PYSK: Alex LaBrunerie
Title and company/organization: Investment Adviser/President, LaBrunerie Financial Services Inc. – the only locally-owned broker/dealer in mid-Missouri
Age: 50
Job description: Investment counseling, management of registered broker/dealer
Years lived in Columbia/mid-Missouri: Twenty-four recently, plus 18 of my youth
Original hometown: Columbia
Education: St. John’s College, Santa Fe, N.M.
Community involvement: Asian Equity Research Institute Board chairman, MU Department of Economics Advisory Board, Museum Associates, R.A.I.N., Sacred Heart Church, Ragtag and KBIA underwriter
Professional background: Transamerica Life Companies, Los Angeles; IIT Financial Services, Denver; LaBrunerie Financial
A favorite recent project: Revitalization of an internship program at our firm
A Columbia businessperson I admire and why: My father, Ferd, who set a foundation of integrity in a business fraught with conflict of interest.
Why I’m passionate about my job: I’ve seen many of my clients reach their retirement and feel great satisfaction with what we have achieved together. Helping families prepare for their financial futures is fulfilling.
If I weren’t doing this for a living, I would: Play Major League Baseball.
What people should know about this profession: The most elusive skill necessary for this profession is learning to seek wisdom in a sea of information.
What I do for fun: Travel, family time, hike, read history and biography
Family: Wife of 28 years, Robin; son, August, age 20; and daughter, Lark, 18
Favorite place in Columbia: Peace Park. It’s a gateway between the town and its main institute of learning.
Accomplishment I’m most proud of: Convincing Robin Larkin to marry me.
Most people don’t know that I: Interned at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles and accompanied mascot Sam