ZEVENBERGEN CAPITAL INVESTMENTS - Key Persons
Alexa Parker - CFO, Chief Compliance Officer
Job Titles:
- Chief Compliance Officer
- Chief Financial Officer
- Principal
Job Titles:
- Investment Associate
- Operations Team
Job Titles:
- Investment Associate
- Operations Team
Job Titles:
- Client Service Specialist
- Client Portfolio Team
As a Client Service Specialist, I assist with a variety of client service, mutual fund development, questionnaire, and operational projects.
Zevenbergen Capital is all about service. And being aware of the littlest details. This moves client experiences from good to great.
Born and raised in Illinois, I am a huge Chicago sports fan. The Cubs and Blackhawks are my teams. Although after a decade in Seattle, I've gotten into the Mariners, and it's hard to beat Husky football on a crisp fall day on Montlake.
"It's important that we make things as painless as possible for our clients. That's the underlying purpose of my role."
Job Titles:
- Investment Team
- Principal, Portfolio Manager, Sustainable Investment Lead
I support our growth-equity mission of investing in well-managed, public companies. As an analyst, this means reconciling my belief on where the world is headed with available investment options. I recognize popular opinion about companies, and I consider a variant view. Often, the implications of technology and innovation can be underestimated.
As a portfolio manager, I build and fine-tune investment portfolios for individual and institutional clients. Our goal is simple: create lasting wealth.
The reason ZCI exists is to help people reach their financial goals - whether retirement, philanthropy, college savings, or lifestyle. It's the reason I love working here.
Every role matters here. We have a lean organizational structure; everyone carries significant responsibility. Fortunately, we are a team of ‘bar raisers.'
My official title is Associate, which means I help manage the business side of the firm. Supporting HR, finance and operations involves a variety of things; I handle accounts payable, track time-off, prepare quarterly tax filings, and manage our philanthropic efforts.
Role flexibility is one of my strengths. I can adapt-whether to changing systems, processes or business needs-and fill in gaps to keep our mission moving forward.
Our culture is no drama; people just get their work done. This connects to another differentiator: how smart, consistent, and focused the team is.
The way my Dad did business inspires me. He was both personable and a man of his word. "Do what you say you're going to do," he reminded me.
Job Titles:
- Client Portfolio Team
- National Director of Mutual Fund Sales
- National Director of Mutual Funds Sales
I lead our mutual fund business development efforts. My past experience at Shearson Lehman Brothers, Piper Jaffray, and CLSA America supports my selling, building awareness and taking care of clients nationwide. Working with headstrong clients is great; I embrace these connections. These are thoughtful professionals who want their clients to have more than middle-of-the-road opportunities.
This firm is humble. It's quite unlike Wall Street, where I worked for 35 years. Here, it's all about working together and pursuing a common goal.
My parents were very strict southerners; it was always ‘yes ma'am, no ma'am' - and treat others the way you'd like to be treated.
"We are about actively managed, concentrated, high-growth portfolios-quite different from the majority of strategies out there."
Job Titles:
- Co - Chief Investment Officer, Portfolio Manager
- Investment Team
As one of the firm's Co-Chief Investment Officers and Portfolio Managers, I huddle with our investment team to hunt, research, interview, and debate. As well, I help define investment policy and am responsible for selecting equity holdings. My focus is on Internet, Technology, Consumer Discretionary, and Telecom.
Our research is different here. I came from a bank environment where everything was done by committee. We don't operate that way; we're small and flexible.
We're an optimistic and open-minded team. Being located in Seattle-and not Boston or New York-helps that.
The best advice I've heard: "Life is ten percent what happens to you and ninety percent how you respond to it."
Job Titles:
- ChieF Administrative Officer
Job Titles:
- Chief Fixed Income Officer, Client Portfolio Manager
- Client Portfolio Team
As a Client Investment Advisor on our Client Portfolio team, my number one goal is to help clients understand that our vision of wealth creation requires a long-term view. It requires perseverance through market cycles, noise, fear, and volatility. I remind clients: legacy building can take decades.
I also drive our fixed-income analysis strategy. With 20-years of experience trading bonds and developing fixed income portfolio strategies, I help create negatively correlated, income generating strategies for our individual clients.
Our ability to work together is a competitive advantage. Markets move quickly - so we prepare in advance and are ready to act. No one wastes time writing a five-page report getting the team up to speed.
"If a company has revenue growth, we'll look at it. We have a history of purchasing companies when a business model has yet to be fully proven. My work centers on helping clients understand new innovations and emerging industries."
Job Titles:
- Investment Associate
- Operations Team
As an investment associate, I help with daily trade settlement, account reconciliation, monthly reporting, and other operational and research activities. Our team touches every aspect of the business; this is an opportunity and responsibility that I don't take lightly.
There's a team of intelligent, experienced, and forward-thinking women and men behind each of our products.
Traveling and experiencing other cultures changes you. From the food, to everyday habits, conversations and traditions - I love it all. I lived in Korea for a year and Mexico for several months.
If I had access to a giant billboard, I'd print: "Be Kind". It sounds simple, but good things come from just being kind. It's the easiest thing a person can do to change the world.
Job Titles:
- Investment Associate
- Operations Team
As an investment associate my primary responsibility is the daily reconciliation of client accounts. This ensures cash flows provided to our portfolio management team are accurate for trading. I also work with our vendors to ensure account accuracy. As well, I assist with answering client phone calls, updating accounts, and general project support.
My teammates go out of their way to help. We achieve an incredible number of team and personal goals this way.
My family fostered over 500 children growing up. I learned how to listen, what it meant to be flexible and empathetic, and part of something bigger than myself.
I run our IT and security practice. This includes leading our charge to the cloud, protecting client data, and building an architecture to improve firm performance. I'm proud of how we've advanced since the days of dial-up email.
We're focusing more on mobile. I want us to be able to pull information up for clients - on demand-in any corner of the country. "What would you like to know?" "Here was our attribution last quarter." "What are my portfolio holdings?" All done rapidly and securely.
When I'm not working, I like to spend time with my family. I also enjoy woodworking and gardening projects with my wife.
"I describe our personality as focused. On the stocks we buy, the research we do, and the way we serve our clients."
Job Titles:
- Portfolio Manager
- Principal
- Investment Team
As a Portfolio Manager, I'm hunting for the next great investment. This means diligent financial statement analysis, forecasting, and meeting founders. Discovering what could be the next world-changing growth company is absolutely the best part of my job.
Open-mindedness makes our research different. There's very little that is off the table. We get a hands-on, real-world understanding of how people are using things. And we are optimistic about how big ideas can get.
Even on tough days, this team supports one another. Knowing that there's a world class group of professionals next to me adds confidence. We understand that our vision for the next three, five, or ten years isn't derailed by price actions today.
My Dad is a football coach, but his advice is apt for investing: "You can never know too much; always keep learning, working, and evolving. Be confident but never complacent.
Job Titles:
- Investment Team
- Senior Trading Associate
I'm ZCI's senior trading associate. I work with our portfolio management team and facilitate trades. Also, I determine which brokers to work trades with and establish order flow. In my nearly two decades of trading, I've learned to tune out the noise. Our investment management team needs critical market information and trade reporting; they need me steady, not too up or down.
Broker selection is important. So is moving quickly, but prudently. We have to watch carefully where we allocate commission dollars. This is clients' money, after all.
Job Titles:
- Senior Compliance Analyst
Job Titles:
- Investment Team
- President, Co - Chief Investment Officer & Portfolio Manager
I started this firm because I wanted to create wealth for people. I could invest in the way I felt was best-long-term. Investing in the IPO of an innovative local technology company solidified my conviction; I believed that company would change how the world worked and did business. It did.
The art in our investing is people. You can't model the values of a founder, or their commitment to success, in Excel. Those are incalculable. But with research, listening, and boots-on-the-ground visits, we work to understand those attributes.
In our search for investments, founder-led is nearly a must-have for us. It allows for more efficiency in decision making. A controlling founder can do things with short term ramifications for long-term gain. They're not worried about being fired by a board.
One of our culture and performance secrets is: hire smart people of great character but little experience in the finance world. They're a blank canvas to teach how we invest. The educational system is so focused on arrears, cash flow, and positive earnings. It refuses to look at things differently - it can't, the books haven't been written.
Job Titles:
- Senior Performance Analyst
Job Titles:
- Client Portfolio Team
- Senior Client Service Specialist
As a Senior Client Service Specialist, my job spans all areas of the business; I coordinate a variety of marketing, client service, manager search, questionnaire, and operational projects.
I also compile our ‘Zev Stats'. This is a statistical breakdown of every account, product, and client type. With an over twenty-year tenure at the firm, people call on me for depth of firm knowledge.
This team steps into clients' shoes. We've all been clients - at banks, restaurants, wherever. We believe in putting the client first.
My guiding principle comes from my parents: ‘Treat people the way you want to be treated.'
Job Titles:
- Investment Associate
- Operations Team
As an Investment Associate, I review daily transactions and support trade settlement, account reconciliation, and other documentation activities. In this business, details matter. There's no such thing as being ‘too careful' when it comes to investment operations.
Lots of companies say they are committed to employee growth, but ZCI actually is. It's refreshing to work at a place where career planning is a team sport.
Before joining ZCI, I managed operations for a salmon plant in Alaska. Commercial fishing isn't for the timid. I'm grateful for the lessons on teamwork, handling pressure, and running a complex business-every day I ventured past my comfort zone.
If I had access to a giant billboard, I'd print: "Have fun." It is too easy to get stuck in work mode. Loosen up and connect with the people that matter.