Gar Jackson - Founder

Gar started his finance career in 1991 as an intern at the investment firm of Cruttenden & Company in Newport Beach, CA.  After spending the next few years working for a couple of boutique investment banking firms he founded his own investor relations firm - Corporate Communications Network.  CCN  did outsourced investor relations for micro and small cap companies in the technology, environmental, golf, and consumer products space.  Over the next three years at CCN, through hard work, perseverance and cold calling, Gar built a database of more than 5,000 brokers and individual investors.  

It was through his work with the golf industry at CCN that Gar saw an opportunity to develop an investment newsletter that was focused on the golf industry and the golf stocks.  Over the next few years that sector ballooned to encompass more than 50 publicly traded companies.  This led to the development of the PVGI 30, branded the golf industry index, that was featured in a number of business and golf publications and served as the benchmark for the financial performance of the golf industry.  Gar was a frequent contributor to the Wall Street Journal, Barrons and CNBC and established himself as the "Golf Industry Expert" - effectively serving as the primary industry analyst in the space.

Following five years in the newsletter business Gar went in-house at Oakley in 2001 where he led the investor relations department through some of the most difficult times in the Company history.  Over the next few years the Company faced the headwinds of 9/11, the loss of its primary customer Sunglass Hut, and extensive diversification that included product extensions into the footwear, apparel and watch categories.  Always recognizing the strength of the brand, Gar targeted value investors when the stock was out of favor, who also recognized the same potential.  Eventually Oakley was sold to Luxottica - owners of Sunglass Hut - in a transaction valued at over $2 billion - an all time high for the stock.

From Oakley Gar was recruited to establish the investor relations department at Pacific Sunwear of California.  With more than 1,000 stores and at one time operations under 3 different concepts Gar managed more than 25 sell-side analysts who followed Company.  After 5 years with Pacific Sunwear Gar went back into the consulting business with IR Sense where he focused on the consumer and specialty finance space. 

Seeing the need to not only help companies domestically with their investor relations efforts, Gar started the Global IR Group to also focus on the emerging markets of Mexico and South America.  Additionally, Gar is always looking to utilize his extensive network to help his clients build their businesses and believes that the more he can help develop the businesses of his clients the better the investment theses. 

Gar has been extensively involved with the National Investor Relations Institute, NIRI, and served for more than 12 years on the Board of Directors of the Orange County NIRI Chapter.  Gar has also held the positions of President, head of Programs and head of Membership for the chapter. In 2014 Gar again joined the Board of Directors of the Orange County Chapter and where he served as the Vice President of Programs. Gar graduated from the University of California, Irvine with a degree in Economics.