Jeff Thomas
Founder & CEO of Arkos Global Advisors
Chairman of the Board, Lee Strobel Ministries
About
Jeff Thomas is the Founder/CEO of Arkos Global Advisors and author of Trading Up: Moving from Success to Significance on Wall Street and a host of the Generous Business Owner Podcast. He is passionate about helping clients connect their money with their purpose. His mission is to assemble a team of like-minded advisors who share common values and collaborate to help as many clients as possible thrive across generations.
Jeff started out a sole proprietor in the wealth management business in 1995. He quickly noticed the advantages of working as a team to serve clients. During his first 10 years, he led a team, with his head down, that built financial plans and investment strategies for clients.
In 2007, he woke up and realized that he did not want to have his epitaph read, “Here lies Jeff. He made rich people richer.” Jeff was inspired to go deeper in the planning process with clients. By putting clients’ narrative before their numbers, Jeff was able to help them uncover their families’ values and connect their resources to those values.
This focus led Jeff to new heights as a financial advisor. In 2008, he was named to Morgan Stanley’s Chairman’s Club (top 2% of Advisors). From 2009 to 2013, Barron’s magazine recognized him as “One of Texas’ Top Financial Advisors”. In 2013, the Financial Times named Jeff to their inaugural list of “America’s Top 400 Advisors”. Jeff Thomas is a five-year Five Star Wealth Manager award winner (2012-2016). Jeff is also a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) in the State of Texas and a Certified Kingdom Advisor (CKA).
After 25 years of working for the biggest names on Wall Street, Jeff and his team concluded that they could only pursue their vision by starting their own firm. So, in 2017, they opened Arkos Global Advisors to provide a next-generation, fiduciary platform where advisors and clients can flourish.
Jeff and his wife, Dolly, live in Houston and have two daughters. Jeff and Dolly are very involved in their church, as well as many non-profit endeavors. They are founders of the National Christian Foundation of Houston and Jeff serves on the NCF Houston Executive Board. Jeff also serves as Chairman of the Executive Board of Lee Strobel Ministries and Chairs the Mission Increase Houston Advisory Board. Jeff also serves on the Dubose Foundation Advisory Board.
Trading Up
Are you ready to have your perspective revolutionized?
Having started out as an ambitious financial advisor who quickly moved up to a top 1% producer on Wall Street, Jeff Thomas’ journey is one of transformation: moving from a focus on earthly success to one of greater significance.
Maybe you too believe—as Jeff once did—that if you gain success, significance will inevitably follow. But as Jeff has learned, “Having achieved the financial success that I was striving after, I came to discover that the golden egg was hollow.”
So how can you find genuine and lasting significance?
In Trading Up, Jeff shares the breakthrough that revolutionized his life’s mission. His story illustrates the incredible orchestration of God using ordinary people and pointed truths to capture his attention, moving him from a place of striving and self-reliance to a place of thriving and being “all in” with God.
Get ready to be challenged by penetrating insights and biblical wisdom as you embark on the thrilling adventure of Trading Up.