Joel D. Hirsh, CFA

Joel serves as Principal and Co-Chief Investment Officer of the Kovitz investment team in Chicago. In this role, Joel is a voting portfolio manager, overseeing the equity research process, as well as developing portfolio construction for the firm’s Core Equity and Hedged Equity strategies. He also serves as a member of the firm’s Fiduciary Board supervising daily operations and business strategy implementation. As a member of the Kovitz executive team, Joel has been instrumental in the development of the firm’s long-range strategic planning and in leading the hiring of investment personnel.

As a firm, Kovitz applies the valued-based investment methodology pioneered by Benjamin Graham and further developed by Warren Buffett and Charlie Munger. Modeling this philosophy Joel helped launch the firm’s institutional business line and Family Office services division where he continues to play an influential role in its development. In addition, he serves as CIO to several families.

Prior to joining Kovitz in 2006, Joel worked as an equity research analyst for KeyBanc Capital Markets, a Division of McDonald Investments, where he performed financial market analysis as a member of an award-winning basic materials research group. Joel has been published in CFA Magazine and featured in publications such as Bloomberg, the Chicago Sun-Times, and Value Investor Insight. Joel graduated from the University of Michigan with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics. He is a CFA® Charterholder and member of the CFA Society of Chicago.