Jacob Gamble in Crain Currency: why family offices shouldn't blur the CFO and CIO. Jacob Gamble, Principal at Cowen Partners and Head of Steward, the firm's family office practice, was featured in Crain Currency in an article on a quiet status inversion reshaping family office hiring: the CFO, long overshadowed by the chief investment officer, has become the hardest and most sought-after seat to fill. His more pointed contribution is a warning against a common shortcut. When a family office loses or lacks a CIO, it's tempting to let a long-tenured, trusted CFO absorb the investment role. Jacob's view is blunt: that's confusing trust with capability. As he puts it, the trust is necessary but completely inefficient, and promoting someone whose instinct is to eliminate surprises into a seat that requires underwriting growth and uncertainty rarely holds. He brought the point to life with a live search he's running for a Northern California family worth more than a billion dollars, whose portfolio, particularly its private equity positions, isn't working. The real question, Jacob says, is how badly the family needs cash flow and yield. When the answer is urgent, you don't want the long-term generalist every family claims to want. You want the surgeon who can triage in three years. About Crain Currency. Crain Currency is a trusted source for news and insights on family offices and ultra-high-net-worth investing, connecting readers with timely, authoritative reporting since 2022. Their mission is to combine expert journalism with actionable analysis to help families and advisers navigate complex markets, preserve wealth and plan for the future. Jacob Gamble, Principal. Their mission is to combine expert journalism with actionable analysis to help families and advisers navigate complex markets, preserve wealth and plan for the future. Jacob Gamble is a Principal at Cowen Partners Executive Search, a leading executive search firm, where he specializes in identifying and recruiting top talent for C-suite and leadership roles in the financial services industry. With over 20 years of global experience in management consulting, investment banking, investment management, family offices, and corporate strategy, Jacob brings a wealth of expertise to his role. Jacob rose to the level of Vice President of Fisher Investments, overseeing a $3.3-billion-dollar business line during his 13-year period with the company. He then worked as a Managing Director at Paulson Investment Company, a highly esteemed investment bank focused on the small to mid-cap markets. Jacob then became Paulson's top executive of their bridge loan hedge fund. After Mr. Gamble's successes at Paulson, he moved into the CEO position at a publicly traded, multi-state drug rehabilitation franchise in which he completed a full-scale corporate reorganization, increasing shareholder value by nearly 300% before moving to Chairman of the Board of Directors. Jacob has in-depth knowledge, contacts, and experience within the financial industries and specialized in the process of licensing, buildouts, and development of vertically integrated operations. Jacob also has experience in acquisitions of small private companies and operational integration of disparate businesses. Jacob graduated from Oregon State University with a B.S. in General Science and an M.S. in Management from Florida Institute of Technology (with an HRM Concentration). Jacob was an occasional lecturer at the University of Oregon's Charles H. Lundquist College of Business in portfolio management and environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) investing for the Chartered Financial Analyst Society in Portland, Oregon. Jacob has also authored papers on the United States federal debt, corporate debt, and the Social Security Administration. At Cowen Partners Executive Search, Jacob leverages his decades of comprehensive experience to help organizations secure transformative leadership talent. Executive Search expertise across investment advisors & financial services. Cowen Partners brings institutional-grade executive search capabilities to investment advisors, family offices, and financial services organizations seeking leadership that competes at the highest levels of global finance. Industry-Specific experience. 1. Investment advisors. * Private Wealth Management: Identifying leaders who excel in building client relationships, portfolio strategies, and wealth preservation for high-net-worth individuals. * Institutional Asset Management: Recruiting executives with a proven ability to manage large-scale investments, develop institutional strategies, and drive asset growth. 2. Hedge funds. * Investor Relations: Sourcing professionals with expertise in securing investor trust, managing capital raises, and navigating complex stakeholder communication. * Fund Operations: Placing operational leaders with a track record of streamlining processes, ensuring compliance, and optimizing fund services. 3. Family offices. * Infrastructure and Methodologies: Recruiting executives who build robust operational frameworks, apply disciplined investment methodologies, and create sustainable strategies for generational wealth. * Investment Approach: Identifying talent skilled in aligning family values with investment strategies and managing diverse asset classes. 4. Investment banks. * Institutional Sales: Placing top-performing executives adept at expanding institutional client bases, structuring innovative financial products, and generating revenue growth. * Expansion Strategies: Recruiting leaders experienced in M&A, market entry, and scaling operations across global markets. 5. Broker-Dealers. * Retail Asset Management: Identifying executives skilled in product development, investor education, and driving adoption in retail investment channels. Functional expertise. * Research: Recruiting executives who drive data-informed decision-making and market intelligence strategies. * Corporate Communications: Placing leaders skilled in managing brand reputation, stakeholder engagement, and strategic messaging. * Client Service: Identifying professionals with exceptional client management and retention skills in competitive markets. * Sales & Business Development: Sourcing executives with a track record of exceeding revenue targets, expanding market share, and driving organizational growth. * Portfolio Management: Placing investment professionals who deliver results through innovative strategies and disciplined risk management. * Change Management: Recruiting leaders who effectively navigate organizational transformation, cultural shifts, and strategic realignment. Steward: executive leadership for family offices in all 50 States. Steward, the dedicated family-office practice of Cowen Partners Executive Search, helps families secure executive leaders who preserve legacy, enhance stewardship, and position the enterprise for long-term success. Whether the need centers on a disciplined Chief Investment Officer, a forward-looking Chief Financial Officer, or a steady, operationally minded Chief Operating Officer, our senior-partner-driven approach ensures a search defined by discretion, alignment, and strategic clarity. For multigenerational families, first-generation wealth creators, and newly formalized family offices, we tailor every engagement to your governance structure, investment posture, and family objectives. The result is leadership that strengthens operational resilience while honoring the values that anchor the family's identity. We specialize in identifying executives who bring both technical competence and principled judgment - leaders capable of navigating complexity, supporting continuity, and executing decisions that stand the test of time.

When motivation meets opportunity: Garrett's journey from entry-level sales to Regional Vice President. 19 August 2026 Across industries and career levels, many employees face the same challenge: a lack of upward mobility. They have the skills and drive to advance their careers, only to find that the next step is either occupied, blocked by bureaucracy, or simply nonexistent. For sales professionals at Fisher Investments, career advancement isn't an afterthought, but an expectation. Garrett W. joined Fisher as an entry-level Account Executive, working his way up through the company's sales track to his current role of Regional Vice President of Sales. His story is a prime example of what is possible when work ethic and structural opportunities coincide. Backed by Training, Driven by Purpose As an investment adviser helping families around the globe, sales at Fisher Investments requires a personal approach - a skill that feels natural for Garrett. "I'd say the two biggest traits that have helped me are my work ethic and my ability to connect with people," he says when discussing his career progression. His motivation for continuing on Fisher's sales track is simple: "I take a lot of pride in helping individuals and families make better investment decisions. I enjoy building relationships, having meaningful conversations, and knowing that we're making a positive impact." This bigger purpose helped motivate Garrett to keep learning and improving in his role. Fisher Investments offered an array of opportunities to improve his skills. "Fisher has a strong development system. From day one, they've provided the tools, training, and support needed to become a top-performing salesperson." For those seeking a career in sales, Fisher hosts a robust sales track intended to guide employees to the next level, whether they have prior experience or are just starting out. "The training is very practical and focused on simplifying the process, communicating effectively, and building confidence, which has helped me continue to grow," Garrett says. In addition to seminars and online training, Fisher provides study materials and sponsorship for the Series 65 exam, which is a required license for many sales and service roles at the firm. Outside of formal training, he found great support in the people around him. "When I first started working here, one thing that stood out to me was how open and collaborative the culture is. Top performers are very willing to share ideas and best practices; no one is guarding their secrets. If you reach out to peers, they're happy to help. I've been fortunate to have a lot of people throughout my career who motivated me, gave me confidence, and helped me continue improving." Where Performance Opens Doors At many companies, young professionals often find themselves reaching for the next rung of the ladder, only to be limited by tenure or other factors outside of their control. Fisher Investments operates as a meritocracy, where employees can unlock growth opportunities based on their personal performance and motivation. For driven sales professionals like Garrett, this environment is ideal. "It ultimately comes down to the work you're willing to put in," he says. "If you stay disciplined, focus on your process, and consistently perform, there's a real chance to grow quickly. I worked hard and stayed committed to improving every day, and the firm gave me the opportunity and support to continue advancing." When asked why he has chosen to build his sales career at Fisher specifically, Garrett points to this meritocratic approach. "The opportunity, resources, and support are all there in front of you. If you're motivated and willing to work hard, the sky's the limit." For those interested in growing a sales career with Fisher Investments, view their open roles here. The essential daily roundup of news and analysis read by everyone from senior bankers and traders to new recruits. Boost your career. Find thousands of job opportunities by signing up to eFinancialCareers today. Top Articles

The progressive Washington State Budget and Policy Center is desperately trying to debunk Washingtons out-migration based on a complete mis-understanding of how business actually works. Mark Harmsworth Director of Small Business Policy Relevant Topics A recent Budget & Policy Center (BPC) article by Emily Vyhnanek (August 13, 2026) argues that "millionaire tax flight", caused by the capital gains and income tax legislation is a false narrative. The article claims that high earners stay for family, schools, and jobs, that Washington's capital gains tax and similar taxes elsewhere prove revenues hold up without mass exodus. The opinion piece states that federal tax cuts offset the new 9.9% "Income Tax", that the post-tax burden on the top 1% remains relatively low and that the tax's investments will attract people via jobs and growth. Washington Policy Center (WPC) has, using IRS migration data, SmartAsset studies of that data, and other sources to challenge the core "no meaningful flight" claim. The data shows a pattern of higher-income outflows even as overall population or filer counts can look neutral or positive, precisely the selective exodus that matters for the tax base and economic activity. Here is a point-by-point examination using data to support the arguments. BPC Claim - "Wealthy households don't move for taxes; they stay for community, family, schools, and jobs" WPC agrees that not everyone moves solely for taxes and that overall filer counts can show net gains. However, IRS migration data (the standard source for tracking interstate moves via tax returns) consistently show net losses of adjusted gross income (AGI) because the people leaving have higher average incomes than those arriving. Washington has seen net gains in the number of returns/filers in some periods, but net losses in total AGI. This indicates an outflow of higher-earning households (including those over $200,000), business owners, and high-income individuals. Additionally, the true impact of the enacted progressive income and capital gains tax is not known yet as the latest IRS data was issued prior to both taxes being signed into law. Individuals and businesses take time to react and while the preliminary data is grim, indications are migration may get much worse as later years of IRS data become available. A 2024 SmartAsset analysis of IRS data found Washington lost a net 222 high-earning millennial households (incomes over $200,000) between 2021 and 2022, the eighth-highest such loss nationwide. Follow-up reporting showed accelerating outflows among affluent younger professionals. Common destinations include lower-tax states such as Idaho, Texas, Nevada, and Florida. Inflows often come from higher-tax states like California, which can mask the income-quality problem. High-profile, tax-sensitive moves reinforce the pattern. Jeff Bezos relocated to Florida in 2023 (shortly after the capital gains tax took effect), avoiding hundreds of millions in potential Washington tax. Fisher Investments moved its headquarters from Washington to Texas the same day the state Supreme Court upheld the capital gains tax and other executives and founders have cited the tax climate as a reason to move. Most recently former Amazon executive Dave Clark and his wife Leigh Anne Clark moved their startup AI business, that has raised $150 million in funding to Dallas from Seattle. Cristobal Young's research (cited by BPC) shows most millionaires are relatively immobile in aggregate, but it does not erase the measured net AGI and high-earner household outflows documented in IRS data for Washington, nor the fact that when high earners do move, tax differentials are a documented factor in destination choice. BPC Claim - "Evidence from Washington's capital gains tax shows the wealthy stay and revenues hold up" BPC highlights strong capital gains collections (including the recent >$1.5 billion figure) as proof against flight. When you dig into the data however, it shows the opposite. As individuals sell companies to move they may have to pay the capital gains tax and certainly will pay the income tax on the taxable gain over $1 million. A spike in the capital gains tax can indicate a longer-term cost in lost economic activity, future tax base, jobs, and philanthropy, and that selective high-earner flight is already visible in the migration data coinciding with the tax's implementation. High current collections do not prove the tax has no long-run behavioral effects. IRS data for periods overlapping the capital gains tax rollout (e.g., 2021-2022 and 2022-2023) show net AGI losses (examples cited by WPC include figures on the order of hundreds of millions to over $1 billion in specific windows). National Taxpayers Union Foundation analysis of the flows ranked Washington poorly for net taxpayer losses (one taxpayer leaving on net roughly every 30 minutes in the examined period). A 2025 Texas A&M study of the IRS data identified Washington having positive household migration but negative AGI migration. BPC Claim - Federal offsets, "still low" effective rates, and projected economic benefits will keep people here These points address relative attractiveness after the tax and the hoped-for growth effects. WPCs analyses show that high earners and business owners are already mobile and responsive to the cumulative tax and regulatory climate (capital gains tax + the new 9.9% tax on income over $1 million + other increases). Net AGI losses and high-earner household outflows predate the full Income Tax and accelerated around the capital gains tax. WPCs work, grounded in IRS migration statistics and secondary analyses of those data (SmartAsset, NTUF), shows a consistent pattern, Washington can gain filers overall while losing higher-AGI households and total taxable income. That selective outflow is the economically relevant form of flight for a tax aimed at the top end of the distribution. High capital gains collections in some years do not erase the measured net AGI and high-earner household losses that occurred as the tax was implemented, nor the high-profile residency and headquarters shift to lower-tax states. Migration is multi-causal (housing costs, weather, remote work, family, etc.). The IRS and related data do not prove taxes are the only driver, but they directly contradict the claim that meaningful high-earner outflows are not occurring or are not visible in the numbers.