A Charterholder's Compassionate Vision

Long before John DeMoss, CFA, opened the doors of his private wealth management firm in 2008, it was evident that he had the spirit of an entrepreneur. By the time he was a teenager, his business ventures included a mobile disc jockey business and a landscaping company. "My father was a CPA and launched his own business and accounting practice, so I learned from him. He engrained in me an appreciation for detail, as well as the importance of integrity and quality work," he says.

Fairness, hard work, and commitment to his community were the values that DeMoss learned growing up as the eldest of 10 children in a closely knit Greek American family. These principles are precisely what made the CFA Program a standout for DeMoss.

"I investigated several programs as options, but the CFA Program had the comprehensive curriculum necessary to give me a practical, relevant education in investment management," he says. But it wasn't an easy decision. He considered a finance degree program at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, but after careful thought and long discussions with his wife, DeMoss recognized the value of pursuing the CFA designation instead of a business degree.

"I felt that it was the designation with the most value because of its content, particularly for a portfolio manager, and I knew the CFA Program curriculum materials would benefit me far more than some of the other options I was evaluating," he adds. By the end of 2007, John had earned the charter, and a year later he opened DeMoss Capital, an investment advisory practice. With so much commoditization in the investment world, and with so many firms claiming to do the same thing as the next, DeMoss believes that learning how to stand out from the crowd is an interesting and exciting challenge. "The CFA Program and the charter have helped to differentiate me — and my investment firm — in a global marketplace," he says.

In 2010, his company moved across town — going from a 500-square-foot office to a 5,000–square-foot space in the heart of the Chattanooga arts district. The expansion, however, was about much more than just earning money, he says. DeMoss believes that his relationship with his community is reciprocal: Strong communities translate into strong business and client relationships and, ultimately, a flourishing society.

"My firm's focus involves giving back to the community for a more sustainable perspective of business and community roles," he notes. With that in mind, DeMoss Capital donates 50 percent of its profits to local charities that assist women, children, and families. This important relationship with the community is something that DeMoss takes very seriously because his business is all about relationships and values. This philosophy has helped him build his firm in spite of a global economic recession.

"I recognized early on that investors want not only someone who is experienced, but someone who has values that they stand for, and this works hand in hand with my business philosophy," DeMoss says proudly. In fact, he has a personal goal to have his entire company run by charterholders. "I have hired several people since starting the firm, and I'm adamant about wanting the candidate to have the CFA charter, or at least the desire to earn it," DeMoss adds.

Today, four years after earning his charter, DeMoss says he still regularly draws on a lot of the curriculum — everything from behavioral finance to investment policy statements to statistical analysis. "I appreciate the fact that the charter has given me credibility, but more important, it has helped shape my comprehensive approach to investing and has increased my ability to evaluate risks," he says.

DeMoss looks forward to expanding his firm, but his plans for the future take him back to the core values he learned as a child. "My hope is that 10–15 years from now, I can step into a consulting role at the firm, with the majority of my time spent allocating the resources we donate to charities and working with the recipients of these funds."

Interview conducted in August 2009.

Explore the entire collection of charterholder profiles.