Chris Leslie

Chris Leslie, CFP®, CIMA®

Director of Portfolio Management

As a Portfolio Manager, Chris is responsible for managing all assets that Godsey & Gibb manages for Planned Ahead clients. Chris has been in the financial services industry for over 13 years, and with Godsey & Gibb since 2022. Prior to joining Godsey & Gibb, he worked as a Portfolio Analyst, conducting statistical risk & return analysis, completing investment research, and offering portfolio management support for more than 2,500 retail and 40 institutional accounts. At Godsey & Gibb, Chris develops and implements investment strategies based on clients’ needs and goals, using top-down macroeconomic analysis and bottom-up security selection. His background has provided him with additional insight into aligning client investments with the broader planning process to help Planned Ahead clients seamlessly meet their long-term objectives.

Education & Certifications:

B.S. in Finance from the University of South Florida
CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ certificant
Certified Investment Management Analyst®

What do you like the most about Investment Management?

I enjoy the research and analysis the comes with investment management. Capital markets and the global economy are constantly changing due to various factors. To be a successful investment manager, you must understand what these factors are, their relationship to one another, and to what degree they can shape financial outcomes for your clients. Be it disruptive technologies, trade policy, or weather patterns in Europe, the downstream effects of seemingly unrelated events matter. I find it meaningful to analyze patterns and project how different disruptors can work together to create new patterns. By recognizing patterns early and working to predict outcomes, we can then adjust portfolios to create greater stability for our clients.

What do you enjoy doing outside of work?

When I’m not in the office, I spend most of my time with my wife, Ashley, and daughters, Natalie and Noelle. We love going to festivals, theme parks, Barnes & Noble, and attending minor league baseball games (go Flying Squirrels). I’m also a big fan of college football (South Florida and Appalachian State), hockey (Tampa Bay Lightning), and fishing.

What are your top investment management tips?

When it comes to your investments, I typically do not recommend trying to time the market. Even with a deep understanding of investments and the market, it can be incredibly difficult. Approximately three-quarters of the stock market’s best days occur during a bear market or in the first quarter of a bull market. If you missed the top 10 performing days of the past 30 years, your return would have dropped by more than 50%. If you missed the top 30 days, it’s closer to 85%. The pain of losing money is universal and sticking to your plan and giving your investments a chance to perform can help remove emotion from such an important process.