It’s been one year since Hanson + Doremus moved to leadership under Sven Eklof, Art Wright, and Julie Won, and we’re pleased to say it’s been a successful one. Though Eric Hanson & Anne Doremus (the H and the D in our logo) stepped down from management at the end of 2020, much about the firm remains the same, and Eric and Anne are still very much with us.
To refresh your memory on the people, the firm is led by the three partners Sven, Art, and Julie (see photos below). All have had long tenure at the firm and work directly with clients as portfolio managers and advisors. Sven also oversees firm operations, Art manages marketing and client experience, and Julie heads the firm’s investments and research team.
In addition, we have two other excellent portfolio managers working directly with clients: Alex Watson and Liz Ford. Alex and Liz not only advise clients, but also participate in the firm’s investment research and wear several other hats as well. Liz does the firm’s bond trading and looks after compliance. Alex is our technology guru and manages everything from cybersecurity to Work-From-Home capabilities.
Jordan Lafayette, Alma Pilausic, and Sarah Cocina do the blocking and tackling that make the firm run. They execute and track transactions, produce quarterly reports, handle requests to move assets, and are the first point of contact when clients need account information. Jordan leads the team, Alma does our stock trading (an enormous number of tickets on some days), and Sarah plays a heavy role in branding and outreach. In addition, Alma helps create client financial plans, while Sarah helps with the investments team’s research.
Kristen Audy Rich is the head of Human Resources and our Office Manager. She has been with us 25 years and not only manages HR policies and processes, but also makes sure the bills get paid and the lights stay on. Kristen also lays out and distributes this newsletter.
That brings us to Eric Hanson, Anne Doremus, and Henry Preston. Most of you know Eric and Anne. Eric founded the firm in 1995, Anne joined him just a bit after, and together they ran the firm for two and a half decades. While both have stepped down from management, they still work part-time with the investments team, and you’ll continue to see their “Thoughts” in these pages.
Henry, a new face for many of you, first came to us as a college intern, and fortunately, we got him back after a successful career with the U.S. Marines. Henry has a keen interest in financial planning, and he is working with us part-time while he gets his MBA from the University of Michigan Ross School of Business.
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Neither the way we invest, nor the way we work with clients has changed. However, in 2021 we made an unusually high number of investments in technology, systems, and processes to make things run more smoothly under the hood.
Externally, perhaps the most visible change this year has been our new logo and website – a big rebranding effort spearheaded by Art and Sarah. The other significant change has been adjusting to COVID and a hybrid schedule, where we split our workdays between the office and home. The good side of COVID — if there has been any — is that it presented opportunities to do things differently but better. Our communications, efficiency, and collaborative spirit all have been elevated as a result.
