Ballast Equity Management Hires Operations and Compliance Leader

OAKBROOK TERRACE, Ill., June 15, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Ballast Equity Management is pleased to announce that Josh Freedman has joined the firm as Partner and Chief Operating Officer. Freedman will also assume the role of Chief Compliance Officer for Ballast. Josh has more than 25 years of industry experience and was most recently Chief Operating Officer of Elk Creek Partners. Roles prior to Elk Creek included serving as Partner at Platte River Capital and Research Analyst at Three Peaks Capital.

"Josh is an important addition to Ballast as we build operational and compliance expertise to support our service to clients," stated Ballast CEO Jeff Kautz. Kautz added, "Josh has considerable experience in operations, compliance and investment research and is uniquely qualified to contribute to the success of our business."

Ballast was founded in 2016 by two veterans of small and mid-cap stock fund management, Jeff Kautz and Randy Hughes.  Kautz was previously CEO and Chief Investment Officer of Perkins Investment Management in Chicago.  Hughes served as Perkins' Director of Research and Analytics.  Kautz also served as the Co-Manager of the Janus Henderson Mid Cap Value Fund and the Janus Henderson Value Plus Income Fund.  Kautz and Hughes have managed funds together for more than twenty years.

"Strong culture, investment excellence and exceptional client service are critical in building a strong investment business," Freedman noted, adding, "I have worked with each of Ballast's partners earlier in my career and am confident we have the right people and skills to build a successful firm."   

About Ballast Equity Management

Ballast Equity Management is an employee-owned asset management firm that invests alongside its clients in high conviction portfolios of quality small and mid-capitalization businesses.  Ballast manages these portfolios of publicly traded companies for individuals, family offices and institutions.  Based in Oakbrook Terrace, Illinois, Ballast was founded in 2016 by Jeff Kautz and Randy Hughes, investment professionals who previously held senior roles at Perkins Investment Management and have invested together for over 20 years. More information may be found at www.ballastequity.com.

Media Contact: Dave Mertens
Ballast Equity Management, LLC
1815 S. Meyers Road, Suite 250
Oakbrook Terrace, IL 60181
(630) 376-4392 (office)

SOURCE Ballast Equity Management, LLC