Fast 15: Corbin Foster

Things didn’t turn out exactly as planned for Corbin Foster after moving to Northwest Arkansas to attend the University of Arkansas.

Growing up, the Little Rock native thought she’d move back to her hometown after graduation. She also thought she would be working in accounting.

Now, she doesn’t see herself moving back to Little Rock or working in accounting.

“I love Northwest Arkansas,” she said. “I’m here to stay.”

Foster reconsidered her initial career path after a college internship working in the accounting department of a large company.

“I decided I would rather be in a more client-facing role with more client interaction … than being solely behind the scenes [and] crunching numbers,” she said.

Shortly before graduating from the UA in 2014, Foster accepted a position as a client service associate at wealth management firm Greenwood Gearhart. Her role became full time after earning a bachelor’s degree in accounting with a finance minor.

Foster pioneered the firm’s transition from an on-premise portfolio management software to a cloud-based product. In 2016, she transitioned to financial planning associate and became a financial planner in 2018. She was promoted to her current role in January. She’s currently working to receive a Certified Financial Planner accreditation.

“My primary focus is to manage the financial planning team as a whole and [also] help us continue to think strategically on how we can deliver our tailored financial planning advice and services as we grow, without sacrificing any level of service,” she said.

Foster noted the firm’s rapid growth following the ownership transition to Brock Gearhart soon after she started there. Since then, assets under management have more than tripled from about $250 million to over $800 million, and nearly 350 clients have been added. The growth can be attributed to the strategic initiatives and projects the firm has implemented, while staff numbers rose modestly over the period.

Foster oversees four employees and looks to continue to develop as a leader and mentor. She supports the Court Appointed Special Advocates of Northwest Arkansas and Fayetteville Public Schools.