General Investing >> Money Manager Interviews >> May 31, 2010
Roger B. Palley, CFA, is Managing Director of Equity Investments at First Foundation Advisors. Mr. Palley is responsible for portfolio management, research and analysis of economic trends and industries for equity investments. With 45 years of experience in investment management, Mr. Palley brings a wealth of knowledge in the equities markets. Prior to joining FFA, he held prestigious roles, including Managing Director at Neuberger Berman and National Director of Value Strategies at Wells Fargo Asset Management. In the 14 years prior to holding these positions, Mr. Palley was President of Palley-Needelman Asset Management, Inc., in Newport Beach. He began his career on Wall Street in 1964. Mr. Palley was awarded the CFA designation in 1975 and received his B.S. in business administration from the University of Denver. He attained an M.S. in finance from Cal State Long Beach and an M.A. in accounting from the University of Southern California. He is Co-Chair of the Southern California Endowment Committee for SMU. Eric H. Speron, CFA, serves as Portfolio Manager at First Foundation Advisors, where he is responsible for research and analysis of mid- and large-cap stocks. Prior to joining First Foundation Advisors in 2007, Eric previously worked in the equity division of J.P. Morgan Securities for five years. There his responsibilities included generating investment ideas for the firm's institutional clients as well as for internal proprietary investment ideas. He is a member of the CFA Institute and the Orange County Society of Financial Analysts. Mr. Speron earned a B.A. from Georgetown University, where he double-majored, minored and earned Academic All-American honors (Mid-Atlantic region). Jim R. Garrison, CFA, serves as Portfolio Manager at First Foundation Advisors, where he is responsible for research and analysis of mid- and large-cap stocks. Prior to joining First Foundation Advisors in 1999, Mr. Garrison worked as an Internal Audit Consultant to health care and technology industry clients in the San Francisco/Silicon Valley area as a member of Arthur Andersen, LLP. Mr. Garrison is a member of the CFA Society of Los Angeles and the CFA Institute. He earned a B.S. in agricultural and managerial economics from the University of California, Davis. Profile
TWST: Let's begin with an overview of the firm and your respective responsibilities there?
Mr. Garrison: First Foundation Advisors was started as an investment management firm in Orange County,
