Industry Start Date: 1992
KAR Start Date: 2011
Education: M.B.A., Georgetown University McDonough School of Business, B.A., Classics from the University of Notre Dame
Credentials: Registered Investment Adviser Representative, Series 65, Certificate in Financial Planning (the UK FSA qualification)
Recognition: Tom was named on the Forbes “Best-in-State Wealth Advisors” list for 2018-2021.
Prior to Joining KAR:
Tom worked as Vice President in the Institutional Group for Fisher Investments, a global wealth manager based in Woodside, California. During his nearly 10 years at Fisher Investments, Tom provided private client as well as institutional investment management services to high-net-worth families, public, corporate and multi-employer relationships in the U.S., Europe, Canada and Asia. His depth of knowledge in global capital markets and portfolio management has helped clients make informed decisions regarding their specific financial plans. Tom also served as a Director in the Financial Services Group at Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP and was responsible for providing strategic public finance services to state and local governments.
When Not in the Office:
Tom enjoys spending time with his family around San Francisco’s Bay Area. He is married and has four children. The Connaghans support the Menlo Park-Atherton Education Foundation, Pathways Home Health and Hospice, Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital, St. Raymond’s Catholic Church among other organizations. Tom spends any free time outdoors, as he likes to golf, surf, bike and coach his children’s teams. He also enjoys trying new cooking recipes, recording and playing music and is a loyal fan of Notre Dame Football and Soccer. Additionally, Tom is involved with ProVisors, a network of top-rated professionals that enable Tom to provide his clients with very helpful and knowledgeable referrals.
What Do You Enjoy Most About Your Job?
One of the most rewarding aspects of Tom’s job is working with successful individuals who have incredible life stories. Tom partners with them to develop a plan to help them with financial freedom so they can live the lifestyle they want.
What Do You Enjoy Most About Working at KARWA?
Tom enjoys working at KAR because of the variety of clients he gets to work with. We work with individuals who are in the early stages of their careers and are looking to grow their assets, as well as individuals who are at or nearing retirement and are looking for capital preservation and diversified income streams. We also work with individuals and families who are thinking about the most efficient way to pass on their wealth to future generations.
How Does KARWA Approach Wealth Management Differently?
We do things differently here at Kayne Anderson Rudnick. For over thirty years, we have been solely focused on high-net-worth individuals and investment management. With over a quarter of our employees focused on research, we can offer access to both proprietary strategies not widely available to the general investing public as well as external managers offering best-in-class strategies.
What Do You Hope to Achieve For Your Clients?
Tom hopes to help his clients achieve financial freedom and security. He recently worked with a client who was anticipating a big windfall from his professional endeavor. They worked together to create a plan for when that event would happen – working on income, potential lifestyle changes and how to invest that money tax- efficiently – so that he and his family could enjoy the lifestyle they had worked so hard to achieve.