As a 40-year industry veteran, Winch Financial CEO Christina Winch, CFP® understands that timing plays a key role in both investments and corporate development. So, when the perfect candidate became available just at the time she was looking to expand her investment department, Christina jumped at the opportunity to hire him.
John Hintz, CFA® and Winch Financial’s new Head of Investments, offers both a wealth of experience and an eagerness to grow the Appleton based company.
“What drew me to Winch was the dynamic nature that Christina displayed when I interviewed with her. She spoke with a lot of excitement about her company’s opportunities to expand,” he said. “Additionally, her focus on client services and wanting to do what’s best for her clients really impressed me.”
In addition to his Chartered Financial Analyst certification, Hintz has an MBA and more than two decades of investment management experience including broad exposure to all asset classes and funds. In his 19-year career with Thrivent Financial for Lutherans, Hintz held 10 position titles. Most recently he was Senior Portfolio Manager, Director of Equity Research and Senior Equity Analyst for the Fortune 500 financial services organization, which has more than $82 billion assets under management. He took a leave of absence from the company in 2012, spent a year caring for his ailing mother and then found himself seeking a change.
“My priorities have always been God, family and career and they got mixed up for me for a while,” he said. “I was spending 60-70 hours a week at work and I admittedly lost touch with my family. I really appreciate this opportunity to get my core values back in alignment – God first, then family, then career – while still challenging myself professionally and making some exciting improvements to Winch Financial.”
One area he’d like to develop is in investor relations.
“I’d like to take the investment team out of the office,” he said. “I think it would be very beneficial to visit a company like Quad Graphics, tour the facility and meet with the management staff. It’s good to kick the tires of the companies we’re investing in. I think it’s really beneficial to get out into the community and investigate the investment opportunities.”
The experienced investment analyst is also looking forward to assisting the investment team with managing the company’s mutual fund. “I have managed a mutual fund in the past and I know how to track and measure objectively, to set an investment philosophy and strategy, and to hold ourselves to a benchmark. I feel like the potential here is limitless as to what we can do as a team.”
Though he’s spent the bulk of his career working for a large corporation, Hintz says he feels right at home at Winch Financial, which currently employs 23 people.
“There’s a family feel within the company and I like the opportunity to walk over and talk to different functional teams,” he said. “When I wake up in the morning, I have that drive to serve the client, the company and the investment team. Everyone’s goals here are aligned. It’s easy to get motivated. If we can grow, monitor and safeguard the assets, everybody wins across the board.”