Pamela Chen, CFA, CPA, MBA

Founder and Chief Investment Officer

Pamela Chen’s investment career spans over 25 years, including as a Senior Portfolio Manager in Private Wealth Management where she managed $500 million in institutional and private client assets.

Career Highlights

  • Founder, Refresh Investments LLC

  • Sr Vice President, Senior Portfolio Manager, Northern Trust

  • Sr Vice President, Senior Portfolio Manager, U.S. Trust

  • Vice President, Portfolio Manager/Equity Analyst, SSI Investment Management

  • Vice President, Equity Analyst, Financial Management Advisors

Education & Credentials

  • Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA)

  • Certified Public Accountant (CPA)

  • Masters in Business Administration (MBA), Cornell University

  • Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology, UC Los Angeles (UCLA)

 
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The Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) credential is one of the highest distinctions in the investment management profession. Awarded to only 190,000 individuals worldwide, it is a globally-recognized professional designation given by the CFA Institute that measures and certifies the competence and integrity of financial analysts, their expertise and real-world skills in investment analysis, and their commitment to ethics and professionalism.

The Certified Public Accountant (CPA) license is the accounting profession’s highest standard of competence, a symbol of achievement and assurance of quality. In California, to earn the prestige associated with the CPA license, individuals are required to demonstrate their knowledge and competence by passing the Uniform CPA Exam, meeting high educational standards, completing a specified amount of general accounting experience, committing to lifelong learning, and adhering to a strict Code of Professional Conduct that requires competence, objectivity, integrity and independence.

My Story

My career in personal finance began with watching my mother balance the family budget and make decisions about where to spend and where to cut back. She taught me the value of hard work and dedication and instilled in me the ambition to do better - to have enough money to plan for the future. My mother emphasized the importance of financial independence, particularly for a woman. Because of her influence and guidance, I understand how money provides choices and options.

These lessons stayed with me as I build my own savings and achieve fiscal independence.

With over 30 years in money management, I know how quickly assets can grow with smart investing. Not many professions demand a deep understanding of economic and corporate events and their effects on security prices and valuation. The intellectual stimulation was, and continues to be, captivating and invigorating. I realized I love the challenges and rewards of investing, and above all, I feel a great sense of satisfaction watching portfolio values grow with professional asset management.

Refresh Investments helps individuals and non-profits improve their financial picture by building the ‘right’ portfolios for them. Balancing asset risks and returns is both an art and a science, and I love doing it. My goal is to build wealth for my clients by implementing smart and sound investment strategies and prudent portfolio management. They invest with me, and I invest in each of them and their unique ambitions.

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