David Wellinghoff, CFA

Boston, Massachusetts
Charterholder since 2011

After 10 years working as a software engineer, David Wellinghoff was pursuing an MBA at Babson College when he joined a student-run investment group managing part of the Babson endowment fund. That piqued his interest in the world of investments and he soon found himself on the Babson team that competed in – and won – the CFA Research Challenge. Deciding to pursue a career in financial analysis, he knew he’d need more than an MBA degree to differentiate himself in the marketplace.

"My engineering background was certainly unique, but in some senses it was more of a hindrance than a help in that the traditional person who would be looking at my resume wouldn't know what to make of me," he says.

While still pursuing his MBA, he enrolled in the CFA Program. He notes: "There’s an additional level of respect paid to people with the CFA charter, beyond the broad array of knowledge and expertise you gain by going through the program."

Wellinghoff saw advantages to studying concurrently for his MBA and the charter. "I felt that if I waited until after I’d earned my master’s, there would be other demands on my time. I was already effectively managing my time as an MBA student, so adding CFA studies to that went pretty seamlessly."

After successfully passing the Level I exam and starting work on Level 2, he found he’d opened up the conversation with hiring managers who otherwise may have not paid him any attention. "Prospective employers seemed to recognize my commitment to the profession, and that I wasn’t just dipping my big toe in the pool to see if I wanted to be an analyst."

He was given the chance in interviews to go deeper to where he could impress prospective employers with his ideas and his enthusiasm. "Do you have investment ideas? What are they? Let's talk about them right now," he recalls potential employers asking.

Wellinghoff’s engineering background became another selling point. "I played to the very numbers-oriented quantitative aspect of my job, the thoroughness of being an engineer, and the detail orientation. It was really one of my strengths."

Those kinds of conversations about his background led him to his first position as an equities and fixed-income analyst for Cambridge Trust.

"I was intrigued because David was a career changer," says Jim Spencer, CFA, Wellinghoff’s former boss at Cambridge Trust. "Career changers are willing to step out and try something new that they have a passion for. They are willing to take the chance to give up what they have."

Having completed the challenge of the CFA Program himself, Spencer knew that David would have the skills, knowledge and dedication needed for the position. For someone determined to follow his own path, no matter the risks or sacrifices, it was a perfect fit.

Now an analyst at Liberty Mutual, Wellinghoff works shoulder-to-shoulder with other charterholders on his team. "That’s something that’s recognized by our customers and prospects, which helps differentiate us. But the day-to-day benefits of having charterholders on the team include the higher caliber of discussions, the different ways of approaching problem-solving, and the depth of our ability to understand investments."

Wellinghoff continues to rely on the independent approach that led him from software engineering to an MBA, CFA charter, and his current position. "I think a critical part of being a good analyst is just challenging convention."