MEET OUR CHARTERHOLDERS
Each quarter we interview a member of the CFA Society of Naples. We will cover a range of topics including their careers, areas of professional expertise, passions and hobbies outside the office, and why they pursued the CFA Charterholder designation.
Andrew "Andy" Hill, CFA
President & Co Founder
Andrew Hill Investment Advisors, Inc.
To learn more about Andy, you can find a link to his Bio HERE
Naples CFA: Please tell us about your career, and how did you get your start in the financial industry?
Andy Hill: I pretty much had a prescription for heading into this industry. I was coached to get an undergraduate degree in Accounting and an MBA afterwards, and then head into the industry. When I completed my MBA in 1990, the economy was in a significant recession. I had planned to work on Wall Street but could find no opportunities there.
I came to Naples, Florida where my parents owned a vacation condo. I happened to meet someone who introduced me to Marty Wasmer, and I worked for Wasmer Schroder for about a year. So that is how I got my start in the industry.
Naples CFA: Was it your parents who prescribed your regimen of schoolwork with an emphasis toward accounting and finance?
Andy Hill: No. Actually, my Father was an Engineer. Both of my Parents went to University of Toronto where they met. It was a friend of theirs who lived in the neighborhood. I owned a landscape company and took care of his lawn. He took an interest in me and gave me the coaching. He was an investment professional.
Naples CFA: What caused you to pursue the CFA Charter?
Andy Hill: I learned about it when I was getting my MBA. I had completed my CPA exam, and I viewed the CFA designation as the parallel equivalent in the investment industry. It was part of the prescription to get the CFA Charter too. Fortunately, I started preparing for the exam as soon as I graduated from Syracuse University, where I got my MBA.
Naples CFA: You started your career at Wasmer, then worked at other Trust Companies. Why did you decide to go on you own and start Andrew Hill Investment Advisors, Inc?
Andy Hill: Andrew Hill Investment Advisors is actually my second time running my own firm. The first go round, I had more testosterone than intelligence. I did okay, but I realized it was too early and I had too many gaps in my skill set.
Afterword, I had spent the next 10 years working for various trust banks. The motivation to go independent a second time was that we felt uncomfortable servicing our clients with the pressure to sell our client's products and services that they didn't need. So, we basically had enough of that, and wanted to establish our own firm where we could put the client's interest truly first. We wanted to adhere to the highest fiduciary responsibility that any good CFA Charterholder demands.
Naples CFA: Reflecting on your entire career in finance, what are you most proud of?
Andy Hill: I would say patience. Starting our firm from scratch, we legally couldn't solicit clients from our prior employers, so we had to start it from the ground up. It has taken a long time. Only in the last few years, finally things have come along. The lesson there is patience, staying true to your focus, and not getting distracted.
Naples CFA: Do you have any hobbies, interests, or philanthropic activities outside of the office?
Andy Hill: I am very involved in environmental activities, which ties into my passion for fishing. I love fishing. The two of these interests kind of come together.
In addition, to serving on the board of the Naples CFA Society, the Governor of Florida appointed me to the Big Cypress Basin board. That is my biggest activity outside of work at present.
Hockey is also another passion. I guess if we revisited my career choice question; I had my second ACL tear at age of 17. At that point I figured out that I wasn't going to play in the National Hockey League. Then I went to 'Plan B' which is what we are talking about today.
Naples CFA: Were you a forward or a defensemen in hockey?
Andy Hill: I was a goaltender.
Naples CFA: Lastly, our favorite question. Do you have any advice for a recent college graduate thinking about a pursuing a career in finance?
Andy Hill: One, I would say continue your education on 'the other side of the campus'. Meaning, in the sciences area. For example, I have a very hard time understanding Messenger RNA due to my lack of chemistry knowledge. So, I think it is really important to continue your learning in the sciences outside of finance.
Naples CFA: Andy, thank you for being generous with your time.
Andy Hill: It was my pleasure.