C.J. MacDonald purchased his first stock at age 15 and was immediately hooked on the challenging, exciting, frustrating and always-changing world of Wall Street and investment management.  After graduating from Syracuse University with a degree in Finance, MacDonald joined Westwood Management in Dallas, a premier asset management firm founded by the brilliant and trailblazing Susan Byrne. 

At Westwood, C.J. worked as a research analyst, stock picker, mutual fund manager and industry analyst. C.J. earned the coveted Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation in 1999. C.J. also led Westwood’s mergers and acquisitions team, locating, negotiating, integrating and closing acquisitions of wealth management firms to grow its trusted wealth management business.

C.J. later served as the investment strategist and portfolio manager at Westwood Wealth Management. In this role C.J. worked closely with wealthy clients, families and institutions to advise, guide, protect and grow hard-earned wealth for the benefit of future generations.

In 2019, after a 30-year career in investment management, C.J. sought to teach and impart the lessons, knowledge and experience he gained over many years to younger generations in a concise and easy to understand book, School’s Out: Wisdom for New Adults on Investing, Life and Standing out in a Crowd.

C.J. MacDonald lives in Coppell, Texas, with his wife Dylana and their five children, Ryan, Lauren, Collin, Lucy, and Kate.