20 2011 ARKANSAS BUSINESS PROFILES 2011 ARKANSAS BUSINESS PROFILES 21 ArkansasBusiness.com/ProfilesSpecial Advertising Supplement

AT A GLANCE

Number of Employees: 5

Top Executives: Jay Gadberry, CiMA, CPA,

President

Leslie Rowe Warner, COO-Vice President

Product or Service: Comprehensive

financial management solutions and a

broad menu of high-touch services

Year Founded: 2010

Financial Firm’s GadberryBrings a Winning EdgeYoung company manages clients’ investments through four divisions

JAY gADBERRY played high school football for the legendary coach C.W. Keopple, leading Little Rock’s hall high School to a state championship in 1980. thirty-one years later, gadberry reflects on the lessons he learned in athletics and how they apply to the business world today.

When researching a company in which to invest, gadberry looks at its leadership and talent at the top, the application of fundamentals, its defense strategy when the tide of momentum may change against it — all areas he says are prevalent in any great organization. Whether it’s a business or a football team, it doesn’t matter. the core values for winning are the same. “Defense wins championships,” gadberry said.

gadberry, who has worked for Stephens Capital management, morgan Keegan and morgan Stanley

Smith Barney in Little Rock over a 26-year career in investments, opened his own company, gadberry Financial group (gFg), in 2010. gadberry describes gFg as a wealth management company that has a target clientele that consists of high net worth and ultra high net worth individuals, families, businesses, foundations and endowments.

“We have approximately 100 clients and have worked with most of them more than a decade. Dozens of our clients have been with us more than two decades,” gadberry said. “We know them, and their families, and enjoy taking care of all facets of their financial lives.”

gFg serves as a branch office of Dallas-based WFg Investments, Inc. (WFg). As gadberry’s broker-dealer, WFg manages $6.5 billion in assets held through National Financial

Services (a subsidiary of Fidelity) and was named one of the fastest growing independent broker/dealers in the country for the third consecutive year. gadberry serves on the Advisory Council of WFg.

gadberry Financial group manages money through four divisions. global wealth management services are offered to gFg clients; global wealth management includes strategies of asset protection, estate planning, retirement planning, succession planning, gifting strategies, insurance reviews and philanthropy. gadberry said, “We operate as a chief financial officer for high and ultra high-net worth families.”

the company generates income from portfolio management, investment consulting, retirement plan consulting and advising in the areas of 401(k), 403(b) and 457’s. gFg works

Of the 98 clients currently in the gadberry

portfolio, 85 have been with Jay gadberry

for more than a decade, he says.

By the Numbers

the multifamily office provides both comprehensive financial management solutions and a broad menu of high-touch services. the company focuses on high net worth individual or family office assets, trust accounts, investors seeking to place assets into retirement plans; foundation or charitable organization assets; corporate assets and institutional accounts, making itself easily accessible by limiting its client base. Securities are offered through Williams Financial group Investments Inc.

OuR SERViCES

Gadberry Financial Group President Jay B. Gadberry.

GADBERRY FinAnCiAL GROuP

Metropolitan Bank Building425 W. Capitol Ave., Suite 3830Little Rock, AR 72201

p 501.975.7100f 501.975.7103e JGadberry@GadberryFG.com LWarner@GadberryFG.comw GadberryFG.com

20 2011 ARKANSAS BUSINESS PROFILES 2011 ARKANSAS BUSINESS PROFILES 21 ArkansasBusiness.com/ProfilesSpecial Advertising Supplement

with multiple retirement plan providers and third-party administrators to provide the best solution to each client’s unique needs.

gadberry’s portfolio design adds value due to tremendous risk-based performance. “I am managing risk, risk that the general public doesn’t think about,” he said. “What we do that is different [from competitors or large corporate investment houses] is add alpha by tactically managing assets. Our No. 1 goal is adding value for clients by optimizing portfolios.”

gadberry is a numbers cruncher extraordinaire. Behind his desk, a computer screen shows dozens of stock quotes — gadberry’s typical long day includes three-and-a-half hours devoted solely to research — a required discipline to stay on top of an ever-changing market and to continue to add alpha to the portfolios that gadberry manages.

gadberry, who attended the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton Senior Consultant Program in 2005, has been involved in the venture capitalization of 19 companies. he was a founder and member of the Advanced thermal technology LLC board, where he served as secretary/treasurer from 1996-2000. he was also one of the founding board members of E-Doc America LLC, a Little Rock-based Internet health care provider. Other companies gadberry was involved with include a biomedical technology company, a wireless

company and an education network company.

gadberry is an active member and volunteer in the community. A lifelong resident of Arkansas, he places value on the opportunity to give back to his community and to the state. his love of duck hunting and the outdoors is prevalent throughout his office.

his talent at picking sound investments was illustrated in 1993 when, while working at t.J. Raney & Sons (later to become morgan Keegan), he finished second in a national contest supervised by Registered Representative, a trade publication, that tracked return on investments. the key to the contest was that the

investment had to be part of the broker’s personal portfolio. gadberry focused on Southern-based stocks, including five Arkansas companies, to earn a 35 percent increase for the year on the portfolio. Even then as today, gadberry said, “I like to handle my clients just like I handle my own accounts.” And he does that with winning lessons learned long ago thanks to inspirational coaching mentors, blended with 26 years of business experience.

“this is where we differentiate ourselves the most,” he said of his firm’s investment philosophy. “We use modern Portfolio theory coupled with Efficient and Essential Portfolio theory. We have six strategic investment models based on levels of risk tolerance. We utilize tactical Asset Allocation to add alpha. gFg uses focused efforts to maximize strategies based on risk management principles, proper asset allocation, and optimizing the portfolios by utilizing non-correlating asset classes offered through alternative investments.

If terms like “alpha” and “tactical assets” leave your head spinning, the congenial gadberry can win you over with his big smile, a slap on the back and the assurance that it’s all in finding the investments that display championship core values.

gadberry Financial group is a branch office of WFg Investments, Inc. (WFg). Registered Representative of WFg Securities offered through WFg Investments, Inc., member FINRA & SIPC l

Gadberry Financial Group’s experienced team.

Professional Achievements and HonorsCertified Investment management Analyst (CImA)Certified Public AccountantUniversity of Pennsylvania (Wharton School) Senior Consultant Program, ICS 2005University of Chicago graduate School of Business, Senior Consultant Program, 2006Investment management Consultants Association (ImCA), 2005-presentAmerican Institute of Public AccountantsArkansas Society of CPA’sArkansas Business 40 Under 40Series 7, 63, 65, 31, 24Life Insurance & Disability 1990Real Estate 1983

Community Service and ActivitiesArkansas Sports hall of Fame Board member 2010-presentArkansas Baptist College Athletic Board member 2008-2010Rotary Club of Little Rock Paul harris Fellow Distinction Broyles Award Committee membership Committee Board of Directors – 2011/2012University of Arkansas for medical Sciences Foundation Board 1996-2005 Finance Committee – Chairman

Planned giving CommitteeUAmS Consortium Advisor Board est. 1995 Founding ChairmanUAmS Bio-Venture Advisory Board est. 1996 Founding memberUniversity of Arkansas at Fayetteville Student Services Advancement Advisory Board 1996-2000Arkansas Children’s hospital est. 1985 Committee for the Future Founding member Lifetime memberSt James United methodist Church Board of Stewards/Building Study Committee Chairman Finance Committee/Building CommitteeFirst Christian Church Board Vice-Chairman/Stewardship ChairmanChairman of the Deacons/member of the Worship, Property and Financial Operations CommitteeSigma Chi Alumnae Association President 1996-1997/treasurer 1994-1996Little Rock Chamber of Commerce membergreater Little Rock YmCA Board 2000-2002Razorback Club/Wild hog 1986-presentPolitical Animals Club 1992-presentLittle Rock Central high School PtSA 2002-2009Pulaski Academy Parent Association 2007-presentDucks Unlimited 1986-presentQuality Deer management Association 2004-presenttip-In Club 2007-presenttouchdown Club 2005-present