C. Johan Grahs, CFA
Johan is an investment manager and works with high net worth individuals and families to develop investment plans and manage investment portfolios. He is a native of Sweden and held a number of sales management positions prior to pursuing his bachelor and masters degrees in the United States. Johan has been involved in most aspects of capital markets, both as an investment banker and investment manager.
Johan began his career with an Alabama based boutique investment bank focusing on investment portfolio construction and analysis, financial modeling, and derivatives analysis. He developed deep expertise on derivatives in tax-exempt markets, and eventually led the firm’s efforts to advise both corporate and public clients regarding interest rate swaps and other derivative transactions.
Johan issued the first comprehensive, publicly available valuation report on Jefferson County’s swaps in 2007. While he did not advice on any of the transactions at the time they were done, Johan has evaluated the all of the interest rate derivatives executed by the County since 1997, providing transparency to charges and fees hidden from many decision makers.
On the investment banking side, Johan assisted in raising capital and preparing companies for sale in many industries, including manufacturing and management companies, as well as raising capital for tax-exempt organizations. He has served as financial and derivatives adviser to local governments, companies and tax exempt organizations across Alabama.
On the investment management side, Johan served individuals, families, and institutions by management of investment portfolios, including research, trading, asset allocation, performance evaluation and reporting on accounts. The firm’s assets under management grew from about $30 million to approximately $200 million during his time there.
Prior to co-founding Navigate, Johan managed investment portfolios and served on the investment committee for a $500 million registered investment adviser serving clients in 19 states. He and Mr. Hopkins jointly served on the three-member investment committee research sub-committee.
Johan's academic background is in finance. He concentrated in investment management for his Bachelor's degree, graduating summa cum laude, and in financial engineering and risk management for his Master's degree, both from the University of Alabama. Johan is a CFA Charterholder and a member of the CFA Society of Alabama.
Contact Johan at johan@navigatewealth.com or at 205.224.9500.