Mike started in the brokerage industry in 1979 with Dean Witter Reynolds in Minot, ND. He quickly excelled working primarily with clients in the medical field and ranked first in his National Training Class in both gross production and new account openings in his first year.
In 1982, EF Hutton recruited Mike into its management training program. He was tasked with establishing and managing offices for Hutton in the Dakotas, hiring many individuals that continue to prosper in the industry to this day. He was often invited to speak to national training classes on business development, practice management and his favorite topic, work/life balance. Mike gave up the management of client accounts and moved completely into branch management.
EFHutton was eventually acquired by Shearson Lehman Brothers and Mike was transferred to Olympia, WA to build upon and expand the footprint of Shearson’s office there. At the request of his Regional Director, Mike traveled often to mentor and coach new branch manager/operations manager teams throughout the Pacific Northwest. During that time, he created a training manual for management teams that became the basis of the National Branch Manager Training Manual used by Shearson. It cannot be said that Mike was completely “grounded” during his time in Washington as he obtained his Master Skydiving license and both Instructor and Jumpmaster ratings from the US Parachuting Association. Mike was particularly fond of working with US Army Rangers that aspired to Special Forces, assisting them in the transition from “round canopies” used by Rangers to the “square” canopies used by the SF/ Green Berets. Mike comes from a Military family and served briefly in the US Marine Corps. He will do anything to help Veterans.
1999 saw Smith Barney who had recently acquired Shearson, promote Mike to the Branch Manager of the Bend, OR branch. By recruiting and hiring the very best Advisors from competitors and hiring and training the best Operations Staff and Client Service Assistants, Mike doubled the revenue and profitability of the branch and the branch became one of Smith Barney’s top ranked offices nationwide. While at Smith Barney in Bend, Mike obtained his National EMT-I Registration and served as the Medical Team Leader for the Deschutes County Sheriff Department Search and Rescue Team for several years. He was also named Parent Volunteer of the Year for Mt. Bachelor Ski and Education Foundation, was made an Honorary Member of the Central Oregon Military Officers Association, was recognized for his work with the Congressional Medal of Honor Foundation and became a certified Red Cross instructor.
After the sale of Smith Barney, Mike spent a year with Edward Jones where he was recognized for his outstanding client service, exceeding production expectations by 1700%. He was recruited back to ND in 2012 to become the COO of Mainstream Investors, a small oil company in the Williston Basin. He co-founded the firm and raised substantial capital from ultra-high-net-worth investors to invest in oil wells. The firm closed in 2017 and Mike and his beautiful wife, Brenda, moved back to Bend to be close to their two amazing daughters, Amanda and Ashley, and their grandson, Talon.
After a brief stint in retirement, Mike reconnected with a highly respected and long-time financial services industry veteran, John Noble at Mill Street Financial. After discussions with John and Mill Street’s Founder, Jamie Sumner, the hook was set, and Mike is now a member of the firm’s management team. Mike’s enthusiasm, commitment, and determination to personally help each FA succeed and reach their highest potential is what Mike excels at. He takes pride in having been part of the FA’s journey and watching them achieve that goal and celebrating their success story.