Forty Under 40: Dustin Colebank

Dustin Colebank bought and sold stocks while earning a degree in zoology (1996) at the University of Arkansas. The Benton native eventually dispensed with plans for medical school and diagnosed his first love as investments.

He interned with Morgan Stanley before joining the firm in 1997 as an assistant vice president and financial advisor. Colebank was recruited by Merrill Lynch in 2002 and eventually joined Brent Henry and Pam Raben on The Henry Group a wealth management team within Merrill’s Rogers office.

Colebank, who does business development for the triumvirate, said his portfolio volume since joining Merrill has probably doubled. But he looks at his practice as a holistic team effort rather than a transactional business. And he tries to learn from the veterans.

“If you’re going to have A-plus service,” Colebank, 31, said, “and good performance and good business development, it takes a team.”

His biggest achievement, Colebank said, is maintaining a sustainable book of business in an industry where only two in 10 brokers make it past five years. Being adaptive, he said, is the key to survival.

A golfer and scuba diver, Colebank volunteers for Arkansas Children’s Hospital, the American Heart Association and others.