About the author
Alex Potts
President and Chief Executive Officer, Loring Ward
Alex Potts is the President and CEO of Loring Ward Group Inc. and its affiliates, as well as the SA Funds – Investment Trust.
Potts founded and was President, Chief Executive Officer and Director of Loring Ward Securities Inc. (formerly Assante Capital Management Inc.). In addition, he served as Executive Vice President and General Manager of LWI Financial Inc. (formerly Assante Asset Management, Inc.). In 1999, Alex started the SA Funds – Investment Trust and was named President and Chief Executive Officer.
From 1990 – 2000, he served in various positions at Loring Ward and its predecessor firms, including Senior Vice President of Investment Operation.
Potts earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics from Santa Clara University.
Joni L. Clark, CFA, CFP®
Chief Investment Officer, Loring Ward
Joni L. Clark has advised clients on all aspects of investment strategy and portfolio risk management for two decades. Her clients have included affluent individuals and families, investment management organizations and large institutional pension funds.
As Chief Investment Officer of Loring Ward, she directs investment policy and portfolio management strategies for the company. She also chairs the company’s Investment Committee.
Prior to joining Loring Ward in 2002, Clark held senior positions with some the country’s most respected financial services firms. She began her career at Merrill Lynch PFS (1989-1991). She then worked as Vice President of Wilshire Associates (1991-1998), consulting for large public and corporate defined benefit plans, foundations and endowments, and institutional investment management firms. She also was a Managing Director at Legg Mason Institutional Advisors (1998-2000), overseeing client service for institutional client relationships. And she was a Senior Investment Consultant and Portfolio Manager at Enright Financial Consultants (2000-2002), a boutique investment management firm serving affluent individuals and families.
Clark received a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance in 1988, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation in 1994, and became a Certified Financial Planner (CFP®) in 2004. She is a member of the CFA Institute, the Los Angeles Society of Financial Analysts, and the Financial Planning Association.
Steven J. Atkinson, CFS
Executive Vice President and Head of Advisor Relations,
Loring Ward
For more than fifteen years, Steve Atkinson has been dedicated to helping create a better experience for independent financial advisors so that they can create a world-class experience for their clients.
As an Executive Vice President at Loring Ward, Atkinson speaks frequently at client and advisor events and has personally coached over 100 advisors.
He is a graduate of the University of Nebraska at Omaha, with a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance and Investment Banking. He is also a Certified Fund Specialist (CFS).