General Investing >> Money Manager Interviews >> April 5, 2010
Jim Blachman, CFA, is Advisor Partners LLC's Chief Investment Officer. As the key member of the portfolio management team, Jim is responsible for all client accounts. His career spans twenty-plus years in the industry, including quantitative research, consulting, sales management, product development and investment management. During his career, Jim spent eight years working in the institutional market where he consulted with plan sponsors and investment managers, and 5 years delivering retail investment management and advice. He previously served as head of two RIA's and developed and managed complete investment programs including internet-based optimization/advice engines, asset allocations, security research and selection, trading, operations and reporting. At Bank of America, Jim managed the most successful wrap program launch ($/rep) among broker dealers at that time. He has held positions with Wharton Econometric Forecasting Associates, Data Resources and SEI Investments (Investment Advisors Group). As the head of the RIA, Jim reported directly to the Chief Investment Officer at the Bank of America and to the CIO of American Century Investments. A market investor for over 30 years, Jim attended the University of California, Berkeley earning both Masters and Bachelors (with distinction) in Economics emphasizing econometrics and industrial organization. A CFA charterholder, he is a member of the Association for Investment Management and Research. Jim was a registered rep for over ten years, and held the NASD license Series 24, 7 and 65.Dennis Clark is the President of Advisor Partners, LLC. He is responsible for the implementation of Advisor Partners' business objectives. He oversees development of the company's product / service offering, and leads the management team in delivering quality service, managing client relationships and forming strategic alliances. Prior to establishing Advisor Partners, Dennis served as Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing for AdvisorTech Corporation, an international firm providing technology based solutions to financial intermediaries in Asia and Europe. Prior to his tenure there, he was a long-time veteran of the Charles Schwab Corporation. Dennis held various sales and sales management roles and was a key contributor in the phenomenal success of Schwab's Services for Investment Managers from 1989 to 1996. During this period, assets directed to Schwab by independent registered investment advisors grew from less than $1 billion to over $150 billion.In 1996-1997, working with Schwab International, Dennis introduced Global OneSource, which offers the non-US investor a selection of offshore mutual funds from which to invest. In his last assignment at Schwab, Dennis was Senior Vice President of Mutual Fund Relations responsible for working with third party mutual fund companies in all aspects of distribution, marketing, legal and operational efficiencies. Dennis began his career as a retail broker for Dean Witter in 1985 after graduating with a BS degree in Finance from the University of Oregon. Profile
TWST: Would you please give us an overview of Advisor Partners and your investment philosophy?
Mr. Clark: I'm the President and co-founder of Advisor Partners, LLC. I co-founded this firm with Dr.
