Memphis Chapter March Meeting

Chief Executive Officer, Chief Investment Strategist

After graduating from the University of the South with a BA in Economics, David began his career in client service with Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. in Phoenix, AZ. David was quickly promoted to the San Francisco-based Institutional Strategic Accounts Team which interfaced with Schwab's largest customers. David left Schwab to continue his education at the graduate level in Boston.

While earning his MBA degree with a concentration in finance and investments at the F.W. Olin School at Babson College, he was appointed by the college Trustees to manage a team of seven portfolio managers overseeing the student-managed portion of Babson's endowment fund. David also founded the Babson Investment Management Association to assist undergraduate and graduate students with training and career path planning in the investment management field.

Today, as CEO for Waddell & Associates, David has responsibility for the management of over $700 million in client assets. As the firm's Chief Investment Officer, David chairs the W&A investment committee and combines macro economic forecasting, macro market analysis and macro risk assessments to design portfolio strategies utilizing public market securities worldwide.

A civic leader in Memphis, David is current board chair of Epicenter Memphis, Co-Chair Memphis Chamber Chairman's Circle, past Chairman of The Leadership Academy, the RISE Foundation, the Economic Club of Memphis, and New Memphis Board of Trustees. David sits on boards for Launch TN, New Memphis Institute, and the Economic Club of Memphis. He also sat on the board for the Memphis Botanic Garden, and was a member of the 2004 class of Leadership Memphis. He has been recognized as one of Memphis' "Top 40 under 40" by the Memphis Business Journal and was a finalist for "Executive of the Year" in 2007.

In addition to weekly columns in the Memphis Daily News and the Nashville Ledger, David has appeared in the Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Forbes, Business Week, Investment News, Institutional Investor News, The Tennessean and Memphis Business Journal, to name a few. He has also made appearances on Fox Business News, CNBC, CBS and ABC News Channels.

David has two wonderful children, Easton and Saylor, an obedient Labradoodle named NASDAQ and a devoted Goldendoodle named Ripley.

Bryan’s obsession for continuous improvement and a will to challenge the status quo is built into his DNA. His passion for technology and innovation has championed Geels Norton's efficient, streamlined, and value-driven processes and audit platforms. Bryan loves collaborating with motivated clients who are striving to learn and grow.

He has over a decade of experience in public accounting, with deep involvement leading assurance engagements from SOC examinations to financial statement audits, and is a proven leader in implementing business analytics practices at CPA firms and their clients.

James Miller is a seasoned Certified Public Accountant and accomplished Professional Consultant, specializing in the Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A) sector. With over two decades of combined experience in Finance and Technology, James has developed a strong proficiency in evaluating potential mergers to align with corporate growth objectives. He currently serves in a pivotal role at Vital Records Control (VRC), where he is instrumental in the company's M&A strategies as part of a small team.

James's commitment to his field was recently underscored by his attainment of the Certified Exit Planning Advisor (CEPA) certification, further enhancing his expertise in M&A. To boost VRC's operational capabilities, James has been leveraging cutting-edge tools like Power BI and data analytics. He is leading the charge in creating sophisticated data models, making transformative advancements in VRC's reporting processes. His efforts are not only modernizing the accounting department but are also setting the stage for VRC's future growth and scalability.

James earned his Master of Science in Accounting from the University of Memphis, where he focused on Tax and Data Analytics. Outside of his professional life, James is a loving husband and father to two adult children (30 & 28) and a 22-month-old son, with whom he enjoys exploring the outdoors. Their hikes are filled with moments of discovery and joy, particularly during their visits to the zoo, where his son's enthusiasm for animals shines. In his personal time, James loves solving complex puzzles, reading, listening to Mozart, and enjoying artisan loose leaf teas. His life is a blend of intellectual pursuits and family interactions, making him a well-rounded individual in both his professional and personal lives.