Nate Johnson is a Vice President for Tamarac Trading in Seattle, Washington. He manages the Consulting and Support teams, delivering innovative technology solutions and helping solve the complex business challenges that RIAs face. Nate lives in the Seattle area with his wife and their three young daughters. As an Olympian and tech geek, Nate shares his story.
Tell us about yourself and your background.
I come from a family of hobbyists and creators of things. My driving passion is a curiosity for how things work and how they can be built differently. This curiosity drives me to learn about new things and then bring those ideas to reality, such as remodeling projects at home, building acoustic guitars, and even building my own stereo equipment.
My first “career” was that of an athlete. While in middle school, I learned about a new canoe and kayak racing team coming together in Seattle. With a personal dream to one day represent the U.S. in the Olympics, I spent 15 years of hard work that eventually led me to the Canoe Sprint competition in the 2004 Games.
In early 2004, my teammate and I won our Olympic qualifier in Brazil—beating our closest rival (Mexico) to qualify for the Summer Games in Athens. Prior to the Games, we traveled on the World Cup circuit and won a bronze medal in the Czech Republic. We then proudly represented the U.S. in the 500- and 1000-meter Double Canoe Sprint, giving our best performance possible and fulfilling the dream of a lifetime. After the 2004 Olympics, I retired from the sport to pursue the rest of my life—and a new career where I could apply the same passion and drive to achieve shared goals.
What brought you to Tamarac?
Before I joined Tamarac in 2012, I was a financial advisor with a regional firm, where I learned the value of financial planning in helping clients achieve their goals. While I knew prospecting for new clients wasn’t my greatest strength, my lifelong curiosity for making things better and helping investors led me to a conversation with a Tamarac professional at a networking event. And the rest is history.
What impressed me about Tamarac was the portfolio management technology—and the interaction between models, settings and workflows. As a self-starter and tech geek, I influence and guide RIAs at the highest levels, helping them through complex situations and providing them with the right solutions. For me, there is no greater satisfaction.
What inspires you about working at Tamarac?
I find our culture to be exceptionally dynamic, as we work closely with advisors to understand their needs and support their business. Every day, I’m excited for the challenges that come my way.
As I’ve mastered our industry-leading technology solutions over time, my focus has shifted to the more personal and organizational aspects of consulting: how to help RIAs centralize trading at their firm, how to best standardize portfolio management or how to start using models. Conversations like these energize me to go the extra mile for my clients, always striving for excellence.
When it comes to financial wellness, how do you see Envestnet |Tamarac making a difference?
When I was a financial advisor, I found it tough to access the data I needed to answer client questions. At Tamarac, we provide the infrastructure our advisors need, so they can easily access client data, make more efficient investment management decisions, and then report on those decisions. Through our dedicated focus on data and portfolio technology, RIAs can spend more time deepening their end client relationships—with advice and guidance that lead to healthier financial futures.