"My philosophy, first and foremost, is to serve as the client's advocate," says Moneta Group Principal Jim Blair about his approach to serving his clients as a Family CFO. "My job is to bring sufficient resources to the relationship in order to professionally meet all my clients' needs in a variety of disciplines."
Jim works to focus clients on their goals and objectives. "By starting with goals and taking into consideration each client's resources, we arrive at recommendations appropriate for and specifically customized to each client," he says. This strategy works well for Jim's clients. So well in fact, that he is consistently ranked among the top advisers in the field. In 2007, Barron's, a highly respected national publication of the financial industry, included Jim in its list of "The Indie 100," a ranking of the top 100 independent financial advisers in the U.S. Jim was again named to Barron's Top 100 Independent Financial Advisors list from 2008-2010, as well as one of Worth Magazine's Top 250 Wealth Managers and a NABCAP® Premier Wealth Advisor as published in the St. Louis Business Journal in 2011.
Jim has been a principal with Moneta Group since 1987. He earned his B.S. in Business Administration from Southern Methodist University in 1983, and he is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional and an ACCREDITED WEALTH MANAGEMENT ADVISOR®. In addition to serving clients as a Family CFO, Jim is an avid civic leader, devoting his time to numerous local and national causes. He currently serves as the Board Director of the St. Louis Chapter of the National MS Society and is an Advisory Board Member for the MS Corporate Achievers Campaign. He also sits on the board of directors for Triad Bank.
An ardent conservationist, Gov. Jay Nixon appointed Jim to a six-year term as commissioner of the Missouri Department of Conservation in 2011. He is a past president of the Missouri Conservation Heritage Foundation, a life member of the National Rifle Association, a founding board member of Great River Habitat Alliance and a life member and current board member of the Conservation Federation of Missouri. He has served on local, state and national committees for Ducks Unlimited for 25 years, where he is a major donor and sponsor in perpetuity. Jim has long been recognized in St. Louis as one of the top fundraisers for the organization. Over the years he has also worked closely with the Missouri Department of Conservation to develop land management plans on several projects across the state. Jim is an avid archer, hunter and waterfowler, and most enjoys the outdoors with his wife, Anna.