Forty Under 40: Johann Komander

Johann Komander worked almost a decade on the Wall Street trading floor before returning to Northwest Arkansas to change pace. The Greenwood native became interested in working in New York while attending the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

In early 2008, he accepted an internship as a trading analyst for Merrill Lynch. The initial Wall Street experience led him to start taking finance classes. After graduating from MIT in May 2009 with a bachelor’s degree in materials science and engineering, Komander joined Morgan Stanley. He worked there for nearly seven years and was a credit trader, trading Latin American bonds. He also spent two years as vice president at Goldman Sachs.

On the trading floor, Komander said he was surrounded by some of the most intelligent people he’s met — many with educational backgrounds in which they excelled in math, physics or engineering, and were quick thinkers and skilled negotiators.

In 2018, Komander relocated to Northwest Arkansas and started in his current role in early 2019.

“It was a really good fit for my skill set, having worked in the financial world in New York,” he said. “It offered me an intellectually interesting and challenging role that I could professionally grow in.”

He’s responsible for thinking long term about investment strategy, deciding when to invest and completing sector analysis. He also handles client portfolio management and implements tools and technology.

A graduate of Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences and the Arts, Komander was a research intern for NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., and the Institute of Materials Research and Engineering in Singapore before his Merrill Lynch internship.

Komander co-founded the nonprofit Fayetteville Farm Sanctuary. He enjoys cycling and hiking.