Our Team

George Needham co-founded Needham & Company in 1985, a leading investment banking firm specializing in emerging growth companies. He was formerly a managing director of The First Boston Corporation, where he established its Business Development and Technology Groups during his 15-year career.

Prior to this he was a portfolio manager in the Investment Advisory Division at Bankers Trust Company. He was a First Lieutenant in the United States Army and served as Company Commander of the 503rd Transportation Company in Heidelberg, West Germany. He is a graduate of Bucknell University and the Stanford Graduate School of Business.

John Barr is a Co-Manager of the Needham Growth Fund (NEEGX). He has been its Co-Manager since January 2010. He also manages the Needham Aggressive Growth Fund (NEAGX). John started on Wall Street in 1995 with Needham as a sell-side analyst following technical software companies, including electronic design automation (EDA) companies.  John rejoined Needham in 2009 because of the culture, which lives and breathes growth companies and long-term investing.

From 2000 – 2002, John was a managing director and senior analyst at Robertson Stephens, following semiconductor technology companies. He was an Institutional Investor All-Star and was ranked by Reuters as leader of one of the top software teams.  In 2002 John moved to the buy-side and joined Buckingham Capital Management where he served as a portfolio manager and analyst for their diversified industry long/short domestic equity hedge fund.

John’s first career was outside of Wall Street, where he spent 14 years in sales, marketing and management, primarily in the EDA industry.  Working in these small companies makes him think like an owner and to look for that trait in his investments. John loves the challenge of identifying businesses with compounding characteristics and getting to know the companies over the course of years.  From his industry experience, he looks to invest in companies that he would have liked to have been part of.

Meet the Manager

Chris Retzler is a Co-Manager of the Needham Growth Fund (NEEGX). He has been the Co-Manager since January 2009. He also manages the Needham Small Cap Growth Fund (NESGX) since January 2008. He joined Needham Asset Management in 2005, coming from a privately-owned company, Winterkorn, where he spent the previous three years. Prior to Winterkorn, Chris was part of Merrill Lynch’s Investment Banking division from 1994 to 2002. He graduated with a BA from Bucknell University in 1993, moving on to become a Fulbright Scholar in 1994. He received his MBA from Columbia Business School in 1999.

Meet the Manager

Jim has been Chief Financial Officer of Needham Asset Management since 2011, and was its Controller from 2006 through 2010. Prior to Needham Jim was the Chief Accounting Officer for Olayan America, the U.S.- based investment arm of an ultra-high net worth family office. From 2000 through 2004 he was Chief Financial Officer for Rhone Group LLC, a multi-billion dollar private equity fund and broker-dealer with a European focus. From 1990 through 2000 he was Controller of Rosecliff, Inc., a U.S.-based private equity fund. Jim started his career as an auditor for KPMG LLP. He has served in a volunteer capacity on the American Institute of CPAs (AICPA) Investment Company Expert Panel for several years.

Russell Bailey has served as the primary trader for the Needham Funds since 2002. He works closely with the Portfolio Managers in regards to the entire investment process.  Russell began his career at Hambrecht & Quist and was an NASDAQ equity trader at the boutique investment firm Gerard Klauer Mattison. He graduated from Binghamton University in 1994 and holds his Series 7, 63 and 55 licenses.

Jim joined Needham & Company in 1998 and has been Chief Compliance Officer for Needham Asset Management since that time, overseeing SEC and FINRA compliance for Needham Funds.  He also serves as Chief Administrative Officer of Needham & Company, an affiliated broker-dealer, and he is a member of the Firm’s Operating and Executive Committees.  Prior to joining Needham he worked at Herzog, Heine Geduld, Inc., a leading market maker in Nasdaq and OTC securities, and J.B. Hanauer, a wealth management firm.

When Kathleen joined Needham in 2008, she was an executive assistant in the investment banking department at Needham & Company. She moved to Needham Asset Management in 2009 to work as George Needham’s assistant, and she began to assume other roles at the firm, primarily in client services, marketing and operations. Prior to Needham, Kathleen worked for Enterprise Rent-A-Car for 7 years. She holds her Series 7 license.