Having spent 30+ years in the asset management business, I have learned the importance of corporate culture. My rule of thumb was always that if you did not go to bed on Sunday night, looking forward to Monday morning, then you have a crappy culture. And culture is ultimately driven by the relationships (friendships) you have with your co-workers. No politics, lots of laughs, high commitment to success, lots of times challenging each other, and a total respect for everyone’s well-being. The two pictures above were taken almost 20 years apart, and you can sincerely see the pleasure in our faces of being in each other’s company. So here is the journey of Barry, Jeff, Paul, Joe, and Jamie (in order of how we all met).
1995 – Barry and Jeff (working at separate firms) have a Chinese lunch at Chiam in NYC. They forged a great relationship, which led Barry to hire Jeff at Zweig Mutual Funds.
1999 – Zweig Mutual Funds sells to Phoenix Investment Partners (now Virtus Investment Partners), and Barry and Jeff are awarded contracts to continue working for Phoenix.
2001 – Barry and Jeff decide to continue working together, given their tight, complimentary relationship. They join UBS Global Asset Management. While at UBS, they met Paul, who was already working there.
2002 – 2010 – Barry and Jeff hire Joe and Jamie, and the five of them (Paul included) forge a special bond. Each all had various roles. They all vacationed together (see golf pic), they worked their asses off, and they achieved great success. Jamie left in 2010 and became a wealth manager, joining his childhood friend.
2011- 2014 – After the Financial Crisis, Jeff gets offered a Job at Virtus (formerly Phoenix Investment Partners…crazy, right?) and decides it is a role he can’t pass up. Jeff ends up hiring Joe, and later, Paul joins. At this point, Jamie is a successful Wealth Manager, and Jeff asks him to give a presentation to the sales team.
2014 – 2018 – Jeff and Joe decide to join AMG Funds. Jeff recommends that Barry replace him at Virtus, given that Barry taught Jeff everything he knew about building a great culture. Barry joins Virtus and is working with Paul. Ultimately, Jeff and Joe hired Paul to join them at AMG Funds. They again persuade Jamie to speak with the AMG sales folks, given his success. Given his entrepreneurial endeavors, Jamie eventually leaves the Wealth Management business and becomes wildly successful.
2018 – 2022 – Jeff leaves AMG, and Joe and Paul work together at the firm. Jamie asks Jeff to present to the managers at his firm. In 2023, Joe leaves AMG and rejoins Barry at Virtus (you can’t make this up).
2025 – They reunite for Jamies 50th birthday party in Atlanta (see pic). Time stood still, and they laughed like 20 years ago.
I have made tremendous friends in this industry. I still stay in contact with some of them, and I certainly do not want them to feel excluded from this post (you know who you are).
The point of this incestuous timeline is to highlight the beauty of forging (and maintaining) great relationships, given the foundation of a great corporate culture. I am beyond grateful for these folks, and I look back and laugh at how we keep “connecting the dots.”