First Foundation Company Leadership

FFWM Stock  USD 5.66  0.00  0.00%   
First Foundation employs about 562 people. The company is managed by 33 executives with a total tenure of roughly 34 years, averaging almost 1.0 years of service per executive, having 17.03 employees per reported executive. Management-performance analysis for First Foundation gives investors another way to evaluate how leadership is influencing execution, capital allocation, and operating discipline. Used properly, management analysis helps separate durable execution from results that may only reflect a supportive market cycle.
Scott Kavanaugh  Chairman
Vice Chairman, CEO, Chairman of FFB and CEO of FFB
John Hakopian  President
Director and President of First Foundation Advisors
Insider Sentiment
Impartial
 
Selling
 
Buying

Latest Trades

2024-02-29Ulrich E Keller JrDisposed 25000 @ 8.16View
2023-12-15Ulrich E Keller JrDisposed 30000 @ 8.9View
2023-05-08Elizabeth A PagliariniAcquired 5610 @ 4.35View
2023-05-05Diane M RubinAcquired 2000 @ 4.65View
2023-05-03Max BriggsAcquired 10000 @ 4.69View
2023-03-15John HakopianDisposed 29857 @ 9.27View
2023-03-14Scott F KavanaughAcquired 2000 @ 9.61View
2023-03-13John HakopianDisposed 100000 @ 7.96View
2023-02-28Amy DjouDisposed 3172 @ 15.15View
2023-02-02Ulrich E Keller JrDisposed 25000 @ 16.36View
2022-11-29Scott F KavanaughAcquired 7200 @ 13.84View
2022-11-28Elizabeth A PagliariniAcquired 5471 @ 13.71View
Following insider trading sentiment in First Foundation can help investors add context around confidence, timing, and operating risk while the public narrative is still evolving. The value here is transparency: investors can review the pattern without assuming every insider transaction predicts the next price move.

First Foundation's Workforce Through the Years

Employee-history analysis for First Foundation can help investors see whether the business is expanding capacity, defending margins, or adjusting to softer demand. That is why the projected staffing path toward about about 560 employees by April 2026 deserves to be read with the rest of the operating context.
Macro event markers
 
Yuan Drop
 
Covid
 
Interest Hikes

Management Team Effectiveness

The company has return on total asset (ROA) of -1.26 % suggesting that asset deployment is not yet covering its cost of capital. This trails well behind sector averages. Similarly, it shows a return on stockholder's equity (ROE) of -15.78 %, meaning that equity holders received a negative return on their investment.
As of the most recent trading session, Net Income Applicable To Common Shares is projected to grow to approximately 133.4 M, whereas Common Stock Shares Outstanding is moving lower toward about 44.5 M.

Stock Institutional Investors

Institutions hold about 85.83% of First Foundation shares while insiders own roughly 5.91%. Current market capitalization is about 462.49 Million. At that level, fund flows and index rebalancing drive most of the daily volume. The business currently sits in the Financial Services sector and the Banks - Regional industry. Volume spikes around index rebalance dates are worth monitoring given the high institutional share.
Shares
Hotchkis & Wiley Capital Management Llc2025-12-31
1.7 M
The Goldman Sachs Group Inc2025-09-30
1.4 M
Invenomic Capital Management, Lp2025-12-31
1.1 M
Abc Arbitrage Sa2025-12-31
1.1 M
Balyasny Asset Management Llc2025-12-31
M
Jpmorgan Chase & Co2025-09-30
853.4 K
Morgan Stanley - Brokerage Accounts2025-09-30
725 K
Ejf Capital Llc2025-12-31
720.6 K
Wellington Management Company Llp2025-12-31
691.9 K
Canyon Capital Advisors Llc2025-12-31
8.2 M
North Reef Capital Management Lp2025-12-31
7.8 M
For a smaller-cap like First Foundation (462.49 Million), benchmark pressure and redemption cycles can limit how institutional weight turns into price support. Annual revenue is about 588.36 Million. At this size, institutional entries and exits have a more visible impact on daily volume.

Insider Trading Activities

Reviewing insider transactions in First Foundation helps investors judge whether management behavior is aligned with the public narrative around growth, execution, and capital allocation. The goal is to separate routine compensation-related sales from conviction-driven buying or defensive trimming while the broader market is still processing new information.
 
James Britton over three weeks ago
Disposition of 2786 shares by James Britton of First Foundation at 6.24 subject to Rule 16 b-3
 
John Hakopian over six months ago
Acquisition by John Hakopian of 652 shares of First Foundation at 7.93 subject to Rule 16 b-3
 
John Hakopian over six months ago
Disposition of 193 shares by John Hakopian of First Foundation at 5.09 subject to Rule 16 b-3
 
Vazquez Gabriel V. over six months ago
Acquisition by Vazquez Gabriel V. of 8653 shares of First Foundation subject to Rule 16 b-3
 
Thomas Shafer over six months ago
Acquisition by Thomas Shafer of 500000 shares of First Foundation subject to Rule 16 b-3
 
Hugo Nuno over six months ago
Acquisition by Hugo Nuno of 32215 shares of First Foundation subject to Rule 16 b-3
 
Lake David G. over a year ago
Acquisition by Lake David G. of 1000 shares of First Foundation at 4.22 subject to Rule 16 b-3
 
Naghibi Christopher M. over a year ago
Disposition of 1394 shares by Naghibi Christopher M. of First Foundation subject to Rule 16 b-3
 
Hugo Nuno over a year ago
Disposition of 1125 shares by Hugo Nuno of First Foundation subject to Rule 16 b-3
 
Naghibi Christopher M. over a year ago
Acquisition by Naghibi Christopher M. of 28195 shares of First Foundation subject to Rule 16 b-3
 
James Britton over a year ago
Acquisition by James Britton of 42293 shares of First Foundation subject to Rule 16 b-3
 
Simone Lagomarsino over a year ago
Discretionary transaction by Simone Lagomarsino of tradable shares of First Foundation subject to Rule 16 b-3

Outstanding Bonds

Corporate bonds issued by First Foundation matter because they shape interest expense, maturity risk, and the flexibility management has during tighter credit conditions. Longer-dated obligations can improve financing stability, but they also leave investors more exposed if the underlying business weakens before the debt matures.

Corporate Filings

8K
12th of March 2026
Report filed with the SEC to announce major events that shareholders should know about
ViewVerify
8K
27th of February 2026
Report filed with the SEC to announce major events that shareholders should know about
ViewVerify
8K
25th of February 2026
Report filed with the SEC to announce major events that shareholders should know about
ViewVerify
F4
23rd of February 2026
The report filed by a party regarding the acquisition or disposition of a company's common stock, as well as derivative securities such as options, warrants, and convertible securities
ViewVerify
F4
20th of February 2026
The report filed by a party regarding the acquisition or disposition of a company's common stock, as well as derivative securities such as options, warrants, and convertible securities
ViewVerify
13th of February 2026
Other Reports
ViewVerify
6th of February 2026
Other Reports
ViewVerify
13A
30th of January 2026
The form used by investors holding more than 5% of a company's stock, to report their beneficial ownership pursuant to Rule 13d-1 or Rule 13d-2 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
ViewVerify
The majority of First Foundation's outstanding shares are owned by institutional investors. Large asset managers, pension funds, and sovereign wealth funds that invest on behalf of clients or beneficiaries are typically subject to stricter disclosure rules than retail investors - including mandatory 13F filings that reveal quarterly position changes. Tracking these filings can highlight shifts in institutional conviction around First Foundation. Institutional ownership in First Foundation stands at roughly 86%, compared to 6% insider ownership and a public float of approximately 8%.
 
Shares in Circulation  
 First Issued
2013-03-31
 Previous Quarter
82.4 M
 Current Value
82.8 M
 Average Shares Outstanding
43.8 M
 Quarterly Volatility
18.4 M
Macro event markers
 
Yuan Drop
 
Covid
 
Interest Hikes

Holders Distribution

Institutional investors in First Foundation typically operate with more research capacity, technology, and trading scale than retail holders, which is why their activity can materially affect price behavior. The better interpretation comes from watching concentration, turnover, and changes in holder behavior instead of assuming institutional ownership is automatically bullish.

Market Cap and Value

Workforce Comparison

First Foundation lands at #3 in number of employees compared to key competitors. The total workforce of Financials industry is currently estimated at about 5,274. First Foundation retains roughly 562 in number of employees claiming about 11% of equities under Financials sector.

Profit Margins

The company has Profit Margin (PM) of -91.0 %, which may reflect temporary margin compression under competitive pressure. This trails well behind sector averages. Similarly, it shows Operating Margin (OM) of -15.0 %, which entails that for every 100 dollars of sales, the company had a net operating shortfall of $15.0.
Current ValueLast YearChange From Last Year 10 Year Trend
Gross Profit Margin0.280.2897
Sufficiently Down
Slightly volatile

Insider Trading History

Reviewing the buy-sell ratio in First Foundation's insider history helps distinguish structural compensation events from discretionary trading activity. Current market capitalization is about 462.49 Million. Larger blocks and clustered timing patterns tend to carry more analytical weight than isolated transactions.
Buy/Sell Ratio# Purchases Trades# Sales TradesTotal Shares PurchasedTotal Shares Sold
2025-09-01
1.0
1
1
33,784
974.00
2025-03-01
2.1667
13
6
279,250
4,399
2024-12-01
7.0
7
1
4,579,263
3,870
2024-09-01
0.5
1
2
4,000
4,974
2024-03-01
0.8095
17
21
85,979
54,708
2023-03-01
0.8571
30
35
113,310
255,794
2022-12-01
1.0833
13
12
92,173
11,823
2022-06-01
1.0
8
8
10,674
9,691
2022-03-01
0.8857
31
35
98,849
57,949
2021-12-01
0.875
7
8
123,935
123,935
2021-09-01
0.381
16
42
110,396
270,792
2021-06-01
1.0833
13
12
47,945
58,971
2021-03-01
1.381
29
21
129,697
94,009
2020-12-01
1.0
6
6
9,660
37,000
2020-03-01
12.3333
37
3
187,704
63,339
2019-12-01
0.875
7
8
41,496
85,477
2019-09-01
2.0
2
1
1,650
10,000
2019-06-01
2.0
8
4
772,816
763,000
2018-12-01
2.0
14
7
93,566
84,000
2018-09-01
5.0
10
2
21,255
19,400
2018-06-01
1.1818
13
11
62,635
95,325
2018-03-01
2.0
24
12
70,968
133,800
2017-12-01
6.0
6
1
5,424
10,000
2017-09-01
1.0625
17
16
208,400
128,800
2017-06-01
1.8571
13
7
351,090
85,000
2017-03-01
2.375
19
8
184,435
55,334
2016-12-01
0.6667
8
12
23,348
38,348
2016-09-01
0.8889
8
9
48,488
89,976
2016-06-01
2.25
9
4
11,210
16,700
2016-03-01
12.0
12
1
10,680
5,000
2015-06-01
7.0
14
2
297,692
11,500
2015-03-01
3.0
6
2
24,383
25,600

Notable Stakeholders

Stakeholder analysis for First Foundation is useful because companies often face trade-offs among groups that want very different outcomes from the same business. Used properly, stakeholder review helps investors stay aware of the people and incentives that may be shaping key decisions behind the scenes.
Thomas ShaferCEO DirectorProfile
CFP KellerExecutive ChairmanProfile
Scott KavanaughVice Chairman, CEO, Chairman of FFB and CEO of FFBProfile
Simone LagomarsinoPresident DirectorProfile
John HakopianDirector and President of First Foundation AdvisorsProfile
James BrittonExecutive CFOProfile
James CFAExecutive CFOProfile
Amy CPAExecutive CFOProfile
Parham MedhatEVP COOProfile
Christopher EsqExecutive COOProfile
Colin KappDirector MarketingProfile
Erica JDGeneral VPProfile
Keller CFPEx ChairmanProfile
CTFA CFPExecutive ServicesProfile
CFP CPAManaging PlanningProfile
Allan GomezSenior BankerProfile
Kelly RentzelGen VPProfile
Tyler ReshDirector StrategyProfile
Amy DjouInterim OfficerProfile
Adriano DarmawanCTO VPProfile
Jody ValdiviaExecutive OfficerProfile
Hugo NunoExecutive OfficerProfile
Curt FreemanVP MangProfile
Manjit DhillonVPProfile
Leeza JinianSenior ManagerProfile
Shannon WherryVP CommunicationsProfile
Pamela EdMSenior ServicesProfile
Adele GreenSenior LendingProfile
Erica DorsettExecutive CounselProfile
Tony FireVPProfile
Matthew AshworthSenior BankingProfile
Lisa CarlsonExecutive OfficerProfile
Kristoffer LyndsSenior EstateProfile

Management Information & Data Sources

First Foundation is a small-cap company in Regional Banks, Banks - Regional, Financial Services. Executive review focuses on insiders, senior management, and employee signals. Leadership review can help separate temporary operating noise from execution issues. CEO is Scott Kavanaugh with 562 employees and 33 reported executives.

This section for First Foundation is built from periodic company reporting and market reference feeds, with harmonization applied to align reporting definitions. Sell-side coverage, where present, supplements the data shown. Values may update on different source schedules. Insider and management fields are mapped from published filings and company disclosures.

This content is curated and reviewed by:

Vlad Skutelnik - Macroaxis Contributor
Last reviewed on February 24th, 2026

Workforce Efficiency and Productivity

Workforce metrics tied to First Foundation offer a useful way to test whether headcount and economic output are moving in a productive direction. This is most informative when investors want to connect operating scale with efficiency rather than reviewing headcount in isolation.

First Foundation Manpower Efficiency

Return on First Foundation Manpower

Revenue Per Employee1M
Revenue Per Executive17.8M
Net Loss Per Employee276.1K
Net Loss Per Executive4.7M

More Resources for First Stock Analysis

A comprehensive view of First Foundation starts with financial statements and ratio context. First Foundation's financial ratios translate raw accounting data into comparable profitability and efficiency signals. Selected reports below provide context for First Stock:
First Foundation has a market cap of 462.49 M, operating margin of -14.59%, ROE of -15.78%. Investing Opportunities can help frame allocation decisions. The allocation includes a position in First Foundation in the portfolio view. Also, note that the market value of any company could be closely tied with the direction of predictive economic indicators such as signals in poverty.
Our How to Invest in First Foundation guide offers a complete walkthrough for buying and trading First Stock.
With First Foundation showing P/E 6.56 and ROE -15.78%, investors get more value when this analysis is combined with the diversification and construction tools below. Those return and profitability levels shape the investment picture - the supplemental tools help investors decide if they are sustainable. You can also try the Portfolio Backtesting module to avoid under-diversification and over-optimization by backtesting your portfolios.
 Quarterly Earnings Growth
7
 Earnings Share
-1.88
 Revenue Per Share
2.066
 Quarterly Revenue Growth
0.246
 Return On Assets
-0.01
Understanding First Foundation includes distinguishing between market value and book value, where book value reflects First's accounting equity. First Foundation's market capitalization is 462.49 M. A P/B ratio of 0.56 suggests First Foundation trades near or below book value. Enterprise value stands at 526.61 M. Value and price for First Foundation are related but not identical, and they can diverge across cycles. Trading price represents the transaction level agreed by market participants.
Note that First Foundation's intrinsic value and market price are different measures derived from different inputs. For First Foundation, key inputs include a P/E ratio of 6.56, a P/B ratio of 0.56, a profit margin of -91.02%, and ROE of -15.78%. The quoted First Foundation price is the exchange level where supply meets demand.