Waycross Partners Portfolio Team and Operations Staff

OUR 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 alllow for 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. 

Management Team

Investment Team

Marketing, Operations & Client Service

Ask the Team

Have a question for the Waycross Partners Team? Please fill out the form below and your question will be directed to the right member of our team.

Chris Greco

CEO | Principal | Director of Institutional Sales

Chris is the CEO, Principal and Director of Institutional Sales at Waycross Partners serving on its Board of Directors.  Chris works with investment consultants and institutional clients and is responsible for business development and relationship management.

Prior to joining Waycross, Chris was a Partner at Sawgrass Asset Management for 18 years, responsible for institutional marketing and client services across the United States and investment consultant relationship management.  Before working at Sawgrass, Chris worked at Clover Capital and Fidelity Investments marketing hedge funds and Defined Contribution plans to institutional clients.

Chris holds a bachelor’s degree in Finance from Boston College and earned his MBA from the Boston College Fulton School of Management.  Chris resides in Jacksonville, FL and is currently the President of the Ponte Vedra Youth Lacrosse Club.

Linkedin Envelope-open-text

Benjamin H. Thomas, CFA

Founding Principal | CIO | Portfolio Manager

Ben is Founding Principal, CIO and Portfolio Manager at Waycross Partners serving on its Board of Directors. 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. 

Linkedin Envelope-open-text

John W. Ferreby, CFA

Portfolio Manager

John joined the firm in 2009 as 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.

Linkedin Envelope-open-text

Anthony T. Brooks

Portfolio Strategist

Anthony joined Waycross Partners in 2021 as a Portfolio Strategist bringing more than 15 years of investment experience.  He previously held the positions of Equity Portfolio Manager and Senior Research Analyst at Sawgrass Asset Management where he worked on the firm’s $1 billion Large Cap Growth fund.  Prior to that, he provided asset allocation recommendations for Prudential and performed sector fund analysis at Cornucopia Wealth Management. 

Anthony holds a bachelor’s degree in Finance from Florida State University and earned an MBA with a concentration in Finance from the University of North Florida.  Anthony resides in Jacksonville, Florida where he regularly volunteers as a mentor and guest lecturer at his alma mater. 

Linkedin Envelope-open-text

James E. Moore III, CFA

Sector Analyst

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. 

Envelope-open-text

Paul F. Hummer, CFA

Sector Analyst

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 RQSI 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.

Envelope-open-text

Edward H. Wendel, CFA

Sector Analyst

Ed joined Waycross Partners in 2021 as an Analyst. His investment experience spans more than 11 years. Prior to joining Waycross, Ed spent six years in equity research at Barclays covering the Leisure sector and before that covered Food Retail at Citigroup. Earlier in his career, Ed worked as a private equity analyst supporting the acquisition of middle-market companies and prior to that in investment banking as an analyst. 

Ed earned his Master of Finance and Bachelor of Science in Management degrees from Tulane University. He is a current CFA charter holder.

Linkedin Envelope-open-text

Sean M. Ketcherside, CFA

Sector Analyst

Sean joined Waycross Partners in 2021 as an Analyst. He is an experienced investment professional with a career that spans more than 12 years in the industry. Prior to joining Waycross, Sean held analyst positions at Kennedy Capital Management and Scout Investments, focusing on the Energy and Utilities sectors.

Sean holds a bachelor’s degree in Interdisciplinary Studies (with emphasis in Mathematics, Chemistry and Communications) from University of Missouri, and an MBA in Finance & Entrepreneurship from the University of Missouri – Kansas City. He is a CFA charter holder and member of the CFA Society of St Louis.

Linkedin Envelope-open-text

Shannon Burnett

Relationship Manager

As Relationship Manager for Waycross Partners, Shannon brings more than 21 years of experience in meeting the needs of institutional clients and consultants to her role. Prior to joining Waycross in 2020, Shannon was the Director of Client Communications at River Road Asset Management, where she was responsible for managing a variety of marketing and client service functions. Prior to River Road, she served as Director, Marketing Relations for Integrity Asset Management and in various marketing and client service positions at Invesco.

Shannon attended the University of Louisville where she earned a bachelor’s degree in Psychology. She continued her education at Bellarmine University where she was awarded a master’s degree in Business Administration.

Linkedin Envelope-open-text

Christopher Herb

CCO | Director of Marketing and Communications

Chris joined Waycross Partners in 2021 as the CCO and Director of Marketing & Communications, bringing over 23 years of Marketing, Operations, Supervisory Principal, and Business Development experience. Chris will lead and manage the firm’s marketing, compliance, and business development efforts. 

Prior to joining Waycross, Chris was a Marketing, Sales & Client Service manager at Sawgrass Asset Management. Chris was responsible for various sales, marketing, and client service efforts, including content development, thought leadership, marketing materials, and competitor analysis. Prior to Sawgrass, he spent twenty years with Deutsche Asset Management (DWS), Jennison Associates LLC, and JP Morgan Chase.

Chris holds a bachelor’s degree in Economics from Stony Brook University.  Chris resides in Jacksonville, Florida, and is currently the Board President of Jacksonville FC, a youth soccer organization.

Linkedin Envelope-open-text

Douglas Myers

Director of National Accounts

Doug brings more than 26 years of experience in the financial services industry to his role as Director of National Accounts for the firm. Prior to joining Waycross Partners, Doug spent 15 years as a Financial Advisor and has been a licensed Advisor for 23 years. His in-depth industry knowledge helps Doug partner with his clients in identifying the right investment solutions to meet their financial goals.

After earning his B.S. in Finance from Indiana University Southeast, Doug started his career as a Marketing Associate with J.C. Bradford and Company in Louisville, KY. He then worked as a Portfolio Specialist for National Asset Management, which was later acquired by Invesco. Doug’s everlasting energy and passion can be seen through his pursuit of several other endeavors. He is an author of two books, founder of a nonprofit organization that teaches financial skills to youth and led the development a subdivision in his hometown called Harvest Farms. 

Linkedin Envelope-open-text

Leaving Waycross Funds

You are now leaving the Waycross Funds site and are being directed to the Waycross Partners corporate website.

 

If you would like to return to the Waycross Funds site, please click the link below:

Waycross Funds
Waycross Long/Short Equity Fund (WAYEX) reaches five year milestone.
Click To Read More