Arnold Van Den Berg

CEO, Co-CIO, Portfolio Manager, UDP (Canadian registration), Principal 

Click here to view Arnold's thoughts and market commentary videos

Click here to get inspired Arnold's life lessons and wisdom

Arnold founded Century Management in 1974. He serves as the company's CEO. Active in managing investment strategies for the firm, Arnold is the lead portfolio manager for the CM Value I (All-Cap Value) separate account strategy and for all of the balanced separate account strategies. He is the co-portfolio manager for the CM Fixed Income separate account strategy and the CM Advisors Fixed Income Fund (CMFIX).

Arnold's accomplishments in the world of investing have been recognized by many:

• Featured in the Epilogue of Richer, Wiser, Happier: How the World's Greatest Investors Win In Markets and Life by William Green
• Included in The Great Minds of Investing, Profiles by William Green, Photographs by Michael O’Brien
• Featured in The World's 99 Greatest Investors: The Secret of Success by Magnus Angenfelt, 2013 (pp 226-227)
• Included on the list of "SuperInvestors" on the Graham and Doddsville blog
• Featured on the list of investment gurus on GuruFocus.com.
• Interviewed, quoted and referenced by numerous publications such as:
  • Outstanding Investor Digest
  • Seeking Alpha
  • Outlook Profit Magazine (India)
  • Money Manager Review
  • NASDAQ.com
  • Forbes.com
  • Austin Business Journal
  • Barron's

While Arnold has no formal college education, his rigorous self-study, tremendous dedication, and years of industry experience are the foundation of his extensive market knowledge. He began in the industry working for several financial services companies. However, he quickly found that he didn’t always agree with leadership and he wanted to be in a business that he loved at a place that he believed in. Wanted to make his own decisions, Arnold formed Century Management in 1974.

Involved in research and strategies of advising clients on how to meet their financial goals. He has found in this business that there are many other things he consults on beyond investments. He considers this business not just wealth management but life management as a good advisor also becomes involved in health, wealth, and lifestyle issues.

He is a lifelong student of the financial services business. It has also led him into studying many other fields, not just financial services including philosophy, psychology, studying the subconscious mind,  and spiritual matters. 

His childhood years, in the 1940s, were filled with angst. He and his family were living in Holland, just down the street from Anne Frank. Taken over by the Germans, both of Arnold’s parents survived Auschwitz. However, a 19-year-old girl saved Arnold by miraculously sneaking him through the German lines. Today Arnold shares his story by speaking at schools on his experiences growing up, being a holocaust survivor, and helping young people learn from those who have been through tough times. Arnold's presentation, Lessons from the Holocaust: Love, Power & Forgiveness, can be viewed here.

Arnold is a vegetarian, active in yoga, and spends time with his wife, their three children, seven grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.

Scott S. Van Den Berg, CFP®, ChFC®, CEPA®, AIF®, CRPS®, CMFC®,  AWMA®
President, Principal

Click here to view "Scott's Thoughts", articles and videos by Scott

Growing up in the financial services industry, Scott had observed and listened to his father – Arnold Van Den Berg - discussing stocks, bonds, and the financial markets since he was young. This early education led him to a lifetime of learning and caring about helping people achieve financial success.

Starting his career in real estate, Scott later joined his father at Century Management in 1993 where he learned and advanced by occupying every position in the company prior to taking on a leadership role. Today, Scott is President of the firm. Additionally, Scott is listed as one of the Best Financial Planners by Money Magazine and a 2024 Five Star Wealth Manager Award Winner.

A perpetual student, Scott holds multiple industry specializations and designations. He attended Glendale College and California State University at Northridge on a track and field scholarship, focusing his studies on Finance.

Designations:

• Certified Financial Planner® - CFP®
• Chartered Financial Consultant® - ChFC® 
• Certified Exit Planning Advisor® - CEPA®
• Accredited Investment Fiduciary® - AIF®
• Chartered Retirement Plans Specialist – CRPS®
• Chartered Mutual Fund Counselor – CMFC®
• Accredited Wealth Management Advisor – AWMA®

Scott has been quoted by or contributed to numerous publications such as: 

• Financial Planning Magazine
• Financial Advisor Magazine
• CNBC
• Barron's
• Yahoo Finance
• Investment News
• GuruFocus
• Austin Business Journal
• U.S. News & World Report
• MoneyTalk News

Scott and his wife Kelly have been married since 2022. They each have three adult children and two grandchildren from former marriages. They treasure family vacations. Israel, Italy, Spain, Caribbean Islands, Hawaii, Napa Valley, Alaska, and Disney World are some of their favorite destinations. They also believe in giving back to the community. They help support Helping Hand Home, a local orphanage for abused children, Center For Child Protection, Make A Wish Foundation, and several military and veteran charitable organizations such as Wounded Warrior Project, Tunnels to Towers, and the Navy SEAL Foundation.

Methodology

Jim Brilliant, CFA®

CFO, Co-CIO, Portfolio Manager, AR (Canadian registration), Principal

Click here to view Jim's YouTube videos

Jim joined Century Management in 1987 and earned his Chartered Financial Analyst® (CFA®) designation in 1992.  Over the years he has served in the role of research analyst, portfolio manager, and is now the firm’s co-chief investment officer (co-CIO). As co-CIO, Jim helps to oversee the firm’s various investment strategies, along with providing leadership regarding investment themes, portfolio allocations, and macroeconomic guidance. 

With years of leadership in portfolio management, Jim has a deep understanding of the equity market as well as fixed income securities. He currently serves as chairman of the CM Advisors Family of Funds Board of Trustees and is the lead portfolio manager for the CM Advisors Fixed Income Fund (CMFIX).

Jim has been quoted by or contributed to numerous publications such as: 

• Bloomberg (TV & Radio)
• Wall Street Journal
• Barron’s
• Forbes
• BusinessWeek
• Graham and Doddsville blog
• Outstanding Investor Digest

Jim has been married to his wife Stacie since 1992 and they have two adult children. He loves sports, is a Chicago Bears fan, and over the past few years has run the Chicago Marathon and several half marathons.

Aaron S. Buckholtz, CFA

Portfolio Manager

Director/Head of Trading

Executive Vice-President

Aaron’s father exposed him to investing at a very young age. He knew early on that he wanted to be involved in the industry. After college he was mentored by Arnold Van Den Berg, who encouraged him to get the Chartered Financial Analyst designation and later hired him at Century Management in 1990. Today, Aaron is a portfolio manager and oversees the Century Management Trading Department.

Prior to joining Century Management, Aaron worked for Shearson Lehman. He graduated from California State University at Northridge with a BS in Business Administration.

Designation:
        • Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA®)

Aaron enjoys playing golf and traveling to play new courses. He is very close to his family and enjoys spending time with them.

Lisa Stroud, IACCP^®

Chief Compliance Officer

In the industry since 1994, Lisa joined Century Management in 2002. She finds the firm’s family-like culture and commitment to clients an industry differentiator.

As the Chief Compliance Officer, Lisa’s duties include, but are not limited to, administering the Advisor’s policies and procedures, reviewing and updating the Advisor’s internal trading policies and procedures on an annual basis, and implementing any additional procedures as may be necessary to ensure complete and proper adherence to the Advisor’s internal trading policies and procedures.

Prior to joining Century Management, Lisa worked for Charles Schwab & Company as a client service representative, for AIM Investments in their operational trading department, and as a portfolio accounting supervisor at Beutel Goodman Capital Management.

Lisa graduated from the University of Houston, Clear Lake, with a BS in Psychology and Sociology.

Designation:
        • Investment Adviser Certified Compliance Professional® (IACCP®)

Lisa has been married for over 20 years. She and her husband have two sons who are extremely active in sports and enjoy attending a constant stream of their friends’ birthday parties.

David B. Lloyd CFP®, CTFA

Senior Wealth Advisor, Director of Wealth Planning

David grew up in the mountains of Colorado and being out in nature continues to be his favorite pastime.  His father’s career in the financial services industry was a big part of his growing up and ultimately influenced him to enter the financial services industry as a career and become a financial planner. One of David’s first jobs was a clerk at a trust company in Boulder, CO. After college he began building his technical and market skills and began studying for the Certified Financial Planner™ certification. 

Prior to joining Century Management, David was a trust officer and employee benefit plan administrator for Trust Company of America, a trust officer and vice president for First Interstate Bank of New Mexico, a financial consultant for Merrill Lynch & Company, and an investment specialist for Charles Schwab & Company. 

Today, as a Senior Wealth Advisor and the Director of Wealth Planning at Century Management, David oversees all of the financial and retirement planning activities at the firm and works with clients; helping to match their investment strategy with their overall goals and plan.

David graduated with a BA from University of Colorado, Boulder, is a graduate of the American Bankers Association’s National Graduate Trust School, holds a Certified Financial Planner™ (CFP®) certification, and is a Certified Trust and Financial Advisor (CTFA) earned from the American Bankers Association.

The generosity and understanding of the management team at Century was critical as his wife pursued her medical education.  Their two young adult sons have inherited the family’s love of the outdoors and for 120 days in the summer of 2019 they paddled 2800 miles south-to-north on a Trans-Canada canoeing expedition starting in Minnesota and ending up at the polar sea.

John B. Dixon, CFP®, CPFA

Senior Wealth Advisor

John has always enjoyed helping people with their finances for over three decades.  Today, as a Senior Wealth Advisor, John provides comprehensive wealth management services to a select group of clients including financial and retirement planning services. 

Prior to joining Century Management, John worked in banking for 10 years working his way up to Branch Manager for Bank of America.  He then moved to Charles Schwab & Company as an Investment Representative and later as a Team Lead.  He became aware of Century Management while at Charles Schwab & Company. At Schwab he began referring clients who wanted stock portfolio management provided by Century Management and came to appreciate their value investment philosophy. Eventually John joined the team at Century.

Designations:

• Certified Financial Planner® - CFP®
• Certified Plan Fiduciary Advisor - CPFA

John is married and has three children. He loves to spend time with his family and their three dogs, and also occasionally watch college football. He has been active in his church for more than 20 years and sits on the finance committee. He graduated from the University of Texas, Austin, with a BA in Economics..

Mark Okamoto, AIF®

Senior Wealth Advisor

Mark has been in financial services throughout his entire career and is passionate about helping others through proper planning and investment decisions. He appreciates the principled approach to investing, the value-based investment strategy, and the discipline that Century Management employs.

A Senior Wealth Advisor at Century Management since 2006, Mark oversees the day-to-day relationship between the firm and a select group of clients. He cherishes the role he has to help, guide, and serve the needs and goals of clients. This role includes communicating investment strategy, explaining details regarding managed accounts, and providing financial and retirement planning.

Prior to joining Century Management, Mark was an investment specialist for Charles Schwab & Company, a financial consultant for Sutro & Company, and a financial consultant for Dean Witter, Reynolds. Mark received a BS in Business Administration from the University of Southern California

Mark and his wife Nicole (who also works at Century Management) have been married for 25 years. They have one son in college and another son in high school. They also have two Golden Retrievers named Molly and Gracie. Mark treasures family vacations and enjoys cooking, gardening and researching new restaurants to try.

Nicole Okamoto, FPQP^TM

Nicole joined Century Management in 2012. She is a paraplanner and  client support representative for the firm. In her role as paraplanner, Nicole assists the senior financial planners with tasks involved in developing financial plans for clients.  As a client support representative, her responsibilities include the onboarding of new accounts, as well as assisting with the operational and maintenance needs of accounts.  

Prior to moving to Austin nearly 15 years ago, Nicole and her family lived in Pasadena, California where Nicole worked in marketing and public relations. After her brother died of AIDS, Nicole left the for-profit world and served as Communications Director at one of the nation’s largest non-profit organizations providing services to people living with HIV and AIDS. She continued to work in marketing and communications until the family moved to Austin. Nicole graduated from New York University with a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism.

Nicole and her husband Mark (who also works at Century Management) have two sons and two Golden Retrievers, Molly and Gracie.  All four of them bring great joy to the family. 

Rachel Van Den Berg

Wealth Planning Associate

Rachel Van Den Berg’s journey into the world of wealth management is rooted in the legacy of her family, who founded Century Management Financial Advisors. From a young age, she was mentored by her father, uncles, and grandfather, learning firsthand the importance of budgeting, saving, and strategic financial planning. Her father’s guiding principle, “expect the unexpected,” became a cornerstone of her financial philosophy.

Rachel’s role as a mother, particularly in navigating the financial challenges of her daughter’s special needs, has given her a deep, personal understanding of the value of prudent financial planning. These experiences have strengthened her resolve to help others prepare for life’s unexpected events, helping to ensure their financial stability and peace of mind.

As a Wealth Planning Associate, Rachel brings a unique blend of empathy, expertise, and analytical precision to her work. She plays a crucial role in supporting senior members of the Century Management team, contributing to the development of comprehensive financial plans that address the diverse needs of clients.

Academically, Rachel has distinguished herself with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting and Finance and a Master of Taxation, both from Baylor University. While at Baylor, she excelled in the Baylor Interdisciplinary Core program through the Honors College and served as both treasurer and president of the University’s chapter of the National Collegiate Honor Society.

When she’s not working, Rachel enjoys spending quality time with her two daughters and their dog, embracing new adventures and lifelong learning. An avid reader, passionate cook, and the ultimate Disney fan, she is always exploring new horizons, both personally and professionally.

Rachel embodies the core values of Century Management Financial Advisors—integrity, dedication, and a commitment to guiding others through the complexities of financial planning with wisdom and care.

Bill Brilliant

Fixed Income Portfolio Manager

As a fixed income portfolio manager, Bill is primarily responsible for developing and managing the fixed income securities in client accounts. Bill is also a member of the CM trading team. Before becoming a fixed income portfolio manager, he was an advisor working with new clients at Century Management from 2003 to 2009 and as a relationship manager from 2002 until present.

Prior to joining Century Management in 2002, Bill was a business owner and foreman where he supervised teams on large commercial and residential sites. Bill attended St. Louis University Parks College with focused studies on engineering.

Bill and his wife have been married for over 30 years. They have a daughter who lives in the Austin area. They enjoy reading, cooking and spending time outdoors with their pets. Additionally, he enjoys spending some free time on classic auto restoration.

Samuel D. Hale, CFA®

• Joined Century Management in 2003
• Financial Professional since 1967
• University of California, Berkeley, BA History, MBA Finance

As a senior equity analyst, Sam brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the investment team at Century Management. Among his many contributions is bringing forward new investment opportunities that are consistent with the firm's long-term philosophy and process.

Prior to working at Century Management, Sam was the CEO and owner of Hillside Associates (a money management firm in Pasadena, California) from 1974 through 1996. Before Hillside Associates, he was a portfolio manager for Standard & Poor's Inter Capital and a portfolio manager/analyst for Dominick & Dominick. Sam is married and has one son.

Adrian Kachmar

Senior Equity Analyst

Adrian’s career has been focused from the beginning on value investment strategies. Adrian earned a BA in economics from Columbia University and also earned an MBA at Columbia University Business School in their acclaimed value investing program. 

Adrian began in financial services working at Khronos, a value-oriented hedge fund, as a Senior Analyst in New York City. Adrian later became the founding partner and managing member at Branch Brook Capital LLC, a value-oriented investment partnership. Later Adrian joined Century Management to continue working on value investment strategies. 

Today Adrian is a senior member of the investment team at Century Management with all-cap research responsibilities. He is directly involved in the fundamental analysis of companies, which includes investigating new investment opportunities that are consistent with the firm's long-term philosophy and process, as well as maintaining the necessary research and updates on existing securities.

He and his wife live in Austin with their 2-year-old. They enjoy the beautiful outdoors in and around Austin and enjoy traveling to visit family on the east coast and in Hawaii. 

Greyson Brilliant, CFA®
Equity Analyst

Learning the business from his father and grandfather, and observing the incredible work ethic necessary to succeed, this firm has been part of Greyson’s entire life. He officially became a full-time member of the investment team in 2016.

Today, as Equity Analyst, Greyson’s primary responsibilities include providing screening, modeling and general research to the senior research team members.

Prior to joining Century Management, Greyson spent three consecutive summers working as an intern at the firm assisting with the investment models and software.

Greyson attended Rhodes College on a tennis scholarship, earning a BA in Commerce and Business with Cum Laude honors. Additionally, he attended classes at the University of Antwerp, concentrating on the international marketing strategies of companies across several industries in Belgium, Netherlands, France, and Germany.

Greyson is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA®). He also enjoys playing tennis and following players on the professional tennis tour.

Wanida Stegall

Accounting and Reporting Team

Wanida has been at Century Management since 1999 and enjoys working in the family-like atmosphere at the firm, the opportunities it has given her, and the warm culture it provides clients.

Responsible for daily operations and account reconciliation, Wanida is a key member of the accounting and reporting group. She focuses on processing the information needed to run the firm’s portfolio management, performance, accounting, and reporting system. She also assists with special projects.

Prior to joining Century Management, Wanida spent eight years as a real estate agent with Keller Williams Realty. She graduated from Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok, Thailand, with a BA in English and Texas State University, with an MBA.

Wanida is married and has four grown children. An outdoor person who enjoys traveling and hiking, she has found the opportunity, now that her children are adults, to spend extra time gardening and taking part in yoga and Zumba.

Murray Williams

Research Department Programming and Database Specialist

A programmer and database specialist at Century Management for over 15 years, Murray believes that it is the combination of people and extensive experience at the firm that makes it a special place for clients and employees.

Murray is responsible for creating, consolidating, and maintaining multiple software systems and databases into one useable internal program we call the "CM Dashboard". This allows the research department to distill massive amounts of financial data into manageable spreadsheets, reports, and easy to use interfaces. In addition, he completes other programming requests for special and one-time projects and automates routine and sometimes complex tasks that help save time and additional resources.

Prior to joining Century Management in 2003, Murray worked for Advanced Micro Devices as an etch module manager and thin films operations manager; for Harris Semiconductor as a production supervisor and thin films process engineer; and for the U.S. Navy Nuclear Power School as a physics division director and a nuclear physics/chemistry instructor. He has a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry from Missouri Western State University.

Murray is married and has two sons. When he’s not at work, he travels throughout the United States playing on a competitive softball team. He and his family also enjoy taking vacations to see family in Florida.

Penny Echelberger, CPA

Corporate Controller, IT Director

Penny joined Century Management in August of 2019, bringing with her an extensive background and passion for accounting and financial management.

Responsible for overseeing payroll, and tracking and processing benefits internally at Century Management, Penny is also responsible for preparing financial statements and balance sheet reconciliations and working with outside accounting firms to achieve audited financial statements.

Penny graduated with a Bachelor of Accountancy from the University of Oklahoma and is a CPA in the state of Texas.  She worked for McLane Company for 28 years with many positions of increased responsibility and leadership including 17 years in accounting and 11 years as the chief information officer.

Penny is married and has three children.  She enjoys reading and exercising.

Anette Brewster

Executive Assistant

Anette joined Century Management in 2007 and is primarily responsible for assisting Jim Brilliant, the co-chief investment officer, chief financial officer, and portfolio manager, with his day-to-day responsibilities. She also oversees Human Resources, researching and implementing employee insurance programs and assisting in the development of company employment policies.

Prior to joining Century Management, Anette worked for Newmark Homes as their design center manager, community coordinator, and customer relations coordinator. She graduated from the University of Texas, Austin with a BA in Government.

Anette has been married nearly 30 years and has one daughter. Anette is a passionate sports fan and if she is not watching sports, she enjoys spending her free time outdoors.