Recently, Thomas W. Wilkins retired as CEO of Trust Company of Oklahoma after 30 years serving our clients. He will remain as Chairman of our Board of Directors and the values he has instilled in all of us are his strongest legacy.
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Trust Company of Oklahoma (TCO) is proud to announce that Vice President Whittney Stauffer has been elected to the Friends of Finance Board of Directors.
The slate of officers for 2020-2021 is comprised of President: Lane Wilson, Williams; Vice President: Mike Osborne, Ernst & Young; Treasurer: T. D. Eureste, ONEOK, Inc.; and Secretary: Mike Neal, Tulsa Regional Chamber.
Since 1985, the organization founded by the University of Tulsa’s Collins College of Business has brought leading business executives to TU’s campus to share their perspectives on business issues.
“Friends of Finance fosters meaningful conversations about the economy and the financial industry. As past president of the Friends of Finance Board, I have personally supported the organization over the years. TCO is extremely proud of Whittney’s commitment to serve the organization as a board member. Her experience and skills will certainly enrich Friends of Finance’s mission” stated James F. Arens II, president and CEO of Trust Company of Oklahoma.
About Trust Company of Oklahoma
Founded in 1981, Trust Company of Oklahoma provides asset management and unbiased financial advice for individuals, families and organizations in Oklahoma and throughout the country. Trust Company of Oklahoma currently manages approximately $4.5 billion in client assets from their offices in Tulsa and Oklahoma City.
James F. Arens II, CFA is Trust Company of Oklahoma’s new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Michael Hopper, CFP®, CTFA its Chief Operating Officer (COO). Thomas W. Wilkins is retiring as CEO after thirty years with the Tulsa-headquartered firm. Tom will continue to serve on the company’s Board of Directors.
Jim joined Trust Company of Oklahoma (TCO) in 1997. For 12 years, he served as the company’s Chief Investment Officer and became President in 2019. Jim is also a member of TCO’s Board of Directors. He earned a Bachelor’s in Finance and Accounting from Southern Methodist University and an MBA from the University of Texas at Austin. Jim holds the Chartered Financial Analyst designation, is past president of the CFA Society of Oklahoma and is active in the CFA Institute.
Jim serves on Tulsa’s Gilcrease Museum National Board, the Asbury United Methodist Church Administrative Council and as Chairman of the University of Tulsa Student Investment Fund Board. He also serves on the investment committees for Holland Hall and the University of Texas MBA Student Investment Fund. Additionally, he is a member of the Young Presidents Organization (YPO) in Tulsa.
“Jim has demonstrated dedication to our clients and to the company for over two decades. His experience as Chief Investment Officer at TCO, along with his management skills, are two of the many reasons why our company is in great hands,” stated Thomas W. Wilkins. “I can’t wait to see TCO continue to grow under Jim’s leadership,” he added.
Michael has been with TCO since 2013. He is an Executive Vice President, a member of the Board of Directors, and Manager of the Agency Division. Michael serves individuals, families and businesses with trust management, retirement planning and financial advice. Prior to joining TCO, he accumulated nearly 10 years of insurance and investment experience.
Michael has a Bachelor’s of Business Administration in Economics from the University of Oklahoma. He is the current President of the Tulsa Estate Planning Forum. Michael is a Certified Financial Planner (CFP®) professional and holds the Certified Trust and Financial Advisor designation.
Trust Company of Oklahoma is the oldest and largest independent trust company in the state, with locations in Tulsa and Oklahoma City. Founded in 1981, the firm provides asset management and unbiased financial advice for individuals, families, and other organizations in Oklahoma and throughout the country. TCO currently manages approximately $4.5 billion in client assets.
Tulsa, Okla., July 26th, 2020: Trust Company of Oklahoma (TCO), the oldest and largest independent trust company in the state, is proud to announce the promotions of Philip D. Mock to Chief Investment Officer (CIO), Nick Gallus to Director of Investment Research, and Bri Ghosn to Controller. In addition, TCO has hired John Priebe and Jackie Jimenez as Assistant Vice President and Compliance Officer, respectively.
As Chief Investment Officer (CIO) and member of the Board of Directors, Philip D. Mock, CFA, CPA, CFP® will manage TCO’s investment portfolio. He joined the company in 2016 as a portfolio manager. Since then, he has been helping clients achieve long-term goals by developing a tailored investment plan. Prior to that, he worked at Mariner Wealth Advisors, at BOK Financial and at PwC, LLP. Philip holds a master’s degree in Accounting and Bachelor’s in Accounting and Sociology – all from Oklahoma State University. He is a certified public accountant (CPA) and a Certified Financial Planner™ professional. Philip is a member of the Oklahoma Society of CPAs and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.
Director of Investment Research Nick Gallus, CFA joined TCO in 2014, where he serves as a portfolio manager in the Investment Management Division. In his new role, Nick will analyze, assemble and design investment strategies for TCO’s clients and assist with the implementation of their investment portfolios. Nick has more than a dozen years of experience in the investment management industry, spending the first half of his career as a securities analyst at several different firms. He holds the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation and is a member of the CFA Society of Oklahoma. Nick also has experience as a credit analyst of high yield bonds and structured products. A native of Minnesota, Nick earned his Bachelor’s degree in Business, Finance from the University of Minnesota in 2003 and his MBA from the University of California, Berkeley in 2013.
Vice President and Controller Bri Ghosn, CPA, CFP®, CDFA® will have responsibility for all accounting-related activities. She joined TCO in 2018 after working at Mariner Wealth Advisors for five years. Before that, she was a tax analyst for individuals and small businesses at CCK Strategies, as well as a relationship associate in trust administration for Bank of Oklahoma. Bri has over a decade of experience helping clients navigate the complexities of financial planning. She is a CPA and holds both the Certified Financial Planner (CFP®) and the Certified Divorce Financial Analyst (CDFA®) designations. She graduated from Northeastern State University with a Bachelor’s in Business Administration with an emphasis in Accounting.
John Priebe will provide TCO clients with investment management advice. John came to the firm from Mariner Wealth Advisors, where he worked as a Wealth Advisor. His duties there included analyzing risk, financial planning, and investment management for private clients and family offices. Prior to that, John spent 12 years working at Northern Trust in various roles across the country. John graduated from North Central College with a Bachelor’s in Small Business Management and from Lynn University with an MBA in Investment Management. John holds the Certified Financial Planner (CFP®) designation. He is a member of the CFA Society of Oklahoma, and a CFA Level II candidate.
Jackie Jimenez has over a decade of experience in the accounting and auditing industry. She previously served as a Senior Auditor for firms in Texas as well as Tulsa (OK), with an emphasis in financial institutions and retirement plans. As a Senior Auditor, she has supervised staff members and collaborated with clients to ensure internal audits, agreed-upon-procedures, or year-end audits were appropriately completed. A native of Texas, Jackie earned her Bachelor’s in Business Administration with a major in Accounting and a Master of Science, Accounting from the University of the Incarnate Word in San Antonio (TX).
“Both John and Jackie add a lot of value to our group of professionals. With their experience working with individual and institutional clients, along with their strong knowledge of investment management and auditing, John and Jackie will help us serve clients with the highest level of expertise,” stated James F. Arens II, president and CEO of the Oklahoma asset management firm.
Founded in 1981, Trust Company of Oklahoma provides asset management and unbiased financial advice for individuals, families and organizations in Oklahoma and throughout the country. Trust Company of Oklahoma currently manages approximately $5 billion in client assets from their offices in Tulsa and Oklahoma City.
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The cryptocurrency’s meteoric rise in 2017 had the investment community in awe. Today, the Bitcoin phenomenon has turned into a bloodbath. Investors’ confidence is gone. Read an interview with Senior Vice President Michael Abboud about Bitcoin’s rise and fall.
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