The coronavirus pandemic has led to the closure of many businesses but one man, Jason Tauber, is experiencing one of his best performances. Jason works for Neuberger Berman, managing a Disrupters portfolio that has recorded returns of 22.6% after fees during the first half of 2020. It is such an impressive performance since it has beaten the benchmark, Russell 1000 Growth Index, which rose only 9.8%. He has disclosed his strategy of finding the tech firms that facilitate disruption, and if you were wondering about his background, here are ten facts to let you in on the professional life of this portfolio manager.
1. He was a judge for the Aspen Institutes’ MBA Case competition
In 2017, Jason was among the eight judges that saw 18 students win $35,000 in scholarship money. The students, selected from almost 1,000 countrywide, were given 72 hours to respond to a new case study of enhancing the social impact of IBM’s CSC. IBM CSC is reputed as the world’s largest pro bono consulting program. Jason was also among the seven judges in 2018 when 20 students were picked during a similar case study competition.
2. He served Lehman Brothers in two different capacities
Although his bio discloses that he was a research associate at Lehman Brothers from 2004 to 2006, it fails to mention that he had previously worked there for two months. Between July and August 2003, Japan was an equity research summer associate where he was charged with developing earning models worked under an II-ranked airline analyst also to prepare company reports since he was a member of the research team. Later on, between August 2004 and September 2006, Jason returned to the firm, serving as the equity research associate.
3. He has series 7 and series 63 licenses
With his determination to have all it takes to pursue a career in finance and security trading, Jason had to equip himself with both licenses. Series 7 is necessary for any broker wishing to sell options, stocks or municipal bonds; however, it does not permit the sale of real estate or life insurance. Anyone willing to undertake the exam qualifying them for the Series 7 and Series 63 licenses must undergo a thorough background check. Both exams are administered by FIRA (Financial Industry Regulatory Authority); the Series 63 exam takes 75 minutes while Series 7 takes 6 hours, broken down into two.
4. He is a chartered financial analyst
According to Jason’s LinkedIn profile, he was issued with a CFA certification in 2004. The portfolio manager can thank his dedication towards attaining this certification for his now renowned status of being among the best in his field. CFA enables students to acquire knowledge in investment and portfolio management. The best thing is that you can study while still working since one of the requirements to qualify is four years of work experience. The CFA exams are divided into three levels, and it has been said to require more hours of study than CPA. Further, it is such a difficult exam that the average pass rate is 43% for each level.
5. He was an outstanding student
When Jason attended Haverford College to study for his Bachelor of Science degree in molecular biology, he gave it his all enabling him to graduate with a 3.9/4.0 GPA. Additionally, he did such impressive work in his thesis that it ended up being presented at an international conference. The focus on his studies continued during his master’s degree studies at Cornell Johnson Graduate School of Management, where he also graduated with a 3.9/4.0 GPA.
6. How he honed his leadership skills
Jason’s leadership skills seem to have been honed during his college days. While at the Haverford College, he was elected a member of the Honor Code Council which is a student-governed body that facilitates autonomy. Moreover, at Cornell Johnson, Jason was a Park fellow; the program nurtures the full potential of students while offering them full tuition support and a living stipend. Of course, that privilege is reserved for top students, and Jason was among the selected few.
7. He is on the JFEW board
Jason Tauber sits on the board of directors of the Jewish Foundation for Education of Women, according to the JFEW website. The organization dates back to 1880 when it was operating as a Sabbath School supporting the daughters of less-privileged families. By 1903, it had grown to offer more amenities, including a library, gym and other facilities that made it to be recognized as the most technical equipped girl school in the US.
8. His charitable efforts
Besides concentrating on his career, Jason still finds time to mentor the youth and encourage them to attend the YearUp program. The YearUp program provides trainees with a one-year training that facilitates their future careers since students learn the skills that hiring firms need. It prides itself in having a 100% internship placement for all those who complete the training. Since it was developed to help disadvantaged people find long-term employment, it does not charge any tuition. Instead, the program provides the trainees with a stipend to cover necessary living expenses.
9. How he evaluates possible investments
According to Head Topics, Jason and his co-manager, Rick Bradt, evaluate possible investments by assessing the stock of the high-growth firms. They then check the market share that such companies can take if they are successful in their disruption, which then enables the portfolio managers to estimate future profit margins and cash flows. Jason added that innovators and inventors are the primary source of investment for his Disrupters portfolio. However, besides the inventors and innovators, the firms that also facilitate the disruption make up a percentage of his portfolio since, without them, the high growth companies would not be successful.
10. He is a loyal employee
Not many people can stick to a company for more than five years, but Jason has been an employee at Neuberger Berman for over 13 years. With the firm having been named the best to work in Money Management for two years consecutively in 2013 and 2014, perhaps Jason feels his talents are best utilized here.
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