy company. With my co-founder, I managed nearly every aspect of the business, including portfolio management and strategy, client development, operations and technology, finance, marketing and communications.

Spears Benzak Salomon & Farrell (SBSF) was a registered investment advisor serving high net worth individuals and families, trusts and institutions with separately managed equity and balanced accounts and commingled funds. During my tenure, AUM grew from $1.2 billion to $5.5 billion. I served as the firm’s Managing Partner from 2003 to 2004, overseeing a staff of 45. I joined the firm as an analyst and Director of Research, leading a team that covered 25-30 eclectic value-oriented equity positions. I created and wrote the weekly SBSF Research Notes, anchored by my column, Thoughts and Comments. From 1996 to 2000, I was also the Chief Market Strategist for SBSF’s parent company, Key Asset Management. My responsibilities included weekly market commentary and extensive marketing to KeyCorp’s clients and prospects worldwide. And from 1994 through 1996, I served as the junior portfolio manager and principal analyst for the SBSF Aggressive Fund, a long/short equity hedge fund.

I was a sell-side equity analyst covering advertising agencies and print media. I was named to the Institutional Investor All-America Research Team in Advertising in 1986 and 1987.

I was a sell-side equity analyst covering advertising agencies and household products. Created The Corner of Wall and Madison, a periodic update on the business of advertising. I was named to the Institutional Investor All-America Research Team in Advertising in 1985.