Jefferson joined Keefe, Bruyette and Woods in 2002 and is responsible for its small and mid-cap bank research groups. KBW's small/mid-cap research team is currently and consistently ranked as the best on Wall Street by Institutional Investor magazine and by Greenwich Associates. Also, both KBW's large- and mid-cap research was recognized as Best of the Boutiques by Institutional Investor in 2006, its 10^th consecutive year with that honor. Jefferson also heads Keefe Bruyette Woods' southeastern bank research team, writing on 20 banks, ranging from community banks to Bank of America.

Jefferson has 16 years' experience in analyzing southeastern banks, beginning in the bank consulting industry working with US Banking Alliance and Alex Sheshunoff Management Services. In 1997, Jefferson joined the sell-side analyst community at SunTrust Robinson Humphrey Equity Capital Markets. Jefferson has been quoted in newspapers worldwide and in such publications as Forbes, Fortune, Wall Street Journal and USA Today. Jefferson also has appeared as a television guest on CNBC and Bloomberg Television.

Jefferson earned his undergraduate degree in business administration from Washington & Lee University, where he was also an Honorable Mention Basketball All American. Jefferson earned his MBA in Finance from Georgia State University in (where is in on the Advisory Board)1991 and his Chartered Financial Analyst Designation in 1998. Jefferson and his wife Amy have four children and live in Atlanta, Georgia.