Our Story

Putting people first is a family tradition.

Dr. Bruce Johnson began his medical career in 1945 as a country doctor in an Alabama mining community. By 1951, he was one of the first university hospitalists in Birmingham’s growing academic medical center. Healthcare experienced enormous change throughout his 50+ year career, but his focus never wavered from putting his patients first.

His sons, Sam and Tom, learned from his example. They founded Johnson Sterling in 1976, dedicated to treating clients’ financial lives with the same care, wisdom, and expertise their father brought to treating his patients, no matter their background or station in life.

With roots in group insurance and risk management, Johnson Sterling developed a reputation for world-class expertise in designing benefits plans that helped employers and employees in higher education, healthcare, and business make the most of their money. They came to know and support the dreams and plans of a range of institutions and individuals, from retirement plan sponsors and investment committees, to individuals and families.

Today’s Johnson Sterling, a Registered Investment Adviser with the SEC, is a leading firm advising $2.8 billion in assets for individuals and institutions. We embrace technology in our mission to free people from financial worry – from teaching young people about financial wellness to enabling clients on-demand access to their portfolios. We always put our clients’ needs first, with a consistent investment philosophy and culture of caring that positions our clients for a successful financial journey.

Our Culture

Our teamwork-driven culture is built on our four core values: Integrity, Excellence, Wisdom, and Compassion.

Excellence: We pursue excellent results for our clients, teammates, and communities we serve.

Compassion: We demonstrate empathy and care for our clients, teammates, business relationships, and the families/communities we serve.

Integrity: We embrace an iron-clad commitment to doing what is best for our clients – every day, all the time, no matter what.

Wisdom: We learn, discover, and live by principles that meaningfully contribute to our clients’ long-term success.

As a fiduciary, we exhibit the highest industry standards for client care, putting your interests first – not our bottom line.

We plan for our clients’ financial futures, but we also know their birthdays, their families, their personal passions, and the priorities driving their financial goals.

We follow a consistent Investment Management Discipline based on world-class research and tailor our approach to meet each client’s specialized needs. From customized investment policies to a detailed review of insurance and annuity alternatives for an individual client, our goal is to help you succeed.

We’re building a team that is dedicated to building a better future for our clients. Interested in a future with Johnson Sterling? Please drop us a line.