Cassaday & Co. names alumna new president

Allison Huke Felix ’01 has been promoted to president and principal of Cassaday & Co., an independent wealth management firm founded by Stephan Cassaday ’76. Cassaday will transition to chairman while remaining chief executive officer.

Felix joined Cassaday & Co. as an executive assistant in 2001 before becoming director of business management. Upon receiving her MBA in 2011, she was named the firm’s first chief operations officer, a position she will continue to hold.

“During her 17-year tenure at the firm, she has been instrumental in the development of our leadership team, the establishment of our succession plan, the founding of several key service departments, and the creation of our Client Advisory Board,” said Cassaday in a release announcing the promotion. “She has grown personally and professionally into someone I, as well as her colleagues, have come to rely upon.”

Felix will also become the newest shareholder of the firm, joining Christopher Krell, Justin Harris and Christopher Young ’99 as a principal.

Eight of Cassaday & Co.’s 48 employees are Radford University graduates. According to Cassaday, that is not a coincidence. “We get resumes in this office every day from all over the world, including from top Ivy League school graduates,” explained Cassaday in a previous interview. “I’ve found there is little correlation between grades and success when you find the right people. When I need something done, I look to [Radford alumni] because they are smart in the ways I need them to be.

“It is a great environment for both personal and academic development,” he continued. “Radford University puts the finishing touches on people.”

Cassaday created the firm in 1993 to provide objective guidance to investors seeking advice on their financial situations. Today, the firm has grown to more than $2.7 billion in assets under management, serving 1,900 households across the country.