James L. Johnson III, Partner

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Business Background

 Prior to co-founding Johnson Bender Asset Management in 2016,  James L. Johnson III was a Senior Vice President/Investments with Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Incorporated for 23 years. His investment career began in 1993, when he formed a partnership with his father, James L. Johnson, Jr., a seasoned investment executive at Stifel. Their mission was to help individuals and privately held profit sharing plans manage their equity investments.

 Mr. Johnson graduated in 1986 from Vanderbilt University with a degree in economics. After graduating, Mr. Johnson worked for three leaders in the international insurance and publishing industries, American International Group (AIG), Inc. Magazine, and Ziff Davis Publishing (PC Week).

  

Investment Background

 “I like to tell people how fortunate I am to have started in the investment business in 1993 with a mentor/partner, my father, who had a successful record over 30 years and a sound strategy based on proven relative value models. I experienced, firsthand, the benefits of following his models, and that helped drive my passion for the investment management business. Combine my father's mentoring with my first job out of Vanderbilt as a products liability underwriter, where my job was to quantify downside risk for U.S. multinationals selling their products outside the U.S., and I was well prepared for today's investment environment. My background has helped me balance both risk and reward in the stock selection process, and in the end, that helps clients pursue their long-term goals.”

  

Personal Background

 Mr. Johnson is active in the St. Louis community, serving on the boards of St. Louis Children's Hospital Foundation and The Donald Danforth Plant Science Center. He is a member of the Investment Committee of City Academy, an inner-city private school and volunteers for the VP Community Impact Foundation.

 Mr. Johnson is married with three children. He and his family enjoy traveling, skiing, biking, and hiking.  In his free time, he enjoys competing in various activities, including tennis, paddle tennis, golf, ping-pong, and backgammon. For relaxation, he enjoys reading a good novel.