Howard Capital Management, Inc. (HCM), an SEC-registered investment advisory firm, announced that president Bill Martin will retire after five years of leading the company. HCM's controller, Chris Ferguson, has been appointed his successor.

"Through his leadership, Bill has taken this firm to new heights, and he will be missed dearly by all of us," said Vance Howard, CEO of HCM. "We're thrilled for Bill as he enters the next chapter of life in retirement, and at the same time, we're looking forward to Chris Ferguson continuing the standard of excellence that Bill set. Chris is a tremendous asset for our team, our clients and overall investment prowess."

Ferguson has served as controller for HCM for the past two years and has worked as a professional accountant for the last seven years. He graduated from the University of West Georgia with a BBA in accounting.

"I want to express my gratitude to our CEO, Vance Howard, for giving me the opportunity to work with so many talented colleagues over the past five years," said Martin. "While I'm incredibly proud of what we've accomplished during my tenure, I have no doubt that Chris will be a great addition to the executive team. He is more than qualified to take over my role as president, and I truly feel that our employees, our clients and our partners will benefit greatly from his leadership."

Zachary Stout, a 13-year industry veteran, has also joined HCM as managing director of sales and distribution. He will play an instrumental role in leading the internal and external distribution teams in their effort to build collaborative partnerships with financial advisors throughout the country. As managing director, Stout will lead all sales-related efforts for HCM.