Finance, entrepreneurship, and family
Bill developed an affinity for finance, and as early as age 12 recalls helping his father build his business. “I remember helping my dad stuff envelopes with his client letters, and watching him run seminars for his clients.” He learned early on the hard work and grit needed to succeed.
Fresh out of college, Bill worked alongside his dad at Merrill Lynch, but he quickly realized the life of a financial advisor wasn’t for him. He moved to business development at Calamos Investments and his career was born. While at Calamos, Bill helped to launch new offerings and raise capital. He was part of the team that launched one of the largest closed-end IPOs in U.S. History.
An Accomplished Track Record
Bill has an accomplished track record of raising capital, strategic business development, and client service. In the 20 years before joining Birchwood in 2022, Bill worked in the asset management industry representing alternative investment strategies including managed futures, hedge funds, fund-of-hedge funds, private real estate, and structured products. Bill was responsible for raising capital through Wealth Managers, RIAs, Family Offices, and Institutions at prominent multi-billion-dollar firms including Lighthouse Investment Partners, Aurora Investment Management, and Man Group Plc.
Bill has raised more than $2.5 billion during his career. “The most important lesson I’ve learned from working in this business is that markets can and will go up and down. At the end of the day the most important thing is being a responsible fiduciary and taking care of the people that you work with and the clients that you serve. Fostering relationships is the heart of the business.”
Bill's Best Advice for Investors
- “Markets climb a wall of worry.” Bill thinks it’s important for investors to take heed of the of the old adage. Times of uncertainty can often be the best time to deploy capital.
- The sooner you start investing – the better. Bill believes investing for the long-term and taking advantage of compounding capital can help investors grow their money over time. Taking a long view on investments and removing the emotion from investing can help investors weather the ups and downs of the market.