Our Team
Our Investment Team
Waycross Partners was founded in 2005 by Benjamin Thomas. Prior to founding Waycross Partners, Ben and several key members of the investment team worked together at INVESCO, an institutional asset management firm that managed core equity portfolios.
Waycross was founded on the simple idea that opportunities for active management were more abundant when an investor is able to take either side of an investment and is not constrained to only purchases on the long side. Additionally, long/short equity can enjoy the benefits of equity investing, while limiting potentially harmful side effects, such as high volatility and large capital drawdowns.
At Waycross Partners, we believe that successful investing is a balance between conviction and discipline:
- Conviction is achieved through our Key Factor Approach to fundamental analysis, which keeps us focused on only the most critical drivers to a company’s earnings.
- A disciplined approach to risk management is embedded within our investment process as we seek to understand, monitor, and limit downside protection.
This investment philosophy represents the guiding principles that shape our investment decision making process.
Ben is Managing Partner and Portfolio Manager for the firm. Before founding Waycross Partners in 2005, Ben was a Portfolio Manager and Senior Equity Analyst for Invesco where he was responsible for managing two mid cap strategies and led the firm’s technology and telecom research effort. Prior to Invesco, Ben worked for Banc One Securities (now J.P. Morgan Asset Management) and Prudential Securities. A native to Louisville, Ben attended the University of Kentucky where he earned a bachelor’s degree in Finance. He continued his education at Indiana University where he was awarded a master’s degree in Business Administration. Ben is a CFA charter holder and member of the CFA Society of Louisville where he served as president from 2007 to 2008. A former soccer player, Ben coaches a competitive youth soccer program based in Louisville. Ben and his wife Carrie have two children.
John joined the firm in 2009 as a Partner and Portfolio Manager. Prior to joining Waycross Partners, John was a Principal and Senior Portfolio Manager at Invesco in Louisville, Kentucky. At Invesco, John was the lead investment professional for Invesco’s $15 billion large cap core institutional strategy and was responsible for final decisions on all mid cap and large cap equity trades.
John holds a bachelor’s degree from Dartmouth College and is a CFA charter holder. He is a member of the CFA Society of Louisville.
Larry joined the firm in 2008 as a Partner. He brings over 38 years of investment experience to his role as Strategist on the portfolio management team at Waycross Partners. Larry worked previously as a Principal and Portfolio Manager at Invesco (formerly National Asset Management) in Louisville, Kentucky. From 1976 to 1992 Larry was a Principal and Investment Consultant at Mercer Investment Consulting. A graduate of Purdue University, Larry went on to earn his MBA from the University of Louisville. He is a member of the CFA Society of Louisville and is actively involved in the Louisville community serving on several boards and investment committees. Larry and his wife Kathleen have two daughters and have been blessed with six grandchildren.
Jim joined the firm in 2015 as an Analyst on the portfolio management team. Prior to joining Waycross Partners, Jim was Principal and Chief Investment Officer of Olmsted Capital, LLC. Jim attended Yale University where he earned a bachelor’s degree in History and went on to earn an MBA from Dartmouth College in 1994. Jim has over 25 years of investment experience having worked previously at State Street Research and 1838 Investment Advisors before relocating to Louisville in 2005. Jim is a former board member and Treasurer of the Louisville Ballet. Jim is currently a board member and Treasurer of Bulldogs in the Bluegrass, an internship program for Yale University students. Jim is a CFA charter holder and member of the CFA Society of Louisville.
Paul joined Waycross Partners in 2017 as an Analyst. Paul is an experienced investment professional with a career that spans 16 years in the industry. Paul worked as a Trader at RQSI where he traded futures, options, and cash currencies for a $1 billion hedge fund. After two years in that role, Paul was promoted to an Analyst position at RSQI where he focused on the Energy and Industrials sectors. Paul worked previously as an entrepreneur. In 1996 he founded a microbrewery and operated the facility for five years before selling it. He continues to brew beer as a hobby. Paul holds a bachelor’s degree in Biology from Penn State and attended the Masters Program in Food Science at the University of California at Davis. Paul is a CFA charter holder and member of the CFA Society of Louisville.
Interested in Joining Our Team?
At Waycross Partners we offer potential employees a performance oriented, fast-paced, team environment. Analysts willing to work hard who can produce alpha have the opportunity for professional development and attractive compensation. If you have a connection to Louisville and could see yourself moving to the area, even if a move might be down the road a ways, let’s go ahead and start the conversation now. We encourage you to email us your resume for review at careers@waycrosspartners.com.