JOHN L. SMALL, CFA

Managing Principal

John brings to the firm a "plan sponsor" perspective and extensive experience in the formulation of both profit sharing and pension plan investment strategies, implementation of investment manager and master trustee searches and investment performance evaluation.  In addition, he has had extensive experience in other treasury and tax related functions such as international financing, foreign exchange hedging, cash management, administration of employee benefit plans and ERISA compliance.

John was previously Treasurer of Lanier, a $1 billion corporation, where his responsibilities included the planning and administration of the Corporation's pension and 401(k) plans.  Prior to joining Lanier, John was Director, Benefits and Retirement Plan Finance of Harris Corp., a $2 billion corporation.  In that position he was responsible for spearheading the effort to restructure its $400 million profit sharing plan, formulating investment objectives, establishing investment policies and evaluating investment performance.  Mr. Small has been with Southeastern since 1990.

John received his undergraduate degree from Kent State University and his law degree from Akron University.  He is a member of the Ohio and Florida Bar Association and is a CPA (Ohio).  He is a member of the Southern Employee Benefits Conference.  He is a Chartered Financial Analyst.  He has provided investment consulting services since 1982.       

TODD K. BORTON, CFA, CAIA

Managing Principal

 
Todd Borton is a Managing Principal and owner of Southeastern Advisory Services.  He joined the firm in January of 2001.  Todd currently serves as the consultant for several pension and 401(k) plans as well as foundations.  Todd is a 1985 graduate of Wake Forest University with a B.S. degree in accounting.  He began his career with Arthur Andersen & Company as a financial services auditor during which time he became a Certified Public Accountant in the State of Illinois.  In 1991, he completed the Chartered Financial Analyst series of exams and was awarded a charter from The Institute of Chartered Financial Analysts.  Mr. Borton has spent most of his career working within investment management firms in varying capacities, including three and a half years consulting with the Watson Wyatt Worldwide Atlanta office.  Prior to joining Southeastern he was a Partner in Jacobs Asset Management, an international equity firm based in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.  Todd is a member of the CFA Institute and the Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst (CAIA) Association.  He is a past President of the Southern Employee Benefits Conference (SEBC).  Todd resides in Winston-Salem, NC.

HILDA THOMPSON

Senior Consultant

Hilda Thompson is a Senior Consultant with Southeastern Advisory Services, Inc.  She has been with the firm since May 2003 after having been an investment consultant for over 17 years with Watson Wyatt Investment Consulting and a predecessor firm.  She has been located in the Atlanta area throughout her entire career.  Hilda has spent the majority of her time consulting with plan sponsors, providing advice on asset allocation, investment policy guidelines and manager structures, as well as providing performance evaluation reviews and recommendations.  Hilda has worked with many types of organizations including corporations, public entities, Section 529 organizations, and endowments.

During her career, Hilda has been involved in the development of proprietary software used for maintaining investment performance data and creating innovative ways of screening and evaluating this data.  In addition, she has conducted numerous investment manager searches, trustee/custodian searches and GIC placements.  She is a key contact on client relationships, attending client meetings and providing consulting services.  Hilda received her Bachelor of Science degree from North Georgia College, and is a member of the Southern Employee Benefit Conference and the College Savings Plan Network.  Hilda resides in Atlanta, GA.

WALLACE W. WILSON, FSA

Senior Consultant

Wally Wilson is a Senior Consultant with Southeastern Advisory Services, Inc.  He joined the firm in May 2003 after having been a Consulting Actuary for approximately 30 years, most of them with Watson Wyatt Worldwide in Miami.  Wally has spent the majority of his time consulting on design, administration, and funding of all types of retirement programs.  For Section 529 plans he has focused on funding and investment issues.  Wally has worked with many other types of organizations including corporations, public entities, and foundations.

Wally has significant experience in all actuarial matters including asset liability modeling and actuarial consulting with public entities.  Working closely with investment consultants, he has also developed a working knowledge of investment related matters.  Wally has a Bachelor of Science degree from Bucknell University where he majored in mathematics.  He is a Fellow of the Society of Actuaries and a former member of the Board of Directors of the Conference of Consulting Actuaries.  He is a member of the College Savings Plan Network.  Wally resides in Miami.

JEFFREY D. SWANSON, CIMA

Senior Consultant

Jeffrey Swanson joined Southeastern in January 2007 after 17 years of professional experience in the areas of finance and investment consulting.  Mr. Swanson began his professional career in Atlanta in the corporate banking area of NationsBank.  After five years experience in institutional credit analysis and investment banking, Mr. Swanson joined Merrill Lynch as an investment consultant in 1994.  At Merrill Lynch, Jeff spent twelve years serving public pension plans in Florida, Georgia and Alabama.  Mr. Swanson has considerable experience serving the unique needs of public pension funds in the Southeast.  He has a working knowledge of the state laws that restrict the investments of public plans.  Mr. Swanson is the lead consultant for many client relationships providing investment policy development and review, asset allocation analyses, investment manager research and performance measurement services.

Jeffrey is a graduate of Florida State University with a B.S. in Finance.  He holds the Certified Investment Management Analyst (CIMA) designation offered by the Investment Management Consultants Association (IMCA).  Mr. Swanson is a member and an active supporter of the Florida Public Pension Trustees’ Association (FPPTA).  He is a founding member of the FPPTA Education Committee and a regular speaker for the organization.  He lives in Jacksonville.

SERE ROLLINS

Senior Consultant

Sere Rollins is a Senior Consultant with Southeastern Advisory Services, Inc. She has been with the firm since February 2008.  Ms. Rollins has over 25 years of investment and financial industry experience and joined Southeastern from Veritas Consulting Group, LLC where she served as a Senior Retirement Consultant and was also responsible for the development and growth of the firm’s investment consulting practice, Veritas Investment Advisory Services, LLC. 

Ms Rollins has spent her entire career in the investment industry providing professional services to corporate and public employee benefit plans and foundation and endowment clients.  Her expertise includes: investment consulting including investment recommendations and selection, asset allocation advice, performance monitoring and oversight; manager search and selection including trustee and custodial services; fee and expense audits including contract negotiations; fiduciary education for investment committees; development and monitoring of investment and spending policy statements; recordkeeping vendor searches and conversion projects for corporate and public employee benefit retirement plans.

Sere earned her Bachelor of Science degree from Mankato State University in Mankato, Minnesota.  She also holds the ACCREDITED INVESTMENT FIDUCIARY® designation from the Center for Fiduciary Studies and has been a speaker on investment and vendor selection for a variety of organizations. Sere resides in Atlanta.