National Advisors Trust Elects Hart as Chairman

Hart succeeds Joseph Kopczynski, who steps down after serving as chairman for 10 years and helping build the company to more than $5 billion in trust and custodial assets, according to a press release. Kopczynski, one of the original shareholders, has been appointed CIO and consultant to the new Chairman as well as head of Special Projects for the trust company.

“Joe K, as he is known here, did an amazing job in helping Dave Roberts, our president, and the rest of the trust company team develop this company from scratch, giving us excellent guidance,’ said Hart, who will continue as chief executive of Hartline Investment Corp., his 18 year-old registered investment advisory (RIA) firm with more than $600 million in client assets under management. “I am not taking Joe’s place. But as Joe and I have discussed, my responsibility now is to help our shareholders see the trust company as an invaluable tool that they can use to serve their clients.’

Working with new CEO Ron Ferguson (see National Advisors Trust Appoints Ferguson To CEO), Hart said he will help spearhead expansion at National Advisors Trust.

Hart has an academic background in anthropology. He said in the release: “My self-styled major in economic anthropology was great training for my first job—at a bank trust company.’ The native Chicagoan started a professional career at The Northern Trust Company. He later worked for Continental Bank and eventually formed Continental Capital Management, as a wholly owned subsidiary of the bank. He eventually purchased a portion of the assets of Continental Capital to form Hartline Investment Corp.