Our Culture
We created Bison with a vision that families benefit from 3 simple concepts. Plan, Protect, and Prosper. Bison was founded by The Terry and Kim Pegula Family Office known as East Asset Management in conjunction with operating partner Teton Capital Partners founded by Brad Ball and his team of executives.
As Terry Pegula rose from petroleum engineer to Billionaire Oil and Gas Entrepreneur, Philanthropist, and Professional Sports Team Owner the family was amazed to see all the products, services, and capabilities that became available to them. Bison seeks to make these family office tools available to Bison clients.
View Our Leadership
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Jake Tornow has been involved in the financial planning industry since 2016. At Bison, Jake serves as Director as well as focusing on Systems Development and Infrastructure. He began in an entry-level position responsible for illustrating settlement plans. He quickly gained experience with structured settlements, government benefits, traditional annuities, life care plans, and trusts. He was designated by the Registry of Settlement Planners after he demonstrated a mastery of comprehensive principles. The RSP designation is just one way Jake has showed his proficiency, experience, and commitment to providing a specific plan tailored to the unique challenges that his clients face.
Jake managed a team of ten financial planners prior to passing his Series 65 in February 2020. After, he served as a Financial Consultant and Investment Advisor Representative through the 2020 recession. His personal ethos brought compassionate and tireless efforts, while his experiences brought precise strategies with clearly defined goals. He continues to standby the Vince Lombardi quote, “The dictionary is the only place that success comes before work.”
Jake is originally from Douglasville, Georgia. He enlisted as a Field Artilleryman in the Georgia Army National Guard in 2009, cross-trained as a Cavalry Scout in 2016. Jake has mobilized in support of natural disasters, a pandemic, civil support operations, and deployed to Afghanistan in 2019. He is currently serving as a MEDEVAC Pilot, flying Blackhawks in the Georgia Army National Guard. Among others, his awards include the Combat Action Badge, and a Meritorious Service Medal. While his military experience has instilled an array of positive traits, he believes the most important is integrity; doing the right thing for others simply because it is the right thing to do.
Jake graduated from the University of North Georgia with a BA in English in 2014. He currently resides in Hartwell, GA with his wife, two children and their pets. His hobbies include scuba diving, flying with the Clemson Flying Club and motorcycles. In addition to his demanding career, Jake manages to find time for real estate development, most recently renovating a historic, boutique hotel.