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Equitable Trust
Equitable Trust traces its lineage to Equitable Securities, which was acquired by American Express in 1968 and later by SunTrust in 1997. Thomas R.
Equitable Trust
Equitable Trust traces its lineage to Equitable Securities, which was acquired by American Express in 1968 and later by SunTrust in 1997. Thomas R. Steele, Kirk Scobey, and William Cammack executed the 2002 buyout from SunTrust that restored independence. The firm invests in public equities including positions in Amazon, Transdigm Group, and APi Group as of 2025. It also holds real estate assets such as the 1817 Tyne Blvd residence and Church Street parcels in Nashville. Allocations extend to private vehicles including REMS Real Estate Value-Opportunity Fund and Clifford Capital Partners Fund. Geographic exposure centers on North America with additional holdings in global equities and gold. Equitable Trust employs reporting platforms from Black Diamond and Trust Reporter. It sponsors events including the Nashville Bar Association Annual Meeting in December 2024. The firm manages the Caritas Foundation, which distributed $166,000 in recent grants to local organizations. Employee ownership distinguishes the firm from bank-affiliated peers. It selects independent boutique managers for alternatives while executing direct public equity trades.
General information
Firm type
Multi Family Office
Year founded
1978
AUM
2243 (Altss estimate)
Location
Region
North America
Country
United States
City
Nashville
Corporate office
—
Principals
Thomas R. Steele
Executive Chairman and Founder
Ross D. Van Dusen
Partner and Co-Chief Investment Officer
Wickliffe Walker
Partner and Co-Chief Fiduciary Officer
Sector focus
Frequently asked questions
Who runs investment decisions at Equitable Trust?
Thomas R. Steele serves as Executive Chairman. Ross D. Van Dusen acts as Co-Chief Investment Officer alongside Wickliffe Walker as Co-Chief Fiduciary Officer.
Does Equitable Trust participate in fund commitments or only direct deals?
The firm commits to third-party funds including REMS Real Estate Value-Opportunity Fund and Clifford Capital Partners Fund. It also selects individual public equities directly.
What investment stages does Equitable Trust typically target?
Confirmed exposure includes growth equity and large cap buyout strategies through both direct holdings and fund commitments.
Where does the underlying wealth come from?
The firm serves multiple client families and institutions. No single wealth creator is publicly attributed as the origin.
How is Equitable Trust related to Vanderbilt University?
Equitable Trust is the successor to Equitable Securities, which helped found the Owen Graduate School of Management at Vanderbilt.
Profile maintained by Altss using OSINT (open-source intelligence), regulatory filings, licensed data partners, and verified direct submissions. Read the methodology. Last updated: . Continuous refresh with full update cycles at least every 30 days.
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