John Wightkin, CFA, is director of equity research applications for the Schwab Center for Financial Research. John leads the Equity Research Application team, and helps clients use Schwab Equity Ratings and Schwab’s equity research tools to improve portfolio outcomes. His duties include publishing “how to” equity research and portfolio management articles, answering equity research and product usage questions from clients and Schwab representatives. John brings more than 20 years of buy- and sell-side quantitative research, portfolio management and trading experience to the Schwab Equity Ratings team. Before joining Schwab, John was co-founder and managing director at Quantitative Services Group, an institutional consulting firm specializing in stock selection and trade execution research and systems. John holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Notre Dame and an M.B.A from the University of Michigan.