BY ANDREW SCHWEIZER
Darren Caris, chairman and chief executive officer of Caris & Co. Inc., an investment bank focused on the health care, energy, technology and consumer sectors, boasts more than 15 years in the industry. Beginning in Del Mar, Caris & Co. now has branches in New York, San Francisco and Boston.
RESUME
Name: Darren Caris.
Company: Caris & Co. Inc.
Education: UC San Diego.
Birthplace: Santa Monica.
Age: 36.
Current residences: Del Mar and New York.
Family: Wife, Jessica.
BUSINESS PHILOSOPHY
Essential business philosophy: Keep ethics and integrity at the forefront of all of your business dealings and human capital additions.
Best way to keep a competitive edge: Hire the most sophisticated thinkers with the deepest domain expertise.
Guiding principle: Clients and employees should always be treated in the most honest, straightforward manner possible.
Yardsticks of success: A happy, invigorated human capital base, satisfied clients, revenue growth and profitability.
Goals yet to be achieved: A substantial build-out of our investment banking practice; creation of Caris Asset Management; and opening offices in Beijing and London.
JUDGMENT CALLS
Best business decision: Targeting the most sophisticated investors in the world as our client base.
Worst business decision: Not accepting outside capital.
Toughest business decision: Having to terminate good people solely because they weren’t strong enough to operate in our environment.
Biggest missed opportunity: So many of our clients have inquired about an asset management arm based on our research. Hopefully, that won’t be a missed opportunity for long.
Mentor: Bob Sievers, former senior vice president of equity trading at Gruntal & Co.
Word that describes you: Tenacious.
TRUE CONFESSIONS
What you like best about your job: Meeting some of the most brilliant minds in the world.
What you like least about your job: Having to terminate employees.
Pet peeves: Portfolio managers who use our research but don’t compensate us appropriately for it.
Most important lesson learned: Never let ego get in the way of objectivity.
Person most interested in meeting: Stephen Hawking, theoretical physicist.
Three greatest passions: Family, job, surfing, in that order.
First choice for a new career: I’d go back to surfing the World Qualifying Series professional surfing tour.
PREDILECTIONS
Favorite quote: “Sometimes you avoid injury by just going for it.” , Tom Curren, a professional surfer.
Most influential book: “One Up on Wall Street,” by Peter Lynch.
Favorite status symbol: A garage full of surfboards.
Favorite restaurant: Nobu in New York City. It’s where I met my wife.
Favorite place for business meetings: Out in the ocean, surfing.
Favorite vacation spot: My father’s house in Kauai.
