Tom Eck of Cortina
Asset Management Visited Marquette's AIM Program on Friday, October 28, 2016
Tom Eck of Cortina Asset Management presenting to the AIM Class of 2017 |
On
Friday, October 28th, Tom Eck was the guest lecturer in the AIM
program. The students in the Class of 2017 – similar to all of the other AIM
classes over the years – were able to hear Tom’s insights on the investment
industry and career planning.
Dr. David
Krause, AIM program director said, “It is always a pleasure to host Tom. The
AIM students enjoy his interactive style of presentation – he keeps them on
their toes intellectually. He is very effective in bringing the world of
investing to life.”
Tom Eck,
CFA, is a Founding Principal of Cortina Asset Management. He has managed
Cortina’s Small Cap Opportunity Strategy since its inception in 2004 - and he has
nearly 20 years of experience in the investment industry.
Tom
joined the State of Wisconsin Investment Board in 1997, spending two years as a
Research Analyst, and from 1999 to 2001 he was an Analyst for a mid and small
cap domestic equities team at Strong Capital Management. In 2001, Tom joined
U.S. Bancorp Asset Management to co-manage the Health Sciences sector fund then
began managing institutional and individual portfolios dedicated to the small
cap asset class in 2003.
His
background prior to entering the investment management industry was in
corporate finance. He holds the Chartered Financial Analyst designation and is
a member of the CFA Institute. Tom received his B.B.A. from the University
of Notre Dame and M.B.A. in Finance from Marquette University.
Dr. Krause, Tom Eck and Andy Krueger discuss investment performance after class |
Dr.
Krause, AIM program director said, "Tom, an alumnus of Marquette, is one
of the top speakers we bring to campus during the fall semester. He connects
well with the students and is able to offer useful insights into the industry.
Tom has served on our faculty as an adjunct investments instructor and has
hosted AIM ‘road shows’ at Cortina each of the past seven years. We truly
appreciate his passion for learning; he's an outstanding role model for our
students."
Mr. Eck
talked to the students about his equity investment style, which is to focus on
small cap companies that have established defendable competitive advantages and
generate strong cash flow over the long run. Tom provided the students with his
approach to portfolio management, but he also discussed individual security research.
His efforts at Cortina are also directed toward following individual health
care, financial and media companies.
Dr.
Krause said, “Our thanks go out to Tom and the team at Cortina Asset Management
for their hospitality and support of the AIM program over the years. John
Potter, Steve Lilly, and the rest of the professionals at Cortina have been marvelous
hosts and mentors to our students. It is the support of firms, such as Cortina,
that help maintain the ‘applied’ element in the AIM program." |