Forty Under 40: Josh McCaslin

While attending college at the University of Arkansas, Josh McCaslin began to dabble in investing with his family’s financial adviser in Little Rock.

A specialized portfolio management class at the UA sparked an even greater interest in finance, which led to an internship during his senior year at the Rogers office of Merrill Lynch.

McCaslin remained with the firm after graduating in 2006 with degrees in both finance and transportation and logistics, and in 2009 he became a licensed financial adviser.

Three years later, McCaslin and five others changed brokerage houses and established Benton County’s first Morgan Stanley Smith Barney office in Rogers.

The office now does business just as Morgan Stanley, and the team is known as the Hexagon Group, a boutique practice specializing in wealth management and financial planning for a limited number of clients.

McCaslin’s personal portfolio of assets under management and production has been recognized nationally with industry “pacesetter” awards. His advice to up-and-comers entering the financial services field? Build your business on relationships.

“If you do the right thing over and over again, you’ll be OK in the long run,” he said.

Married with two children, McCaslin credits his parents (Randy and Sherry) and other family members for their “unwavering” support during his career. He said his future aspirations are to grow the Hexagon Group into one of the premier wealth management offices in Arkansas.

Making personal connections is important to McCaslin, both in his role at Morgan Stanley and as a community leader and volunteer. He is a founding member of the Fayetteville Future Fund, is chairman of the board of the nonprofit Fayetteville Area Community Foundation and is on the planning board for the Color of Hope Gala, the signature fundraising event benefitting Arkansas Children’s.