More than 46 years after graduating from Blair and 25 years after launching his career in the financial world, Thomas W. Hulick ’85 returned to his alma mater to share his story. On Tuesday, March 24, CEO and Managing Partner of Strategy Asset Managers Mr. Hulick shared the “full-circle” nature of his career—one that began with a pivot from medicine to politics and eventually led him to the helm of a firm managing over $850 million in assets.

“I went down the poli-sci route, and life has its turns; there’s a plan for everybody,” Mr. Hulick shared in an interview.

After graduating from Tulane University with a degree in political science, Mr. Hulick followed in the footsteps of his father, a veteran executive at Dean Witter Reynolds. He honed his expertise at some of the world’s largest investment firms, including Morgan Stanley and UBS, while simultaneously pursuing an MBA at the University of Southern California.

However, it was a moment of personal crisis that became his greatest catalyst. In 2011, Mr. Hulick found himself unexpectedly between jobs. Rather than seeing this as a setback, he viewed it as an “ego blow” that could be transformed into an opportunity. With a business plan in hand and the support of his Tulane network, he took the leap to start his own firm.

“I needed the pat on the back and the support that says, ‘You can do this.’ And I took a risk,” he says.

Today, Mr. Hulick applies the same discipline to wealth management that he uses to compete in IRONMAN World Championships. An active age-group triathlete, he believes that whether you are navigating the Kona coast or the New York Stock Exchange, success requires a “road map”—a repeatable process and the mental fortitude to stick to the plan. This philosophy has propelled Strategy Asset Managers to earn top industry rankings while maintaining a deep, values-based connection with clients.

Outside of the office, Mr. Hulick remains dedicated to service, volunteering on the Tulane University Fund Advisory Board and supporting the WildlifeNOW African Wildlife Preservation Trust. His advice to the next generation of leaders mirrors his own approach to life: “Try to be first. First to say hello, first to offer help and first to make the call. Being first is what opens the door to everything else.”

History of Skeptics

The Society of Skeptics was established as a forum for students and faculty to discuss and debate important global issues; it has grown to become one of the premier high school lecture series in the United States. Each week, speakers from the political, social, scientific, economic and literary arenas share their unique perspectives with students, who are encouraged to engage with presenters, asking questions and debating points of view.

The program, which is funded in part by the Class of 1968 Society of Skeptics Endowment Fund, is an outgrowth of the Blair International Society, begun in 1937. Forty years later, former history department chair Elliott Trommald, PhD, Hon. ’65, established the modern Skeptics program as a regular forum for student discussion and debate; history teacher Martin Miller, PhD, took over in the mid-1980s and molded the program into a weekly lecture series, one that has since continued without interruption. Under the tutelage of Dr. Miller and his successor, history department chair Jason Beck, Skeptics has featured a wide variety of speakers who are thought-provoking, engaging, accomplished in their respective fields and often controversial. For a listing of upcoming Skeptics programs, please visit Blair’s website.