Editor’s Note: This October, we will celebrate our 30th class of 40 Under Forty honorees. Each week in 2022, The Business Journal of Tri-Cities Tennessee/Virginia will highlight one of our 2021 40 Under Forty honorees leading up to the announcement of our milestone class this fall.
Those who work with Philip Bachman each day at BCS Wealth Management marvel at his technical ability, professional credentials and attention to detail.
But his nominator Nick Clay, managing partner of BCS Wealth Management, said Bachman’s character stands out most of all. “Philip is a selfless person who helps those around him, and does so with a smile,” Clay wrote in his recommendation letter.
Bachman will tell you the attributes that earned him a spot in the most recent 40 Under Forty class were instilled in him at a very young age. He credits his parents Phil and Martha for setting a good example and getting him started on the right path.
“I was fortunate to grow up in a family that supported accomplishment, achievement and hard work,” Bachman said.
As he began making his way out into the world, Bachman said he was blessed with good mentors all around him. He completed his high school education at McCallie School, a private all-boys boarding school in Chattanooga, where the faculty did a remarkable job of reinforcing the lessons he learned from his parents.
Bachman went on to Babson College and graduated in 2007 with a degree in Business Management. He returned to our region and started working for the family business, handling accounting and finance tasks for the Phil Bachman auto dealerships.
In 2013, Philip took over as the office manager for the Bachman family enterprises, where he handled investment oversight and financial planning. A key mentor during this time was the late Jim Stouffer, a lifelong friend of Philip’s father.
Stouffer truly had a servant’s heart, and that was evident through the tremendous impact he had on the region by donating his time and talents to the Southern Appalachian Ronald McDonald House, Holston Habitat for Humanity, the Santa Train and countless other organizations. Philip said Stouffer’s wife Suzanne remains an important mentor in his life, and their collective influence can be seen in Philip’s tireless contribution to organizations such as Girls, Inc. and the Johnson City Rotary Club.
Arch Jones, who works alongside Philip as a volunteer and board member for the Rotary Club, calls him a true servant leader who always comes through. “His work as the club’s treasurer literally holds us together,” Jones wrote in his recommendation letter.
Bachman is invested in Johnson City both professionally and personally, and the community and our region as a whole are richer for it.
“We have a lot going for our hometown and I plan to stay here,” Bachman said. “My hope is to grow in my position professionally and also just to contribute in some small way to see Johnson City prosper and thrive more than it already is.”
Next week we will profile Stephanie Barham of Northeast State Community College. If you would like to nominate someone for inclusion in the 2022 class of 40 Under Forty, visit www.40under.com/nominate.asp and follow the instructions.
