The Cook & Bynum Fund is managed by Cook & Bynum Capital Management, an independent, employee-owned money manager with a pure value investing philosophy. Our approach is the same as it was the day we founded the firm more than ten years ago – invest in a few good businesses across the world that we can understand, have durable competitive advantages, are run by shareholder-oriented managers, and trade at a substantial discount to our appraisal of their intrinsic values. This long-term approach has served us well in the past and we trust that it will serve us well in the future.
The firm is an SEC registered investment advisor headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama. For more information, we encourage you to contact us.
Our team of professionals is dedicated to protecting and growing the capital entrusted to us, and its members include:
Mr. Richard P. Cook
Portfolio Manager
Mr. Cook co-founded Cook & Bynum Capital Management in 2001 and has served as an officer of the firm since inception. Richard is a co-portfolio manager of the firm’s investment vehicles and also serves as President of the trust company that houses the firm’s mutual fund, The Cook & Bynum Fund. Previously he worked for Tudor Investment Corporation in Greenwich, Connecticut. Richard attended Hampden-Sydney College where he graduated summa cum laude in three years with a B.S. in Mathematics, Applied Mathematics, and Economics and was a member of Phi Beta Kappa.
Mr. J. Dowe Bynum
Portfolio Manager
Mr. Bynum co-founded Cook & Bynum Capital Management in 2001 and has served as an officer of the firm since inception. Dowe is a co-portfolio manager of the firm’s investment vehicles and also serves as Vice President and Secretary of the trust company that houses the firm’s mutual fund, The Cook & Bynum Fund. Previously he worked as an analyst in the Equities Division of Goldman, Sachs & Co., Inc. in New York, New York. Dowe attended Princeton University where he graduated with a B.S.E. in Operations Research & Financial Engineering and a Certificate in Finance.
Mr. David A. Hobbs, Jr.
Chief Operating Officer
Mr. Hobbs joined Cook & Bynum Capital Management in 2010 as a principal and the firm’s Chief Operating Officer. He oversees and is ultimately responsible for the firm’s non-investment operations, including back office support, sales, marketing, and compliance. David also serves as Vice President of the trust company that houses the firm’s mutual fund, The Cook & Bynum Fund. Prior to joining Cook & Bynum he was a principal in Founders Investment Banking, a boutique merchant banking firm focused on merger & acquisition advisory and niche direct investing. David also previously worked as a financial analyst in the corporate finance groups of investment bank Robertson Stephens and commercial bank Wachovia. He received an M.B.A. from the Goizueta Business School at Emory University and attended Hampden-Sydney College, where he was valedictorian of his class and graduated summa cum laude with a B.A. in Economics. While at Hampden-Sydney, David was a member of Phi Beta Kappa and captain of the basketball team.
Ashley A. Morris
Director of Mutual Funds
Ms. Morris joined Cook & Bynum Capital Management in 2009 as the firm’s Director of Mutual Fund Operations, making her responsible for managing all aspects of the firm’s activities involving its mutual fund, The Cook & Bynum Fund. In this role, Ashley serves as Vice President and Assistant Secretary of the trust company that houses the mutual fund. Before joining Cook & Bynum, Ashley worked as an analyst in the corporate finance department of The Robinson-Humphrey Company in Atlanta, Georgia, where she was involved in mergers & acquisitions, public and private business valuation and related advisory work, and public equity offerings across several industries. She most recently served as director of operations and patent development for Deyenamic Ideas, LLC. Ashley received an M.B.A. from the Manderson School of Business at the University of Alabama, where she was a Blackburn Fellow. She earned her undergraduate degree cum laude from Duke University, where she received a B.A. in History and French while minoring in Markets and Management.
Melissa B. Taylor
Director of Communications
Ms. Taylor joined Cook & Bynum Capital Management in 2011 as the firm’s Director of Communications, making her responsible for the firm’s public relations and investor relations activities. Additionally, she is closely involved in the firm’s broader sales and marketing activities. Prior to joining Cook & Bynum, Melissa was a manager at SNL Financial where she developed and executed conferences and training programs in the financial services sector. Her clients included investors, bankers, attorneys, and other financial professionals. Before SNL Financial, Melissa worked in the public affairs office at the General Dynamics corporate office in Washington D.C. In this role, she handled public relations and marketing, as well as media relations. Melissa attended Vanderbilt University, where she graduated cum laude with a B.S. in Communications.
Leslie M. Cooper
Marketing Coordinator
Ms. Cooper joined Cook & Bynum Capital Management in 2011 as a Marketing Coordinator. In these roles, she is responsible for a variety of the firm’s day-to-day marketing and back office support functions for its investment vehicles. Before joining Cook & Bynum, Leslie served as the marketing and public relations director for Alabama Ballet, where she was instrumental in forming the Ballet’s first junior board and developing new audiences using social media techniques and community outreach. She most recently served as sales manager for MyScoop Media, Inc., covering its Birmingham, Nashville, and Mississippi markets. Leslie graduated magna cum laude from Samford University with an honors B.A. in Journalism and Mass Communication.
Lynne S. Owens
Office Manager/Controller
Ms. Owens joined Cook & Bynum Capital Management in 2006 as the firm’s Controller and Office Manager, making her responsible for a variety of the firm’s internal administrative and financial reporting functions. Before joining Cook & Bynum, Lynne served in a number of management and leadership roles for various non-profit and philanthropic organizations. Additionally, she founded, ran, and later sold a small service business. Lynne graduated cum laude with a B.S. in Marketing Management from the University of Alabama.
