Steven Sperry

Background

About Steven Sperry

I developed an early interest in the underpinnings of the stock market at the age of 16. From there, I went on to broaden my horizons as I majored in Global Business: Financial Management at a top tier business school. During my college years, I gained extensive knowledge of fixed income and global wealth management at my internships with UBS and Merrill Lynch. These initial exposures to the industry helped launch me into a career as a financial adviser at age 22. While in the role of a financial adviser, I had opportunities to give presentations, serve on the board of directors of a young professionals organization, teach a college course on financial planning, get an article published, and develop a client base of over 100 individuals and families. After spending a year at First Command, I accepted an offer as an internal wholesaler at American Funds. Since joining American Funds in April, 2011, I have served in three capacities: First, in my role as an internal wholesaler, I represented American Funds as the primary internal expert on retail, advisory, and 401(k) business to financial advisers in the Coastal Carolinas. Second, after accepting a promotion to Advisory Specialist (since renamed Portfolio Consultant), I was entrusted with the responsibility of driving fee-based sales in the Southeastern US, L.A, and San Francisco. As an Advisory Specialist/Portfolio Consultant, I acted as a liaison between the research group and the sales force, I completed detailed analysis on our mutual funds as well as those of our competitors, I consulted financial advisors/RIAs on portfolio construction, and I helped train the internal and external wholesalers. My third role at Capital Group as a Senior Investment Product Specialist involves representing the investment teams for our international, emerging markets, and small-cap equity strategies across all business lines. Splitting time internally and externally, I partner with the sales force in client or prospect meetings to go through deep dives on our investment strategies, answer written client inquiries, and speak on investment panels at our due diligence events. Focusing internally, I regularly write competitor positioning points, attribution commentary, and thought leadership white papers; record two quarterly podcasts; and provide investment and industry expertise as needed to various business groups in support of marketing efforts and product launches.