Buff Dormeier
By Indiana State University
Feb 24, 2020
Buff Dormeier, ’92, likes to take an unconventional approach to life.
As an Indiana State University graduate, Dormeier built a course schedule around classes that interested him – business, economics, and planning – and graduated four years later with majors in both business and urban development and regional planning with an economics minor.
“My father was in the financial industry, so maybe that’s why I had those particular interests. But this approach to college, taking classes that interested me, is what paved my way to a career as the Chief Technical Analyst for Kingsview Investment Management in Fort Wayne,” he said.
As the firm’s Chief Technical Analyst, Dormeier advises the affluent, financial advisors, and other institutional clients with strategies that meet their specified investment objectives in a full host of investment climates. As a portfolio manager, he was featured in Technical Analysis and Behavior Finance in Fund Management – an international book of interviews with 21 successful portfolio managers across the world who utilize technical analysis as a portfolio driver.
In 2007, Dormeier’s technical research on volume analysis received the prestigious Charles H. Dow Award and his book, Investing with Volume Analysis, won both the Technical Analyst’s Book of the Year in 2013 and Trader Planet’s Top Book Resource in 2012. His work has also been featured in a variety of national and international publications and technical journals.
“I thought I would write a book in the latter part of my career, but opportunity knocked early. I now consider my book a manifesto about the tools I use and value they provide,” he said. “My career requires me to be able to listen to people, understanding their personal dreams and unique life goals, then figuring out a way to make their money work for them. With my clientele, it’s about providing them confidence to achieve things they may otherwise be reluctant to do.”
In much the same way, Dormeier encourages current Sycamore business majors who may be hesitant to get involved to take advantage of the Scott College of Business’ student-managed investment club as a learning tool.
“The student-managed investment club gives students an opportunity to practically invest,” he said. “They could read about it all day but until they really do it and feel it, they won’t completely learn what it’s like to put research and emotional intelligence together.”
Buff’s time at State had a great impact on his career and outlook on life.
“One of the most unappreciated things in life is culture, but students are surrounded by so much diversity at Indiana State that they should take advantage of,” Dormeier said. “It’s a campus that affords students an opportunity to learn from strong professors without being so big they’ll get lost in the shuffle. Students have smaller classes and so much access to professors, and that’s one of my favorite things about Indiana State.”
“I took classes I really enjoyed and was able to interact with professors, which was beneficial to me. Socially, I was on cross country and track teams, where we learned about work ethic because being a student-athlete is like working a full-time job while being a full-time student at the same time. I had to work really hard, but Indiana State has good mentors and they provide the support needed in the classroom to help students find success.”
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