Herb Vest, Founder & CEO
Ruben Buell, President
Patricia Bellows, Chief Strategy Officer
Ted Sinclair, Chief Financial Officer
Cornell McGee, Executive Vice President/CMO
Leah Gentry, Chief Content/Creative Officer
David Reid, Chief Legal Officer
John Aldredge, Program Management Officer
Travis McKee, Chief Information Officer
Herb Vest, Founder & CEO
Mr. Vest is an accomplished businessman with more than 30 years of experience in a variety of industries, particularly finance and law.
From 1983-2001, Mr. Vest was founder and chairman of the board for H.D. Vest, Inc., (H.D. Vest Financial Services), a financial company that traded on NASDAQ from 1990 until its acquisition by Wells Fargo in 2001, for approximately $128 million. H.D. Vest Financial Services offered financial services and products through a national network of approximately 6,000 tax and financial professionals who managed more than $16 billion in assets for some 1.8 million individuals, families and small businesses in all 50 states.
Mr. Vest has been the recipient of many prominent awards, including Ernst & Young's "Entrepreneur of the Year" award in 1999 and Accounting Today's "100 Most Influential People in Accounting" award in 1994-2000. He was also a finalist for "Inc." magazine's "Entrepreneur of the Year" award in 1992. Mr. Vest has served on the board of several large companies and organizations, including the Southern Methodist University School of Law Executive Board and the American Small Business Association, in addition to being a representative for the Office of U.S. Trade. Mr. Vest holds seven degrees, including a Bachelor of Science in political science, a Master of Science in taxation, a Master of Science in financial services, a Master of Science in management, a Juris Doctor, a Doctor of international business administration and a Master of Laws. He has also completed postgraduate work at Harvard Law School, Princeton University and the Wharton School. Mr. Vest recently completed a book about entrepreneurial strategy titled "Instructions to My Officers - A Revolutionary Approach to Entrepreneurial Strategy."
Ruben Buell, President
Prior to joining TRUE®, Mr. Buell was director of brokerage technology at Wells Fargo and Co. Through his career he has held several distinguished titles including chief information officer and chief technology officer. In 1993, he founded and was president of Rose Software, a time and billing software design shop for law and accounting offices.
Patricia Bellows, Chief Strategy Officer
Ms. Bellows brings extensive expertise in relationship and management skills to TRUE. Previously, she served in the office of the president of H.D. Vest Financial Services. While there, she managed a variety of functions, including strategic planning, compliance and marketing. She holds numerous technology and financial certifications and a Bachelor of Arts degree.
Ted Sinclair, Chief Financial Officer
Mr. Sinclair brings more than 18 years of experience in financial management and strategic planning for public and private companies to his role as chief financial officer. Prior to joining TRUE, Sinclair managed a public accounting firm that provided financial services and strategic planning to a wide range of industries. Prior to joining the accounting firm, Mr. Sinclair was chief financial officer for H.D. Vest Financial Services, where he was responsible for the financial management, budgeting and financial, tax and management reporting. He previously served as controller at H.D. Vest Financial. He is a certified public accountant, certified management accountant, certified financial planner, certified cash manager and a certified fund specialist. He is a general securities principal, registered options principal, municipal securities principal and financial and operations principal.
Cornell McGee, Executive Vice President/CMO
As Executive Vice President/CMO of TRUE, Mr. McGee leads strategic initiatives and provides direction for all aspects of customer acquisition, including online and offline marketing, strategic partnerships, business development, ad sales and other ancillary services. Prior to joining TRUE, McGee served as Chief Marketing Officer at Reunion.com and held key roles at Match.com and Sabre. He holds an MBA in strategic management from Texas A&M University.