Glen Smith: GDS Wealth Management
20 YEARS IN THE FINANCIAL SERVICES INDUSTRY
This month, Glen Smith, the CEO and CIO of GDS Wealth Management, celebrated his twenty-year anniversary in the financial services industry. As Glen reflected on the past two decades of his career, he thought back to his beginnings as a financial adviser. Since his childhood, Glen knew that he wanted to work with numbers and serve others. His parents are career missionaries, and they instilled a love for other people in Glen from a very young age. Now, as a financial adviser, Glen is honored to be a part of his clients’ journeys. Getting to know their hopes and aspirations while being there for clients through major life milestones is one of the highlights of Glen’s career.
When he founded GDS Wealth Management with co-founder Robert Casey, Glen knew he wanted to create a business that would be the optimal financial planning firm for clients. He strove to establish a company with advisers who would act as fee-only fiduciaries, with the goal of making every decision in the clients’ best interests. Today, when he thinks about one word to describe what GDS means to clients, Glen says, “dependable.” Indeed, the walls of the new GDS headquarters feature a quote Glen says often: “Excuses or results.” At the end of the day, Glen knows that all that matters is the results delivered for his clients.
Over the course of his impressive career, leading financial news sources like Reuters, Schwab Network, Barron’s, and The Wall Street Journal have interviewed Glen and published his commentary. His knowledge of market events, insights, and forecasts have made him an invaluable contributor to the financial community.
For the past six consecutive years, Glen has also received recognition from leading industry giants. Forbes has named Glen as one of their Best-in-State Wealth Advisors for 2019–2024. This honor is the ultimate example of Glen’s dedication to his clients and the industry he works in. GDS Wealth Management clients have spoken highly of Glen’s integrity, kindness, and genuine care for his clients. They are, and always have been, at the heart of his work.
Truly, more than the national awards and recognitions, Glen’s career has been marked by servant leadership – to his clients and his community. In the past year alone, Glen and the GDS team have partnered with local community organizations through both monetary donations and volunteering. Glen’s commitment to giving back is just one of many reasons why his twenty-year anniversary is a remarkable achievement. We can’t wait to see what the next two decades will bring!
The last twenty years of Glen’s career have been marked by tremendous blessings. He is very thankful to his family, especially his wife, Gisella, his amazing coworkers at GDS, and most of all, the clients who make GDS possible.
To learn more about Glen and the GDS team, call (469) 212-8072 or visit www.gdswealth.com.
