Faculty Spotlight: Gerry Herbison

Gerald "Gerry" Herbison, DBA, ChFC^®, CFP^®, CASL^®, CLF^®, is an assistant professor of management and director of the CLF^® program at The American College of Financial Services.  

Prior to joining The College, Dr. Herbison worked as a registered representative, investment advisor, and regional vice president for AXA insurance service company. During his 10-year tenure with AXA, Dr. Herbison was honored as an Elite Regional Vice President.

Get to know Dr. Herbison a little better in this edition of Faculty Spotlight.

What brought you to The College?

I was a financial planner, not looking for a job. However, on the same day in late 2004, two friends forwarded me information about a sales/relationship manager opening at The American College of Financial Services. I come from an academic family and always thought I would end up at an academic institution; so, almost on a whim, I put together a resume. I didn’t expect that I would even be considered. I started at The College less than two weeks later. I spent my first four years as a VP of Sales, then moved to my current faculty position.

What is your best memory from your time with The College?

There are too many best memories to remember! Almost any interaction with students is extremely rewarding. I love teaching live class sessions (Although, the Reba McEntire concert at the Northwestern Mutual Annual Meeting was pretty cool.).

What is something people would be surprised to know about you?

I broke my neck in a car accident in early 1998. I had to wear a halo brace for three months and a hard collar for two months. During my time out of work, I completed eight ChFC^® courses, the Series 7 and 24, and the CFP^® exam.

FYI – when you show up at a testing center in a halo, some people get freaked out. Apparently it is very distracting.

What is Your Favorite Book?

The Lion's Game, a novel by Nelson DeMille.

DeMille is one of the best storytellers. The book is about 450 pages, and I think I read it in three sittings. It draws you right in. I like writers who can take a kernel of truth (the1986 bombing of Muammar Gadhafi's military compound near Tripoli, Libya) and turn it into a piece of well-researched fiction. The characters in the story, both protagonist and antagonist, are hard-working, intelligent, and prepared for everything that comes at them. I could say more, but it might ruin it for future readers. Because it is a long book, I can also recommend the audio version narrated by Scott Brick.

Courses Taught by Dr. Herbison: 

HS 319 Applications in Financial Planning II - Behavioral Finance (with Dr. Copeland)
HS 371 Essentials of Management Development
HS 373 Practice Management Concepts
HS 381 Integrated Leadership Practices
HS 382 Leadership in a Changing World
HS 385 CLF® Capstone
HS 386 Field Management Seminar
GS 840 Building and Managing the Financial Advisory Practice
GS 910 Leadership Development Experience (with Julie Ragatz)
GS 930 Classic and Contemporary Leadership Studies
GS 990 Organizational Change - Capstone
GS 1398 Foundations of Knowledge and Research (PhD Foundation Course)

Want to know more about Dr. Herbison? When he's not busy teaching or reading geopolitical thrillers, you'll find him in his office on the third floor. Stop by and say hello.

Learn more about the CLF® Program here.