Joseph Rowell was named Chief Executive Officer in 2021, when North Avenue Capital (NAC) was acquired by Veritex Community Bank in Dallas, Texas. Joseph joined North Avenue Capital as Chief Operating Officer at the launch of the business in 2015, providing 25 years of operating experience in high-profile positions at major investment institutions and expertise in financial services, organizational development, investment operations, business development, and strategic planning.
Prior to NAC, Joseph worked as the Director of National Accounts for Regency Lighting, where he managed a nationwide book of business comprised primarily of Fortune 500 companies. In this role, he worked with C-suite executives, government organizations, and others to develop, execute, and support multi-million-dollar strategic projects to drive energy efficiency for some of the largest and most reputable banking, hospitality, healthcare, and retail properties in the country.
Previously, Joseph was the Director of Service Development for Wells Real Estate Funds, where he provided leadership and support for the investment operations of a $10 billion commercial real estate portfolio of Class-A office buildings. His daily focus included coaching, training, career development, and day-to-day oversight to enhance a culture of excellence, hard work, and extreme camaraderie within the service and operations team. In his role, Joseph also worked with executive leadership across the firm to, among other things, ensure ongoing compliance with SEC and FINRA regulations, approve all marketing material for operational accuracy and consistency, and develop formal processes to drive productivity, efficiency, and scale.
In addition, Joseph was a member of the Wells University faculty, instructing more than 3,000 registered financial advisors on the firm’s industry-leading operations and service model. He also worked with the Shareholder Services Committee of the Board of Directors to develop and report on key performance indicators and served as a Board Member for the Wells Political Action Committee to enhance the firm’s leadership and rapport among regulators and elected officials at the local and national level.
Prior to his departure, Joseph managed ongoing relationships with some of the largest Broker/Dealers, Investment Banks, and other financial institutions in the country to consult on the operational structure and implementation of the initial public offering of a $4 billion affiliated portfolio company.
In the early days of his career, Joseph worked on the Investment Operations team at the wealth management firm, Ronald Blue & Company (now Ronald Blue Trust, a subsidiary of Thrivent), where he implemented the transition of $2.5 billion in assets under management to Fidelity Investments Institutional Brokerage Services. In this role, Joseph served as the operational liaison between the company’s nationwide branch personnel and Fidelity’s Institutional leadership team.
He is a graduate of Georgia State University, where he earned both an undergraduate degree in Finance and his MBA. He previously held the Series 7, 63, 65, 24, and 99 FINRA securities licenses.
Joseph, his wife, Elizabeth, and their six children, Cameron, Andrew, Carley, Benjamin, Jacob, and EmmaJo, live in St. Augustine, Florida. Joseph’s broad experience in financial services, organizational development, sales, and service has opened the door for him to serve in various advisory and board roles with small businesses and nonprofit organizations in his community, including a four-year appointment to the St. Johns County Industrial Development Authority Board from 2016-2020. The Rowells attend Redeemer Church in Ponte Vedra, Florida, where Joseph serves on the Board of Trustees.