YOU WERE RAISED in a financial family, with your father, David Ellis Jr., merging his company with Gradison in the 1960s and later becoming chairman. How does being named one of the top financial managers in the country feel?

It surprised me, but I was very much pleased because I see this an honor to the entire team here at Gradison McDonald.

YOU STILL MANAGE SOME individual client portfolios, and some are worth millions of dollars. How is it to manage the money of such wealthy people compared to someone just starting out and investing for the first time?

We treat everyone the same, which means we listen to them and focus on their needs. That may sound simplistic, but that is the way we do business here and what sets us apart. When you are so focused on a client, whether it's a guy just starting out at P&G or someone who has already built wealth, the key is to develop a plan and stay with that plan.

DO YOU RECALL your first investment, and how did it turn out?

I was a freshman in college (Syracuse University) and my dad was working at Gradison. I had saved some money and bought some stock in Exxon and Aqua-Chem, which was a desalination company. Exxon did well, and Aqua-Chem was bought by another larger company. I was studying accounting at the time, but that whet my appetite for the financial industry.

WITH ALL THE SCANDALS in the financial markets, what advice would you give to someone thinking about becoming a financial broker?

I get asked a lot from friends of mine to talk to their son or daughter about a career in the financial industry, and what I tell them is what I tell our clients: develop a plan and stick with it. You need to have the proper skill set to advance in this industry, and you need to get experience.

Tim Pennington