After more than a decade of providing commentary as a Wall Street analyst, Cannon opted to get directly in the portfolio management game as CornerCap’s Chief Investment Officer.  While working in New York, his equity analyst expertise was sought out by top tier media outlets such as CNBC and The Wall Street Journal as he covered the IT business services, wireless services and emerging telecom industries. Since joining CornerCap in 2007, Cannon has quarterbacked the investment strategies and processes as well as stock and asset class research that drive portfolio allocations for clients.  Cannon also oversees CornerCap’s Small Cap Value, Large/Mid Cap Value and Balanced mutual funds.  Public service is important to Cannon. He heads the investment committee for the Wesleyan College endowment, serves as Chair of the Advisory Board for the Center for Ethics at Emory University, and is President-Elect of the Atlanta Rotary Club. He is a past Board member of the Technical College System of Georgia Foundation and also currently serves as Chair of the Georgia Tennis Foundation, among other nonprofit endeavors.

Education

• BA, Political Economy – Princeton University
• MBA – Columbia Business School

Why did you choose to join CornerCap?

After over ten years as an analyst on Wall Street—where I had an opportunity to go toe-to-toe with some of the most sophisticated investors and management teams in the world—I wanted to move from being a commentator about markets to a true investor making real-time decisions directly for client portfolios.

How do you encourage clients to frame their financial picture?

I ask clients to envision what success looks like in their lives, and to consider what challenges they might encounter in that journey toward success. From those insights, we can begin to construct an investment portfolio to help them achieve success and navigate uncertainty.

What inspired you to help people manage their wealth?

Growing up, I learned through an extended family member about the subtle yet destructive dangers of allowing fear to drive long-term investment strategy. As a kid, this inspired me to ask: what makes a good steward of wealth creation and preservation? My view is that self-awareness, patience and discipline are among the most important keys to wealth creation. I strive to bring these principles to our clients’ lives.

What was your first job, and how did it influence your ultimate career path?

My first real job was working clean-up before inspections at construction sites for a home builder. While just for a summer between semesters, it taught me critical life lessons—like, some of the smartest people don’t necessarily go to the best schools, and how careful planning upfront can help minimize unintended consequences later. Both insights have helped me throughout my career as an analyst, investor, and team member.