Then & Now: Knight a ‘sought-after’ mentor at Stephens Inc.

Editor’s Note: The following story appeared in the July 17 issue of the Northwest Arkansas Business Journal. “Then & Now” is a profile of a past member of the Business Journal’s Forty Under 40 class.

———————–

With over two decades of industry expertise, Amy Knight has established a highly successful career as a financial planner at one of the state’s most renowned companies.

Now in her 21st year with the firm, Knight has worked her way up the ladder at Little Rock-based Stephens Inc., one of the nation’s largest family-owned financial services firms, privately held by the Stephens family.

In a recent promotion, Knight was appointed as a managing director within the firm’s private client group (PCG) starting in April. Out of the approximately 60 managing directors at Stephens — which employs about 1,500 — just three are women, exemplifying Knight’s trailblazing role in the industry.

The recognition highlights her exceptional service and extensive expertise in the field.

“Amy is a valued leader at Stephens for her knowledge of investing, experience in all markets, and full understanding of her clients’ goals,” said Kevin Scanlon, executive vice president and head of Stephens’ PCG. “She is a sought-after collaborator and mentor within PCG and the firm. Amy embodies our firm’s culture and core values, established and encouraged by the Stephens family since the firm’s inception.”

Alongside her managerial responsibilities, Knight also oversees a substantial portfolio of clients within the PCG. Her book of business consists of approximately 275 households — she declined to disclose asset totals — spanning across the United States and overseas. The broad scope of clientele showcases her ability to provide top-notch financial planning services nationally and internationally.

In a recent interview, Knight said she was excited and honored to be appointed a managing director. She explained that her success lies in placing clients’ best interests at the forefront, whether navigating significant life events or planning for a secure retirement.

“Building relationships drives the culture at Stephens, and that’s one of my passions,” she said. “Especially after 20 years with people I started working with in saving for their children’s college [and] I get to see them go off to college. Or with families that you help plan for retirement when they reach that point to enjoy their retirement.”

Knight said doing what you say you’ll do is crucial to building relationships.

Knight grew up in Helena and attended the University of Arkansas. After earning her degree in accounting from the University of Arkansas and getting her CPA license in 1989, Knight married her high school sweetheart, moved back to east Arkansas and settled down.

She began her career as a banker, but after a few years, Knight switched gears.

“At the suggestion of our own financial consultant at the time, I decided to pursue wealth management,” Knight wrote for a Stephens blog. “He recognized my technical background and enjoyment of connecting with people. So this new path, although somewhat daunting, appealed to me.”

In 1998, the path led Knight back to Fayetteville, where she opened an Edward Jones office and supported the family while her husband finished law school. She built the office to about 300 clients, but the administrative work required to run the office limited her time working with clients.

“Eventually, I realized the value of working at a firm with highly responsive back-office staff, investment specialists and senior management,” she recalled. “A manager at Stephens reached out to me and showed me how PCG has a solutions-oriented environment, without any pressure to sell certain products or services.”

Stephens hired Knight in 2002, and the Northwest Arkansas Business Journal recognized her with the Forty Under 40 award in 2007 when she was 39.

Knight, a Circle of Life board member, belongs to the parish council of St. Joseph Catholic School in Fayetteville and volunteers with Canopy Northwest Arkansas, supporting refugees and their families’ transition to the United States.

A former triathlete and mother of four (ages 32, 30, 28 and 25), Knight, due to back surgery, has cut back on running and scaled back to mostly CrossFit and mountain biking in her free time. She belongs to the cycling club Fayetteville Wheelmen and the Women of Oz NWA, a nonprofit that gets women on mountain bikes by breaking down barriers.