Introducing Ryan Henahan of Baker and Company
2023 has already been a very active year for L.M. Kohn. Our acquisition of Baker and Company, a family-owned, Ohio-based investment firm, has brought some new faces to our team. We are so pleased to welcome these talented, dedicated and hardworking individuals, and would like to take this opportunity to introduce our readers to the first of several new team members who have joined us, Ryan Henahan.
A Family Business
As the grandson of the company founder, and the son of parents who both held leadership positions at Baker and Company, the business runs through Ryan’s veins. He grew up visiting the trading floor in downtown Cleveland, with its stock tickers and bustling floor full of brokers, and it ignited a spark within him. Naturally, he elected to pursue and obtain a degree in economics when he attended Ohio University. And from there, there was only one place to go.
Ryan joined Baker and Company in 2012 as a clerk to learn the bones of the business. He researched stocks and completed administrative work, basically acting as a gopher for the firm while absorbing all that he could. Once this position confirmed his suspicions that it was the career he wanted to pursue, specifically the client-facing, people-helping aspects of stockbroker work, Ryan acquired his Series 7 license and became a junior assistant. With his father’s guidance and a seasoned colleague’s mentorship, he has continued to learn the ropes and foster his skills to earn the title of Account Executive that he holds today.
A long path to the next step
Though only with the company (as an official employee) for a little over 10 years, in truth, Ryan has been entrenched with Baker and Company since the day he was born. Throughout his life, he’s watched his family’s business grow and change with the times. He’s grown up with the stories of his grandfather starting Baker and Company in 1971 out of a hotel room in downtown Cleveland, eventually becoming one of the smallest firms to have a seat on the New York Stock Exchange.
He watched as technology and online trading impacted the company’s retail stockbroker operations, compelling the business to downsize and move to a smaller office with less employees in Cleveland’s western suburbs, and shift its focus to RIA-oriented work. And he was on the clock every day as his mother and aunt neared retirement age and began looking for a new owner to take over the business that his family and their long-time colleagues lovingly grew into a successful operation over more than 50 years.
That’s why he’s so pleased that L.M. Kohn was the company chosen as the new owner.
A perfect fit
Upon meeting with the team at L.M. Kohn, Ryan instantly knew that the cultures and missions of the two organizations would be a perfect match. Baker and Company was built on providing excellent service to its clients, and subsequently grew by word-of-mouth and referrals. During one of his first meetings with L.M. Kohn president, Carl Hollister, Carl mentioned to Ryan that L.M. Kohn prides itself on a people-first approach to doing business. According to Ryan, this sums up the Baker and Company mission since the very beginning. And beyond the company culture match, there was the potential for Baker and Company to leverage the tools and technology in L.M. Kohn’s arsenal to elevate its client service capabilities to a new high.
“We spent a lot of time with L.M. Kohn over the course of the acquisition, meeting all the people and learning what they have to offer, and they just fit,” said Ryan. “L.M. Kohn offers access to exciting new research and planning tools. In addition, their attention to compliance monitoring and getting us up to speed in that regard has been amazing. And all the while, the same great service that our clients have grown to love hasn’t changed a bit. Having been a small operation for so long, it’s great to be a part of a bigger team of people that we can trust. Our future is bright.”
Contact us today to learn more about how L.M. Kohn helps advisors and clients alike prepare for the future.
