Josh Rowe, PhD, CFA
CO-CHIEF INVESTMENT OFFICER, DIRECTOR OF RESEARCH
SHAREHOLDER, ASSET ALLOCATION COMMITTEE CHAIR
As Co-Chief Investment Officer, Josh leads investment manager research, chairs the Asset Allocation Committee, and helps guide the long-term vision, philosophy and strategy for the firm’s clients. Josh is responsible for coordinating the firm’s investment research across public and private markets and supervises WMS’s due diligence process. Josh and his colleagues develop new investment ideas, evaluate quantitative data, identify trends, and write white papers and memoranda. Josh also works directly with clients on portfolio construction.
Prior to joining WMS, Josh was a Portfolio Manager and Senior Analyst with Orinda Asset Management where he researched and managed long and short investments across the capital structure of companies in the financial services, transportation, real estate and energy industries. As a credit generalist, Josh has also traded corporate, structured, and hybrid credit instruments.
Josh earned the Chartered Financial Analyst designation in 2014 after graduating with a PhD in history from Princeton University and a Bachelor of Arts from Johns Hopkins where he was a member of Phi Beta Kappa.
WHAT DO YOU LOVE MOST ABOUT BEING PART OF WMS?
The first thing that impressed me when I came here, and what continues to amaze me every day, is the quality of our people. WMS has dedicated, passionate people at every level of experience who absolutely love their work on behalf of our clients. The breadth and depth of knowledge across investments, planning, tax, operations, et cetera just blew me away. I am a very curious person and I have seen no better place to learn from your colleagues. Most importantly, there is a real ethic of humility and personal authenticity which is rare in the financial industry where ego and sharp elbows are more often the rule. In my experience, WMS is quite unique in that regard.
WHAT DO YOU LOVE TO DO OUTSIDE OF WORK?
I love the outdoors. Whether hiking in the hills of Western Maryland or sailing in the bay, Maryland is one of the best places to get outside. I moved here from Northern California where rock climbing and surfing were some of my favorite activities, and despite the shorter season, the East Coast has a ton to offer. Once a year, I try to travel abroad and I have been lucky enough to climb mountains, see fjords, and walk through jungles. Closer to home, I volunteer with local organizations dedicated to conserving and cleaning up our natural environment.
WHAT’S THE MOST INFLUENTIAL BOOK YOU’VE READ?
As a former history student, that is a hard question because I’ve enjoyed quite a few! Can I cheat and name three? First, Sidney Homer’s A History of Interest Rates which I may be one of the few people to have read multiple times. It shows that, however unusual our present economic situation may appear, it has echoes of previous eras. Surprisingly, interest rates have been near-zero before. Second, David Landes’ The Wealth and Poverty of Nations, which is a tour-de-force of world history spanning almost 2000 years. Lastly, A Time of Gifts by Patrick Leigh Fermor is my favorite travel narrative. It is an object lesson in how an open mind, an outgoing disposition, and a substantial quotient of bravery can expose you to worlds beyond your imagining, even when trekking on foot across an agricultural landscape in the middle of winter.