Experienced equities trader joins American Veterans Group
Brian Knapp to guide global equities for Wall Street’s only public benefit corporation
Brian F. Knapp, an experienced securities trader who has led and built teams at large as well as boutique investment firms, has joined American Veterans Group as the company’s director of global equities.
Knapp comes to American Veterans Group after heading energy and utility trading for SunTrust Financial Services. He has more than 20 years of equities trading experience working for such high-profile firms as Solomon Smith Barney, JP Morgan, Susquehanna International Group and Cornerstone Macro.
“Brian’s addition to the team expands the best of class capabilities of our equity line of business,” said Ben Biles, president and chief executive officer of American Veterans Group. “He is a proven professional who has contributed to the growth and success of large and small firms. He is a perfect fit for our growing business.”
Knapp is a U.S. Army veteran and United States Military Academy graduate. A Captain in the 4th Infantry Division, he was deployed with his unit to Kuwait from 1995 to 1997 as a force deterrence following the first Gulf War. After graduating from West Point, Knapp attended the U.S. Army Airborne School at Fort Benning, Ga., and completed the field artillery officer’s basic course at Fort Sill, Okla.
Knapp began his financial career at Solomon Smith Barney, where he was accepted into an associate training program after leaving the military in 1999. The program provided Knapp with broad exposure across all areas of equity and fixed-income trading. He was selected to join Solomon Smith Barney’s equity listed trading desk and in 2004 was promoted to senior equity trader to co-manage the firm’s energy pad.
In 2006, Knapp joined JP Morgan where he was responsible for trading and capital commitment of domestic energy and utility related equities. He left JP Morgan for Susquehanna’s equity trading desk to focus on the energy and industrial super cyclical U.S. sectors. He was promoted to head trader, leading a team of seven and having oversight responsibility of all daily operations of the firm’s trading desk.
In 2014, Knapp joined Cornerstone Macro as head of sales and trading to build and operate the equity trading business for the macro research boutique. At SunTrust Financial, Knapp headed energy and utility trading.
“American Veterans Group combines its worthy social-impact mission with best of class investment banking services, providing a truly unique value proposition for corporate and public financial managers,” Knapp said. “I’m looking forward to working with the AVG team to help accelerate the company’s rapid growth and further it’s support of U.S. military veterans.”
Knapp graduated from West Point in 1994 with a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering and minored in mathematics. He earned his master’s degree in business administration from the University of Phoenix in 1998.
About American Veterans Group
American Veterans Group, PBC, is a military veteran-owned, social impact-focused broker dealer that delivers value to institutional clients while providing meaningful philanthropic support to the military veteran community. The company reinvests 25% of its earnings in national and local military veteran nonprofit organizations that provide worthy services and support to one of America’s most vulnerable, at-risk populations. As Wall Street’s only public benefit corporation, American Veterans Group empowers institutional clients to partner in its social mission while enabling them to remain focused on key business objectives and goals. To learn more about American Veterans Group, visit their website at www.americanvetsgroup.com.
