“Go the extra mile, it’s never crowded.”

Dr. Wayne Dyer

ANGELA WIMMER

President 

Angela joined SouthernSun in 2021 and provides leadership for the client relations, business development, and operations teams. As a member of the Management Team, she also provides administrative leadership across the firm. Prior to joining SouthernSun, Angela led all advancement programs, including accounting, operations, compliance, IT, sales and marketing as Vice Chancellor of Institutional Advancement at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. She also served as Executive Director of the 56-member UAMS Foundation Fund Board. Previous roles of similar leadership include Associate Vice Chancellor for Central Advancement at the Texas Tech University System, Senior Associate Director of Development at the University of Cambridge, and Director of Corporate Relations at Auburn University. She graduated from Auburn University with a bachelor’s degree in political science and M.Ed. in organizational development and leadership.

“A prudent person foresees danger and takes precautions. The simpleton goes blindly on and suffers the consequences.”

Proverbs 22:3

CHRIS PRUETT, CFA

Senior Analyst

Mr. Pruett, Senior Analyst, joined SouthernSun in 2016.  His responsibilities include the research and analysis of investment opportunities and monitoring of existing portfolio companies, and he provides input on portfolio management and construction.  Mr. Pruett graduated from Auburn University with a B.S. in Biomedical Sciences and subsequently received his M.B.A. from the University of Memphis.  He is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) charterholder.

“You come of the Lord Adam and the Lady Eve,” said Aslan. “And that is both honour enough to erect the head of the poorest beggar, and shame enough to bow the shoulders of the greatest emperor on earth. Be content.”

C.S. Lewis

DANIEL GAFFORD, CFP

Senior Associate

Mr. Gafford joined SouthernSun in 2013. His responsibilities include reviews of portfolio weightings and performance outliers; maintenance and implementation of the firm’s compliance rule library; trading of UMA and wrap account relationships; account reconciliation, and other operational aspects of the firm. Prior to joining SouthernSun, Mr. Gafford worked at Morgan Keegan/Raymond James as a reconciliation and performance analyst. Mr. Gafford graduated with a degree in computer engineering from Christian Brothers University in 2006. He also holds an executive certificate in financial planning from Christian Brothers University and passed the CFP exam in 2013.

“Mathematics, rightly viewed, possesses not only truth but supreme beauty.”

Bertrand Russell

LISA EWELL

Associate

Mrs. Ewell joined SouthernSun in 2023. She supports the Investment Team in various capacities including communication and administration, analytics support, and collaboration among the wider firm. Prior to joining SouthernSun, Mrs. Ewell worked at the University of Mississippi as an instructor in Mathematics. She received a B.S. and an M.S. in Electrical Engineering and an M.S. in Mathematics from the University of Mississippi.

“There is nothing like looking, if you want to find something. You certainly usually find something, if you look, but it is not always quite the something you were after.”

J.R.R. Tolkien

MICHAEL COOK

Founder and Chairman

Mr. Cook is the Founder and Chairman of SouthernSun Asset Management. In his over 35 years of experience as a research analyst and portfolio manager, Mr. Cook has developed a unique investment philosophy and process that serves as the core of SouthernSun’s strategies. Mr. Cook has appeared on CNBC, Fox Business News, and Bloomberg TV and has been featured in Forbes, Bloomberg Markets Magazine, Barron’s, and The Wall Street Journal as well as several other widely respected investment-oriented publications. Mr. Cook is a Governing Body Fellow, Barclay Fellow, and Chair of the Development Committee at Green Templeton College, University of Oxford. He serves on the Advisory Council of the Fogelman College of Business and Economics at the University of Memphis and on the boards of Cave Pictures Publishing, Omeq Medical, Thriving Cities Group and Kinrise Real Estate, Ltd.

“Sometimes you win, sometimes you learn.”

John C. Maxwell

MICHAEL CROSS

Portfolio Manager & Principal

Mr. Cross joined SouthernSun in 2008. His responsibilities include the research and analysis of investment opportunities and monitoring of existing portfolio companies, and he provides input on portfolio management and construction. Prior to joining SouthernSun, Mr. Cross was an officer of Cummins, Inc. and responsible for leading one of Cummins’ business units. He has global experience in Sales, Marketing, Finance, Accounting, Logistics, Operations and General Management. Mr. Cross received his B.S. from Vanderbilt University and an M.B.A. from Vanderbilt’s Owen School with concentrations in Finance, Accounting and Management Information Systems. He has also passed the CPA exam. Mr. Cross serves on the Board of the Neighborhood Christian Center.

“Do not judge me by my successes, judge me by how many times I fell down and got back up again.”

Nelson Mandela

MICHAEL MCNAMARA

Senior Trader & Principal

Mr. McNamara joined SouthernSun in 2015 as the Senior Trader. His primary responsibilities include trading, portfolio administration, and assisting with various operational procedures. Prior to joining SouthernSun, he served as a Sales Trader and Managing Director of Equity Capital Markets with Imperial Capital, LLP. Prior to joining Imperial in 2012 , Mr. McNamara served as a Sales Trader and Senior Vice President of Equity Capital Markets with Jefferies & Co., Inc. Mr. McNamara holds a B.A. in Psychology from SUNY Albany.

“Spend each day trying to be a little wiser than you were when you woke up. Day by day, and at the end of the day – if you live long enough – like most people, you will get out of life what you deserve.”

Charles T. Munger

PARKER CASSADY 

Senior Analyst

Mr. Cassady joined SouthernSun in 2026. He supports the Investment Team in research and analytics support. Prior to joining SouthernSun, Mr. Cassady was a senior analyst at Orange River Management, a New York-based investment firm focused on small and mid-cap public companies. Mr. Cassady graduated from Columbia Business School with his MBA in Investment Management as a graduate of the Value Investing Program and holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in accounting from Union University and the University of Mississippi, respectively. He is also a licensed CPA.

“I don’t think we give that gift anymore (the gift of silence). I’m very concerned that our society is much more interested in information than wonder. In noise, rather than silence…how do we encourage reflection? Oh my, this is a noisy world.”

Mister Rogers

PHILLIP COOK
Chief Investment Officer & Managing Partner

Mr. Cook joined SouthernSun in 2006 and serves as Chief Investment Officer and Managing Partner. He leads the Investment Team and is responsible for all aspects of research and analysis, portfolio construction, and risk management for both of the firm’s investment strategies.  In addition, he is a member of the firm’s Management Team. Prior to joining SouthernSun, Mr. Cook was an Analyst at Trivest Partners, a Miami-based private equity firm. He received his B.S. in International Business, summa cum laude, from Auburn University. Mr. Cook serves on the Board of Su Casa Family Ministries.

“If you can’t handle my no, it’s because you’re too comfortable abusing my yes.”

Sarah Jakes Roberts

TRACEY ROUSE

Director of Operations

Ms. Rouse joined SouthernSun in 2005. Her responsibilities include overseeing the day-to-day activities of the Operations Team such as settling trades, performing portfolio accounting and processing corporate actions. Prior to joining SouthernSun, Tracey worked as a Senior Consultant at New York Life Investment Management LLC. There she worked in back-office support and reconciliation of Global Equity, Bonds, Mortgage Back Securities & Repo’s. Tracey also spent 5 years at Axiom International Investors, LLC., where she was an Assistant Manager to the Director of Operations. She holds a B.A. in Music/Education, cum laude, from Virginia Union University.

“If you are not willing to learn, no one can help you.  If you are determined to learn, no one can stop you.”

Zig Ziglar

TRACY DEANDREA

Director of Client Services

Ms. DeAndrea joined SouthernSun in 2023.  She serves as the Director of Client Services with responsibilities that include supporting the business development and client relations efforts of the firm.  Ms. DeAndrea joins SouthernSun with over 20 years of investment industry experience, primarily working in an institutional client relationship management capacity, with experience from prior roles at New York Digital Investment Group (NYDIG), Ducenta Squared Asset Management, Guggenheim Partners Investment Management, and Analytic Investors.

“It’s the research that takes the time – the research and whatever is in myself that makes the research take so long, so very much longer than I had planned.”

Robert Caro

TREAD THOMPSON

Portfolio Manager & Principal

Mr. Thompson joined SouthernSun in 2014. His responsibilities include the research and analysis of investment opportunities and monitoring of existing portfolio companies, and he provides input on portfolio management and construction. Prior to joining SouthernSun, Mr. Thompson was an analyst at Mercer Capital, where he determined valuations for businesses in a wide variety of industries and conducted related industry research. Mr. Thompson graduated from Vanderbilt University with a B.A. in History and subsequently received his M.S. in Accounting from Rhodes College. He is also a licensed CPA.

“Make no little plans; they have no magic to stir men’s blood and probably themselves will not be realized. Make big plans; aim high in hope and work, remembering that a noble, logical diagram once recorded will never die, but long after we are gone be a living thing, asserting itself with ever growing insistency.”

Daniel Burnham

TUCKER DAVIS

Institutional Sales

Mr. Davis joined SouthernSun in 2012. He serves as an Institutional Relationship Manager. His responsibilities include business development, client service, and marketing for SouthernSun. Prior to joining the firm, he worked for a non-profit in various roles including business development, fundraising, and project management. Mr. Davis also spent several years as an associate with LRK Architects within its Commercial Architecture and Planning Studios. He received his B.S. in Environmental Design from Auburn University and his Masters in City and Regional Planning from the University of Memphis. 

“Why do bad things happen to good people? That only happened once and He volunteered. “

R.C. Sproul

WILLIAM HALLIDAY

Chief Compliance Officer & Principal

Mr. Halliday rejoined SouthernSun in 2006 having previously been with the firm from 1991 to 1999. He serves as the firm’s Chief Compliance Officer. Prior to SouthernSun, Mr. Halliday served as Partner/President of Breakaway Athletics LLC. He received his B.S. in Finance from The University of Tennessee at Knoxville in 1986, and a Graduate Certificate in Theology from Covenant Theological Seminary in 1999. Mr. Halliday serves on the board of the Robert M. Metcalf Symposium. He is an Elder at Redeemer Presbyterian Church, Memphis.