Ben currently serves as President of Bates Group, where he uses his strategic planning and finance background to set direction and financial policy while also being an active participant in, and driver of, the company’s overall strategy. He previously served as Bates' Chief Operating Officer. Prior to joining Bates Group, Ben was Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of D.A. Davidson Companies’ Equity Capital Markets business, where he was responsible for the implementation of strategic growth initiatives and the development of an annual financial budgeting and forecasting process. He has also previously worked as an equity research analyst and strategic planning analyst focused on the technology industry, after beginning his career at Merrill Lynch. Ben earned a Bachelor’s degree from Linfield College with a triple major in Chemistry, Economics, and Mathematics, and earned a MBA from the University of Oregon’s Executive program, where he was the valedictorian of his class.