2023 Speakers
Hans Blake, CFA, CPA (Intelligent Investing, LLC)
Hans is a Chartered Financial Analyst® (CFA) who managed over $350M before founding Intelligent Investing, LLC and Intelligrations®. He has an insatiable desire to learn and has a unique blend of creativity and attention to detail.
Hans graduated from Bob Jones University in public accounting, before earning a Master of Accountancy degree from the University of South Carolina Darla Moore School of business. Soon after, he became a licensed CPA and joined a large public accounting firm in Charlotte. Later, he and his wife lived in London while he worked for Deloitte. After their world travels, they returned to his hometown roots of Greenville.
The Chartered Financial Analyst® charter is considered by many to be the gold standard among financial professionals. Less than 20% of those who start the process ever become CFA® charterholders. Hans was awarded the CFA® charter after passing three levels of rigorous exams and demonstrating four years of professional investment experience, as well as a commitment to uphold a comprehensive code of ethics. He has been interviewed by The Greenville News, has appeared on WYFF News 4 and has frequented NPR and local radio programs to talk about the markets and portfolio management.
Hans is a member of the CFA Institute, CFA Society of South Carolina, and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA).
Hans has a soft spot for orphans, widows, and the needy. He and his wife also support an orphanage in Zambia while playing the trumpet in the orchestra at Cornerstone Baptist Church, where they attend. In his spare time, Hans collects board games and enjoys playing them with his four children.
Chris Hastings (Panoramix™)
Chris Hastings is the co-founder and CEO of Sapphire Software Services, Inc. and Panoramix™. Chris graduated with a degree in math from Carleton College in 1988 and began his career as a computer programmer at Applied Systems. There he wrote insurance rating software, and move up and eventually became the vice president of research and architecture. In 2004, Chris left Applied and co-founded Sapphire Software Services which at the time was primarily a consulting company, but in 2011 they started working on Panoramix, a billing and performance reporting system for financial advisors. Today, Chris is the CEO of Sapphire and devotes most of his time to Panoramix.
Aaron Klein (Nitrogen- Formerly Known as Riskalyze)
Aaron co-founded Nitrogen in 2011, growing the company to serve tens of thousands of financial advisors, and twice being named as one of the world’s top 10 most innovative companies in finance by Fast Company Magazine. He also co-founded Hope Takes Root, an initiative to serve orphans and vulnerable kids in Ethiopia, and serves on the board of Invest in Others, an organization that supports financial advisors who give back to their communities. InvestmentNews has honored him as one of the industry’s top 40 under 40 executives.
Luke Webber, CFA, CSRIC™ (Morgan Stanley/ Eaton Vance)
Luke is an executive director of Eaton Vance Distributors, Inc., part of Morgan Stanley Investment Management (MSIM). He is a regional director for the firm’s independent/financial institution sales team, marketing Eaton Vance, Parametric, Atlanta Capital, Calvert and MSIM products in Alabama, Georgia and South Carolina. He joined Eaton Vance in 2017. Morgan Stanley acquired Eaton Vance in March 2021.
Luke began his career in the investment management industry in 2005. Before joining Eaton Vance, he was a regional manager at Lord, Abbett & Co. LLC, where he spent 12 years, the last 10 covering the Georgia and South Carolina markets. Luke earned a bachelor’s in economics and finance from Eastern Washington University.
Brian Johnson, CPA (Suggs Johnson)
As a partner specializing in taxation, Brian has over 20 years of public accounting experience, with a particularly strong emphasis in serving closely-held businesses and their owners. Brian began his career with Ernst & Young then, after several years with an Upstate regional firm, Brian co-founded SuggsJohnson in 2005.
Brian has deep roots in the Upstate and serves his community and profession in various ways including serving as a Director for the South Carolina Board of Accountancy, past chair of the South Carolina Association of CPAs Tax Committee, former director/treasurer of United Way of Anderson, and board vice chair of Hospice of the Upstate. Brian is a University of Georgia “20 Under 40” and Bulldog 100 honoree.
