Meet John Fremont-Smith

John is the founder, financial advisor, and alternative investment consultant at Friends Wealth Management. In addition to his investment responsibilities, John directs investment strategy, firm governance, and investor relations for Friends Wealth Management. Before the formation of Friends Wealth Management, John served many of the largest and most reputable financial institutions on Wall Street, as a Regional Vice President, Keynote Speaker, and Financial Advisor over the past 25 years.

Following graduation from Boston University in 1998, John began his career as a trader at the World Trade Center in Boston for Fidelity Investments. In the years that followed, he was entrusted with the responsibility of building relationships and educating many of the finest financial advisors in the United States. While working on the “sell-side”, he had the opportunity to learn from many of the top chief economists, portfolio managers, analysts, and financial advisors on “The Street”. Today, as a public speaker, advisor, consultant, and friend, John specializes in educating his clients on all facets of the Public & Private Markets.

During his time at Touchstone Investments, he concentrated his focus on the MicroCap & SmallCap investment universe. At Dreyfus/BNY Mellon, his sales conversations centered around the Greater Asia & Chinese investment marketplace. At Voya, John learned a great deal about the credit/bond markets, as well as mid to large-cap equity investment strategies. At Calamos Investments, John had the privilege of working alongside and representing one of America’s first alternative fund managers and inventor of the convertible bond, Mr. John Calamos. It was during his time at Calamos Investments that John acquired his passion for the alternative investment landscape. While presenting the firm’s views on the macro environment and alternative asset classes at a wide range of industry conferences,

John engaged with thousands of financial advisors and clients, in boardrooms and on stage, in cities such as Chicago, New York, Washington DC, and many venues in between. 
In 2019 John pivoted from the “sell-side” of the desk to the “buy-side” as he transitioned into the role of financial advisor on one of the top teams at Ameriprise nationally. As a member of the team’s Investment Committee, John helped to develop and present the firm’s views on the macro environment and alternative asset classes for the families they served. These experiences led him to Northwestern Mutual and Prudential Securities, where he honed his skills, expertise, and licensing related to life insurance, annuities, and long-term care. Today, at Friends Wealth Management, John designs and executes the firm’s private equity friendship strategies; builds his firm’s quantitative and qualitative research and investment portfolios; develops and presents the firm’s views on the macro environment and alternative asset classes; and creates the firm’s innovative investment strategy for his clients.

Friends Wealth Management aims to transform the conversation as it relates to its clients’ investments in private equity, private credit, real assets (precious metals, commodities, real estate, land, equipment, and natural resources) and their secondary markets. By providing institutional-grade advisory services to buyers and sellers, Friends Wealth Management will provide a consistent source of deal flow for existing, new, and non-traditional buyers and secondary buyers. John will be responsible for leading the day-to-day management of the firm.  As an Investment Advisor Representative (IAR), John is a Fiduciary, meaning he must always act in the best interest of his clients.

John resides in Ellicott City, Maryland, with his loving wife, two teenage sons, and his best friend Mac, his Golden Retriever. John graduated from Boston University with a BA in International Relations. He holds Series 6, Series 7, Series 63, Series 65, SIE, Life & Health, and Long-Term Care licenses.