OUR TEAM
Larry J. Thompson
Larry J. Thompson – President and Senior Consultant. Mr. Thompson founded Larry Thompson & Associates in 1992 as an independent investment management consulting firm. He has over 22 years of consulting experience and is primarily responsible for strategic planning and extensive client support. He is a frequent speaker at national conferences related to the consulting and investment management industry and has been an instructor at various workshops both locally and nationally. He is a member of the Society of Pension Professionals and the Texas Association of Public Employee Retirement Systems (TEXPERS). Prior to forming Larry Thompson & Associates, Mr. Thompson worked for Merrill Lynch where he was active in the firm’s consulting division.
Mr. Thompson graduated from Louisiana Tech University in 1975.
Alan Bergin, CFA
Alan Bergin, CFA – Vice President and Consultant. Mr. Bergin joined Larry Thompson & Associates in 2003 and has over ten years of consulting experience. Prior to joining LT&A, Mr. Bergin worked in the London and Washington, D.C. offices of Cambridge Associates, a large international investment consulting firm. Mr. Bergin’s primary responsibilities include client support, asset allocation analysis, and research and due diligence on money mangers, especially “alternative asset” managers. Mr. Bergin is a member of the Society of Pension Professionals, TEXPERS, the CFA Institute, and is a CFA Charter holder.
Mr. Bergin holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the McDonough School of Business, Georgetown University with majors in Finance and International Business.
Michelle Pryor, CFA
Michelle Pryor, CFA -Director of Research. Ms. Pryor joined Larry Thompson and Associates in 2010 and has over twelve years of investment industry experience. She is primarily responsible for managing capital market and money manager research. Prior to joining LT&A, Ms. Pryor was a Senior Portfolio Manager at Smith Asset Management Group, L.P., a Dallas-based institutional money management firm where she was employed for over eleven years. Prior to that, she was a Trading Associate for Bell Fundamental Futures, L.L.C., an agriculture commodity trading advisor in Memphis, TN. Ms. Pryor was awarded the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation in 2001 and is a member of the CFA Institute and the CFA Society of Dallas-Ft. Worth. She is currently serving as Secretary on the board of the CFA Society of Dallas-Ft. Worth.
Ms. Pryor earned a Bachelor of Science degree from the Patterson School of Accountancy at the University of Mississippi.
Li Wang, CFA
Li Wang, CFA – Research Analyst. Ms. Wang joined Larry Thompson & Associates in August of 2005. Prior to joining LT&A, Ms. Wang had five years experience working for an international importer/exporter in China. She also worked part-time as a Research and Teaching Assistant at the University of Kansas for two years and the University of Texas at Dallas for three years. Ms. Wang’s primary responsibilities include money manager research and capital markets analysis.
Ms. Wang holds a Bachelor of Engineering in Industrial Foreign Trade from Hunan University in China, a MBA in Finance with a minor in Information Systems from the University of Kansas, and a Master of Science in Finance from the University of Texas at Dallas. Ms. Wang is a member of the CFA Institute and is a Charter holder.
Raynelle H. Thompson
Raynelle H. Thompson, CPA – Chief Operating Officer and Chief Compliance Officer. Ms. Thompson joined Larry Thompson & Associates in February of 2002. Ms. Thompson worked in public accounting for fifteen years with emphasis in tax planning and consulting, retirement planning and ERISA compliance. Ms. Thompson has oversight responsibility for all aspects of corporate finance and accounting, operations, human resources, and compliance.
Ms. Thompson earned her Bachelor of Science degree from Louisiana Tech University in Business Administration.
Jacob Bowland
Jacob Bowland – Research Associate. Mr. Bowland joined Larry Thompson & Associates in December of 2006. Mr. Bowland’s primary responsibilities include money manager research and performance reporting.
Mr. Bowland earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from the University of Oklahoma.
Paula Empkey
Paula Empkey-Office Manager. Ms. Empkey joined Larry Thompson & Associates, in April of 2009. With 13 years of experience, Ms. Empkey previously worked the retail side of the investment industry as an Operations Manager. Ms. Empkey is responsible for all aspects of client servicing and office management for our firm.
Ms. Empkey earned a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Tarleton State University with a double major in General Business and Office Administration.