High school wrestling legend focused on building lasting legacy in home state
Tanner Mann, CEPA, Financial Advisor, Raymond James
For Tanner Mann, financial advisor and certified exit planning advisor at the Little Rock office of Raymond James, success often comes down to great advice and the ability to act on it. As a wrestler growing up in Arkansas, Mann said he had the incredible fortune to learn from mentors such as four-time NCAA national champion Pat Smith, former Little Rock Central High School head coach Shawn Hickey and wrestling visionary Greg Hatcher.
“Their guidance taught me how to adapt quickly and consistently improve, which truly fueled my rise in the sport of wrestling,” he said. “In my consulting career, I applied that same principle on a larger stage by working with businesses to provide clear, strategic advice that helped them solve complex problems.”
Now a financial advisor after beginning his career in consulting, he has come full circle and is back home in Arkansas, doing what he has always done: providing great advice to help people make confident decisions. The only difference, he said, is that now his work is more personal and directly impactful to families.
A third-generation student at Little Rock Central, Mann was one of the first nationally known high school wrestlers in Arkansas. He was a three-time state champion, a four-time All-State wrestler, and a three-time Arkansas Freestyle State Champion. He was also named Most Outstanding Wrestler at the state tournament three years in a row. In 2011, he was honored as WIN Magazine’s Arkansas Wrestler of the Year.
Mann earned a Bachelor of Science in international business from the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville. He went on to join DENSO, a Fortune 500 automotive technology company that allowed him to work in internal strategy and business planning around the world.
He was later recruited into management consulting at West Monroe Partners, a boutique firm where he focused on preacquisition value development and program management initiatives, including helping rebuild the energy grid in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria.
Although he enjoyed problem-solving and working closely with clients, after eight years in Dallas, he and his wife were ready to return to Little Rock to be near family, and Mann had a realization about the kind of work he wanted to do.
“Advising businesses on strategy was incredibly rewarding, but I wanted to help people on a more personal level and see the direct impact of my work on their lives,” he said. “In many ways, I came to view wealth management as good business strategy applied to personal finances, where the goal is to help clients achieve clarity and confidence in their financial future.”
That realization, combined with his desire to make a difference in his home community, made the transition to wealth management a natural next step, he said. Looking ahead, he is focused on creating something enduring and impactful in his home state by building a financial practice that serves as a beacon of trusted guidance and mentoring the next generation of leaders in both the wrestling community and business.
“I believe we all have a responsibility to lift others up,” he said. “The future will always have uncertainties and changes, but I want to make sure the values of hard work, resilience and great advice continue to create bright outcomes for Arkansas and the people I serve.”
Raymond James & Associates, Inc., member New York Stock Exchange/SIPC
Call: 501-558-4065
Text: 501-298-1616
12921 Cantrell Road, Suite 400, Little Rock
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