EntrepreneurIn 1984 two former military aviators met and began working together in a new department of E.F. Hutton & Co., the Consulting Services Department. This group’s mission was to advise pension funds, endowments and foundations on a wide variety of investment strategies. Six years later, with a little more experience and a handful of clients, Charles C. Gerber and R. Andrew Taylor founded Gerber Taylor as an independent financial services firm specializing in investment management consulting services and discretionary alternative investment portfolio management services.
Gerber Taylor is based in downtown Memphis at One Commerce Square and remains 100% employee owned. The firm has grown to 42 employees, 16 of which are shareholders. The consulting division provides objective investment consulting to over 100 endowment, foundation, retirement fund and family clients. The investment management division invests approximately $5.5 billion across eight investment strategies, both traditional and non-traditional, on behalf of its clients. Beginning in 2000, the firm brought together the collective efforts of the two divisions to introduce a novel concept called the GT Model Portfolio. Known today within the industry as an “Outsourced Chief Investment Officer” solution, Gerber Taylor has approximately $1.75 billion in client assets following this approach.
An early decision to “put the clients’ interests first” has been critical to Gerber Taylor’s stability and continuity over the years. One of the facts that Charles and Andy are most proud of is that they are still working with clients that they began serving in 1984.
Charles Gerber graduated from the University of Tennessee in 1979 with a Bachelor of Science degree. He served as a Naval Aviator for seven years before beginning his career as an investment manager. Currently he serves as CEO and CIO of Gerber Taylor. Charles actively supports many charitable and educational organizations including: Founder and Board Chairman Promise Academy & Promise Academy-Spring Hill; Excel Center; Grace St. Luke’s Episcopal School.
Investment Management and Investment Consulting; Endowments, Foundations, Corporations and High-Net-Worth Families
1990
“‘When we started Gerber Taylor we had a singular goal – to add tangible, substantial value to our clients’ investment experience – a rarity in our business. We have been able to do that and to do it in larger proportions than we had hoped, and for a very long time. The impact on our endowment, foundation and family office clients has been very substantial. The fruits of which are seen in more endowment scholarships, more generosity and stronger institutions in our community. Playing a small role in this success gives our firm enormous satisfaction. Our plan was to stay 100% focused on performance and let the business grow and develop on the back of that success. The resultant growth has exceeded our expectations by several orders of magnitude.
We have 16 partners at Gerber Taylor and a total of 42 employees. Every year Andy Taylor talks about the number of family members who depend on the company for their well-being. It is enormously gratifying to see your work having a positive impact on so many. It is so far beyond the humble expectations that we had for our careers. I have grown to love small businesses. It seems to me that they are the most common path to challenging, meaningful and ultimately gratifying careers.“
For More Information: http://www.gerbertaylor.com
