F.
Francis Burke Dempsey was born on March 15, 1962, in Rockville, Maryland. He is professionally known as Burke Dempsey and has been associated with financial-services and investment-banking activities throughout his career. His documented family connections include his parents, Mary and Richard Dempsey.
Dempsey attended Phillips Academy from 1976 to 1980 before entering Stanford University. He studied Applied Earth Science at Stanford and received a Bachelor of Science degree in 1984. His Stanford years also included participation in wrestling and other university activities.
Dempsey began his professional career as an associate at Kidder from 1985 to 1987 and subsequently became a vice president at Lehman Brothers. From 1994 through 1997 he worked at Montgomery Securities, followed by positions at B. Riley Securities and FBR Investment Services. He later worked at UBS Securities from 2000 to 2003 and founded WellAuctioned in 2004, developing a price-discovery service for public offerings and other difficult-to-value securities. He also held roles at Presidio Merchant Partners, Cantor Fitzgerald, Ellington Management Group, Tod’s Point Capital, Pickwick Capital Partners, and CRT Capital Group. At Ellington, he co-headed strategic business development, while at Tod’s Point he oversaw investment banking. At Cantor Fitzgerald he served as a managing director focused on investment banking. Dempsey joined Wedbush Securities in 2016 and became Executive Vice President and Head of Investment Banking and Capital Markets. His work has included advising financial-services companies, public offerings, capital formation, direct listings, and market-structure and pricing issues. He is also a co-inventor of a patented simulation-auction system for public offerings.
(United States patent US8204821B2, co-invented by F. Burke...)
2012Dempsey has expressed the view that financial literacy should be treated as a practical life skill rather than merely as a weapon for accumulating money or power. He has also advocated transparent price discovery, broader investor participation, and long-term thinking in capital markets.
Dempsey has been associated with Stanford University alumni and wrestling communities. He has also maintained professional affiliations connected with the securities industry, including registration with the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority.
Dempsey has publicly emphasized financial literacy, long-term perspective, disciplined spending and saving, and the use of market mechanisms to improve transparency and decision-making.
Quotes from others about the person
Wedbush Securities has identified Dempsey as Executive Vice President and Head of Investment Banking and has featured his views on financial literacy, capital formation, direct listings, and investment banking for financial institutions.
Dempsey is the son of Mary and Richard Dempsey. His professional network includes colleagues and business associates across investment banking, securities brokerage, capital markets, and financial-services companies.
