People
This is KAR. Our wealth and investment management approach defines us. But it is our people that embody our spirit. Ever passionate, curious, and responsible…and not just at work.
Executive Management
- Wealth Advisors
- Executive Management
- Equities
- Fixed Income
- Investment Committee
- Manager Research
- Wealth Advisory Support - Investment Advisor Associates
- Wealth Advisory Support - Onboarding
- Investment Support - Portfolio Implementation
- Investment Support - Institutional Trading
- Investment Support - Wrap Trading
- Business Support - Operations
- Business Support - Compliance
- Business Support - Performance & Analytics
- Business Support - IT & Software Development
- Business Support - Strategic Initiatives
- Business Support - Finance
- Business Support - Office
- Sales & Marketing - Business Development & Research
- Sales & Marketing - Marketing
- Sales & Marketing - RFPs & Databases
Spuds Powell, CPWA®
Industry Start Date: 1993
KAR Start Date: 2004
Education: B.S., Industrial and Labor Relations, Cornell University (awarded the Cornell Tradition Fellowship for leadership and academic achievement and played varsity football)
Credentials: Certified Private Wealth Advisor®
Recognition:
Spuds is ranked #1 on Barron’s Top 100 Independent Financial Advisors list and was inducted into the Barron’s Hall of Fame in 2022. This is the fifth year that Spuds has been ranked #1 (2017-2020, 2022) and the tenth year that Spuds has been ranked in the top 10 (2013-2022). He is also ranked on Forbes’ list of the Top 250 Wealth Advisors for the third straight year, and he has been named a Five Star Wealth Manager by Los Angeles Magazine, a designation awarded to wealth managers who scored highest in overall satisfaction, for the last eleven years since 2012. Spuds was recognized as a 2022 Banking & Finance Visionary by the L.A. Times B2B Publishing and a 2022 Leader of Influence for Wealth Management by the Los Angeles Business Journal. Spuds is a Certified Private Wealth Advisor® professional and he formerly served on the Fidelity Wealth Advisor Solutions® Client Advisory Council. In addition, Spuds is a frequent public speaker and has been quoted in the Wall St. Journal, Barron’s, Investment News, Investors’ Business Daily, Wealthmanagement.com, Forbes, and ThinkAdvisor.
Prior to Joining KAR:
Spuds worked as the National Mid-Plan Sales Manager for Financial Engines, a firm founded by Nobel Laureate, Dr. William Sharpe, to provide institutional-quality investment advice to millions of investors. Before working at Financial Engines, Spuds was a Retirement Plan Consultant for Retirement Plan Strategies, after spending the first four years of his career in a variety of roles at Franklin Templeton Funds.
What Do You Enjoy Most About Your Job?
I feel very lucky to do what I do and there’s a lot about it that I enjoy. The most rewarding aspect of my job is developing very close, personal and trusting relationships with my clients. I love putting in the time and effort necessary to truly understand what they’re trying to accomplish with their wealth and developing a customized investment strategy to help them achieve that financial peace of mind that they’re looking for.
What Do You Enjoy Most About Working at KARWA?
I love working with so many amazing people! Our firm prides itself on having a corporate culture built on integrity, honesty and trustworthiness and the people here walk that walk. They’re very smart, experienced, friendly, warm and willing to help each other and our clients. I feel grateful to be able to work with them.
How Does KARWA Approach Wealth Management Differently?
“We have a proven ability to play great defense and protect our clients’ wealth during difficult markets. One of the ways we have had success in this area is through the utilization of asset classes that perform differently from equities and fixed income, what we refer to as alternative investments. One of the few guarantees in our industry is that there will be periods when the stock market does poorly. By allocating a portion of our clients’ wealth to assets that perform well during those periods when equities struggle, we can generate better performance with less risk than many of the firms in our industry.Another thing that I appreciate about KAR is that we manage the wealth of our senior investment professionals and principals. I’m always very proud to tell prospective clients and existing clients that we are a classic example of a firm that “eats its own cooking” by investing alongside clients in the same portfolios.”
What Do You Hope to Achieve For Your Clients?
I strive to provide my clients with financial peace of mind, the notion that with the investment strategy that we’ve implemented for them, they’ll never have to worry about money again.
When Not in the Office:
I strive to have a balanced life and spend as much time as possible with his family. I married his high school sweetheart, Ann and we have four children; Emmet, Mary Clare, Finn and Margot.We support TrinityKids Care, The Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital, Westcoast Sports Associates, the Manhattan Beach Education Foundation and Loyola High School, among other organizations. I enjoy playing sports and cooking and am a loyal fan of the San Francisco Giants, San Francisco 49ers and Notre Dame Football.
Randy Allen
Industry Start Date: 1998
KAR Start Date: 2014
Education: B.S. in Economics from Santa Clara University
Credentials: Series 7, Series 66
Recognition: Randy was named a Five Star Wealth Manager in Orange Coast Magazine for the last four years since 2020, a designation awarded to wealth managers who scored highest in overall satisfaction.
Prior to Joining KAR:
Randy worked as a Vice President-Senior Financial Consultant for Charles Schwab & Co. During his 12 years at Charles Schwab, Randy provided private-client investment-management services to high-net-worth families. Randy was consistently recognized as an elite performer by way of 10 consecutive invitations to the Chairman’s Club from 2004-2013. Before that position, he was a First Vice President-Financial Advisor with Morgan Stanley, where Randy spent the first four years of his career. While at Morgan Stanley, Randy was presented with the National Sales Director Award, an honor and distinction awarded to the top one percent of Advisors with the firm.
What Do You Enjoy Most About Your Job?
Competing and winning are the two most rewarding aspects of my job. This industry is extremely competitive and I love competing for an investor’s business and I love winning their trust over time.
How Does KARWA Approach Wealth Management Differently?
Periods of market volatility can really test an investor’s patience and commitment to their long-term strategy. At Kayne Anderson Rudnick, we intentionally structure portfolios to be defensive during difficult markets. One technique that has been particularly effective for us over the years involves blending alternative investment strategies together with traditional stock and bond portfolios to truly benefit from diversification.
What Do You Hope to Achieve For Your Clients?
When a client says “Randy, I trust you,” it is the ultimate compliment and it represents the very stage in a relationship that I hope to achieve with all of my clients. Trust is something that is earned over time and to hear those words form the clients you represent is a special thing.
When Not in the Office:
I live in Newport Beach with my wife Erica. We have two dogs, Charlie and Sky, who bring a daily dose of energy, joy and entertainment to their lives. As a former NCAA Division I College Soccer Player, I enjoy all aspects of sports and fitness. I also enjoy traveling abroad and have a great appreciation for a variety of performing arts.
Darnel J. Bentz
Industry Start Date: 2000
KAR Start Date: 2013
Education: MBA., Finance & Strategy, the University of California, Los Angeles, UCLA Anderson School of Management.
B.S., Marketing, Arizona State University
Credentials: Series 7, Series 63, Series 65, Series 86, Series 87, Chartered Mutual Fund Counselor (CMFC) license
Recognition:
Darnel was recognized as a 2022 Banking & Finance Visionary by the L.A. Times B2B Publishing, named a 2022 Leaders of Influence for Wealth Management by the Los Angeles Business Journal, and was named a Five Star Wealth Manager by Los Angeles Magazine last year, a designation awarded to wealth managers who scored highest in overall satisfaction.
Prior to Joining KAR:
Darnel worked in equity research for KeyBanc Capital Markets covering the gaming and lodging industries. Before working at KeyBanc Capital Markets, Darnel was a Vice President-Financial Consultant for Charles Schwab & Co. During his seven years at Charles Schwab, Darnel provided private-client investment-management services to high-net-worth families.
What Do You Enjoy Most About Your Job?
I really enjoy the collegial, collaborative environment that we have at Kayne Anderson Rudnick. People of all different backgrounds come together and really work hard to help our clients meet their goals.
What Do You Enjoy Most About Working at KARWA?
I love what I do at KAR because I get to see people achieve their retirement goals and dreams, save for their children’s education, support their families, and contribute to charitable organizations. It’s really satisfying to be able to give clients peace of mind and confidence in what they’re doing.
How Does KARWA Approach Wealth Management Differently?
With a 30-year history, we’ve seen the ups and downs of the market and we have great experience managing volatility by investing in only the highest-quality companies, along with fixed income and select alternative strategies. We also have a strong track record of playing great defense during the inevitable difficult market environments. This gives our clients a much smoother return along the way.
What Do You Hope to Achieve For Your Clients?
I want my clients to experience the highest-quality service. I also want clients to gain valuable peace of mind and to have trust and confidence that we are doing all the right things to help them achieve the goals that they have for their wealth. I hope to allow them to retire confidently and not worry about their investments or any market volatility. A comprehensive financial plan paired with a customized investment plan keeps my clients on the path to long term success.
When Not in the Office:
I love spending time with my family. My wife Tamany and I have two children, Blaise and Nora and we currently reside in Manhattan Beach. We support the American Cancer Society, the American Heart Association and the Manhattan Beach Education Foundation, among other organizations. I also enjoy travel, reading, skiing, golf and basketball.
Curt M. Biren, CPWA®
Industry Start Date: 1986
KAR Start Date: 1999
Education:
M.B.A., The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania
M.A., Public Policy, George Washington University
B.A., Philosophy, University of California, San Diego
Credentials: Certified Private Wealth Advisor®
Recognition:
Curt is a member of the Investment Management Consultants Association. He is was named a Five Star Wealth Manager by Los Angeles magazine for the last ten years, a designation awarded to wealth managers who scored highest in overall satisfaction. This resulting list represents less than 2 percent of the wealth managers in the Los Angeles area.
Prior to Joining KAR:
Curt worked as a Financial Adviser at Sanford C. Bernstein & Company.
What Do You Enjoy Most About Your Job?
My primary concern is earning the trust of my clients. Our clients look to us to help them with their investments, their wealth and their financial well-being now and over time. Obviously, trust doesn’t happen overnight, but with the kind of assistance and advice that we give them and the high-level of investment management we provide, we earn their trust over time and that’s what I find most gratifying.
What Do You Enjoy Most About Working at KARWA?
My favorite part about Kayne Anderson Rudnick is the culture. When John Anderson co-founded the firm over thirty years ago, he set the tone. John had enormous success in business, but he came from very humble origins in the Mid-West. He provided an ethic to our culture and our organization that was fantastic. John used to say “Doing the right thing is the right thing to do” and that has permeated our organization since.
How Does KARWA Approach Wealth Management Differently?
In this day and age, there’s a lot of concern and confusion about what’s going on in the investment world. Obviously, the economy and the markets go through ups and downs and with all the distraction and noise out there, it’s pretty easy for one to lose one’s way. We take a lot of pride in helping our clients stay on track, in the sophistication of our investment solutions and in keeping our clients really focused on what’s most important.
What Do You Hope to Achieve For Your Clients?
When assisting my clients with their wealth, I don’t focus solely on their investment portfolio. I also try to assist them with their entire financial well-being. To that end, one of the most important aspects of wealth management is listening to our clients. Each client is different. It’s crucial that we understand a client’s situation, goals and objectives. We take our fiduciary responsibility very seriously and we want to make sure that we understand what our clients’ needs are and what they hope to accomplish over time.
When Not in the Office:
I enjoy spending time with my family. My wife, Carolyn, and I have two daughters, Chloe and Lana. We are involved in several charitable organizations. I am also an avid golfer, having spent my junior year in college at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland. I enjoy reading good books about history, politics and religion.
Brian Chang, CFA, CFP®
Industry Start Date: 2009
KAR Start Date: 2021
Education: B.S., Business Administration, University of California, Berkeley
Credentials: CFA (Chartered Financial Analyst designation), CFP® (Certified Financial Planner)
Recognition: Brian has been recognized as a 40 under 40 honoree by the Irvine Chamber of Commerce (2023) and 2022 InvestmentNews (2022). Selected by a team of reporters and editors out of hundreds of online nominations, these individuals consist of financial advisors and wealth managers and young professionals from the asset management and academic industries who have assembled an impressive list of achievements and goals before turning 40. He has also been featured multiple publications including in Financial Advisor, Wealthmanagement.com, and Citywire.
Prior to Joining KAR:
Brian worked as a Private Wealth Manager at Creative Planning and prior to that he served as a Wealth Advisor at Halbert Hargrove.
What Do You Enjoy Most About Your Job?
Becoming a Wealth Manager has been a life-long goal for me and I am very fortunate to be able to work with my clients. I enjoy learning about everyone’s unique situation and developing strategies to help them accomplish their goals. It means the most to me when clients say that they trust me and feel confident in their future. In fact, one of the best compliments that stuck with me over the years is that I bring a calm presence to wealth management.
What Do You Enjoy Most About Working at KARWA?
I love the team-oriented environment! We are extremely proud of our honest, cooperative, and transparent culture and everyone has a significant role in shaping this culture. I am constantly in awe of everyone’s knowledge, expertise, friendliness, and willingness to help each other and our clients succeed. I’m grateful and proud to be working with everyone here.
What Do You Hope to Achieve For Your Clients?
I hope to help them reach their financial goals in life and give them peace of mind along the way. I believe that by combining our investment strategy with our wealth management advice, my clients will never have to worry about money again.
When Not in the Office:
When I’m not spending my weekends teaching CFP courses at UC Irvine, you will find me with my wife and daughter as well as our Shiba-Inu, Friday. I enjoy spending time with family, gardening, traveling, and staying active.
Thomas E. Connaghan, III
Industry Start Date: 1992
KAR Start Date: 2011
Education: MBA, Georgetown University McDonough School of Business
B.A., Classics from the University of Notre Dame
Credentials: Registered Investment Adviser Representative, Series 65, Certificate in Financial Planning (the UK FSA qualification)
Recognition: Tom was named on the Forbes “Best-in-State Wealth Advisors” list for 2018-2021 and 2023.
Prior to Joining KAR:
Tom worked as Vice President in the Institutional Group for Fisher Investments, a global wealth manager based in Woodside, California. During his nearly 10 years at Fisher Investments, Tom provided private client as well as institutional investment management services to high-net-worth families, public, corporate and multi-employer relationships in the U.S., Europe, Canada and Asia. His depth of knowledge in global capital markets and portfolio management has helped clients make informed decisions regarding their specific financial plans. Tom also served as a Director in the Financial Services Group at Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP and was responsible for providing strategic public finance services to state and local governments.
What Do You Enjoy Most About Your Job?
One of the most rewarding aspects of my job is to work with successful individuals who have incredible life stories. We partner with them to develop a financial plan to help them with financial freedom so they can live the lifestyle they want.
What Do You Enjoy Most About Working at KARWA?
I enjoy working at KAR because of the variety of clients I get to work with. We work with individuals who are in the early stages of their careers and are looking to grow their assets, as well as individuals who are at or nearing retirement and are looking for capital preservation and diversified income streams. We also work with individuals and families who are thinking about the most efficient way to pass on their wealth to future generations.
How Does KARWA Approach Wealth Management Differently?
We do things differently here at Kayne Anderson Rudnick. For over thirty years, we have been solely focused on high-net-worth individuals and investment management. With over a quarter of our employees focused on research, we can offer access to both proprietary strategies not widely available to the general investing public as well as external managers offering best-in-class strategies.
What Do You Hope to Achieve For Your Clients?
I hope to help my clients achieve financial freedom and security. For example, I recently worked with a client who was anticipating a big windfall from his professional endeavor. We worked together to create a plan for when that event would happen – working on income, potential lifestyle changes and how to invest that money tax- efficiently – so that he and his family could enjoy the lifestyle they had worked so hard to achieve.
When Not in the Office:
I enjoy spending time with my family around San Francisco’s Bay Area. My wife and I have four children, and we support the Menlo Park-Atherton Education Foundation, Pathways Home Health and Hospice, Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital, St. Raymond’s Catholic Church among other organizations. I spend any free time outdoors, golfing, surfing, biking and coaching my children’s teams. I also enjoy trying new cooking recipes, recording and playing music and am a loyal fan of Notre Dame Football and Soccer. Additionally, I am involved with ProVisors, a network of top-rated professionals that enable me to provide my clients with very helpful and knowledgeable referrals.
Dustin Gale, CFP®, CPWA®
Industry Start Date: 2005
KAR Start Date: 2015
Education: B.S. in Business Administration and Finance from the University of Arizona’s Eller College of Management.
Credentials: CFP®(Certified Financial Planner), CPWA®(Certified Private Wealth Advisor), Series 7, Series 66, California Health and Life Insurance licenses. Certificate in Financial Planning from UCLA and Certified Private Wealth Advisor from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.
Recognition: Dustin was named a Five Star Wealth Manager by Los Angeles Magazine for the last four years, a Banking & Finance Visionary by the L.A. Times B2B Publishing (2022-2023), and a Leader of Influence, Wealth Manager by the Los Angeles Business Journal (2023).
Prior to Joining KAR:
Dustin was a Vice President, Private Banker for Wells Fargo’s Wealth Management Group, where he provided investment management services to high net worth individuals, their families and their businesses. Before that position, he was a Premier Client Manager-Assistant Vice President with Bank of America, where Dustin spent the first four years of his career.
What Do You Enjoy Most About Your Job?
I’m passionate about what I do because I get to work with my clients, my friends and my family in order to help them find peace of mind. In this day of age, with access to smartphones, social media, information on the Internet, there is a ton of noise out there. This noise can be disseminated extremely quickly, which can be overwhelming to individual investors. When we set a strategic plan for our clients, we know that we’re setting a disciplined approach to allow our clients to go out and enjoy their lives without paying too much attention to the daily noise.
What Do You Enjoy Most About Working at KARWA?
I enjoy working at KAR because of the culture. Every team member knows that at the end of the day the clients’ interests come first. Mr. John Anderson said it best; “Do the right thing.”
How Does KARWA Approach Wealth Management Differently?
We approach wealth management differently in that we aren’t just focused on two-asset portfolios of stocks and bonds. We look at alternative strategies in order to help protect our clients on the downside but also capture up-market swings. Having a background in financial planning, I look at both sides of my clients’ balance sheets, along with their goals, to make sure we’re taking a holistic approach to their financial needs. From there, we create customized asset allocation strategies.
What Do You Hope to Achieve For Your Clients?
My goal is to help my clients find peace of mind while achieving their previously established goals. I don’t want my clients worrying about their investment portfolios or current financial condition. If the expectations and stage are set properly, routine reviews should be the only times that my clients are focusing on their investments. After all, that’s why they’re hiring a professional wealth advisor.
When Not in the Office:
Born and raised in Los Angeles, I currently live in Encino with my wife and two sons. I am the immediate past Chair of the Board of Directors at Project ECHO, a non-profit which organizes annual at-risk youth High School Entrepreneurship and Business Plan Competitions on campus at UCLA’s Anderson School of Management among other organizations I work with in Los Angeles. I am an avid surfer, golfer, reader, snowboarder, and traveler.
Kevin O'Regan, CFP®, CIMA®
Industry Experience Start Date: 2007
KAR Start Date: 2019
Education: B.A. Economics, Trinity College
Alumnus of The Roxbury Latin School
Credentials: Certified Investment Management Analyst®, Certified Financial Planner (CFP) , Has Passed Level II of CFA Exam, Series 6, 7, 63, 66, 79 licenses.
Recognition:
Kevin has been featured in multiple publications including The Wall Street Journal and Wealthmanagement.com. Kevin is ranked on the Forbes Next Gen Best in State – Massachusetts (2023).
Prior to Joining KAR:
Kevin was a Vice President with Blackstone, based in Boston.
What Do You Enjoy Most About Your Job?
The most rewarding aspect of my job is developing close and trusting relationships with my clients. Financial peace of mind is something that everyone strives for and I feel very fortunate for the opportunity to help my clients achieve that.
What Do You Enjoy Most About Working at KAR?
What I enjoy most about working at KAR are the people that I get to interact with on a daily basis. Being a smaller firm, there is a great deal of collaboration among peers and I am grateful to be able to work with such smart, thoughtful and driven individuals.
When Not in the Office:
I live in the Boston area with my wife and three sons. We also have a rescue dog named Penny. I enjoy spending time with family, playing hockey, cycling and staying active.
Sam Waltman, CFA, CFP®
Industry Experience Start Date: 2003
KAR Start Date: 2016
Education: MBA, Cornell University, Johnson School of Management
B.A., Technical Sales, Weber State University
Credentials: CFA (Chartered Financial Analyst designation), CFP® (Certified Financial Planner)
Prior to Joining KAR:
Sam was a Vice President, Private Banker for Citi Private Bank and a Vice President, Private Client Advisor for JPMorgan.
What Do You Enjoy Most About Working at KARWA?
I love connecting with my clients on a personal level and being in touch with them frequently as they make important decisions for themselves and their families. I enjoy working with my colleagues at KAR and I have a firm belief that we are all trying to do what is best for our clients.
How Does KARWA Approach Wealth Management Differently?
KAR is different from many other wealth management firms in that we have the flexibility to build a customized portfolio for each and every one of our clients. I believe that this leads to better outcomes in the long run and a higher level of client satisfaction. I want my clients to feel like I know them as individuals and that I am not just trying to fit them into a pre-determined “bucket” or allocation.
What Do You Hope to Achieve For Your Clients?
First and foremost, I hope to earn my clients’ trust over time by demonstrating that I care about their personal and financial well-being above all. I want my clients to feel like they understand the value that we provide at KAR and that I listen to them and their individual wants and needs. I want my clients to feel confident that they are on the right path to achieve their most important financial objectives and to protect their hard-earned wealth.
When Not in the Office:
I live in Salt Lake City, Utah with my wife, Amy and our five children. Together we enjoy spending time in the mountains and doing things like mountain biking and skiing. I enjoy a variety of sports and am a regular participant in local and regional squash tournaments.
Grace Apuy, CFP®, CDFA™
Industry Start Date: 2004
KAR Start Date: 2019
Education: B.A., Economics, University of California, Los Angeles
Certificate in Financial Planning from the California Lutheran University
Credentials: CFP® (Certified Financial Planner); CDFA™ (Certified Divorce Financial Analysts); series 7 and series 66
Prior to Joining KAR:
Grace was a Senior Wealth Manager at BNY Mellon where she provided comprehensive guidance to clients on investment, trust and estate, insurance and banking needs. She also co-led BNY’s Bay Area Family Law national practice group. Prior to that, Grace worked at Kayne Anderson Rudnick as a Wealth Advisor and at Fidelity Investments as an Account Executive where she provided financial planning advice in areas such as investment management, estate planning, tax planning and insurance to high-net-worth families.
When Not in the Office:
I enjoy spending time with my family, who live throughout the Bay Area, trying new restaurants, and traveling.
Learn more.
Carina Berlin, CFP®, CPWA®
Industry Start Date: 2013
KAR Start Date: 2022
Education: B.A. in Political Science from Rollins College, Winter Park, FL
Licenses: CFP® (Certified Financial Planner), Series 65
Prior to Joining KAR:
Carina worked at Capital Group for the past eight years, most recently as a Client Relationship Specialist
What Do You Enjoy Most About Your Job?
I enjoy helping clients make some of the biggest decisions of their lives! Whether it’s purchasing their dream home or retiring a few years early, I have shown clients projected outcomes that have given them a level of comfort as they embark on something new. I consider it my job to raise both benefits and concerns of any given decision to ensure that they are making a sound financial decision or investment.
What Do You Enjoy Most About Working at KARWA?
There is a tremendous level of collaboration and respect between colleagues at Kayne Anderson Rudnick. Each client has a dedicated team, but behind the scenes, we are constantly sharing ideas and best practices. Our clients truly benefit from the knowledge and expertise of the entire firm.
How Does KARWA Approach Wealth Management Differently?
Investing in quality is one of the tenets of the investment philosophy at Kayne Anderson Rudnick. Our analysts do in-depth research on each company in which we invest, ensuring that each company has top-notch management, competitive protections, strong fundamentals, and profitable growth. Not only is quality our investing philosophy but it’s also our people philosophy and plays an important part in how how we approach culture.
What Do You Hope to Achieve For Your Clients?
I want all the clients I work with to have an investment strategy, solid portfolio, and financial plan in place that they understand and feel good about. I want them to know that they are being smart with money and have a trusted advisor who leading the way in terms of their portfolio and other financial decisions.
When Not in the Office:
I enjoy hiking in the Santa Monica Mountains and staying active. I recently joined the Pickleball craze that is sweeping the nation! I am also very passionate about animal rescue and have been volunteering consistently with Best Friends Animal Society here in LA for the past six years. I assist in providing regular care and exercise to animals in their adoption facility, but have also done a great deal of transport, adoption support, and fostering.
Oren Cabir, CFA
Industry Start Date: 2012
KAR Start Date: November 2022
Education: M.B.A., UCLA Anderson School of Management, 2020
B.A., Economics, UCLA, 2012
Credentials: CFA (Chartered Financial Analyst designation), Series 7, Series 63
Prior to Joining KAR:
Prior to joining KAR, Oren was an Associate Portfolio Manager at City National Rochdale where he was responsible for managing $1 billion in assets under management for high-net-worth individuals and their families, foundations, and trusts. Oren specialized in portfolio construction designed to fit clients’ personalized risk-return profiles. He managed trading, asset allocation decisions, and portfolio re-balancing of diversified equities, fixed income, and alternatives investments.
What Do You Enjoy Most About Your Job:
Oren enjoys developing close and personal relationships with his clients. He believes that he is contributing positively to clients’ lives by managing and advising on their wealth. He spends a tremendous amount of time and effort to understand what clients are trying to accomplish, and then ensures he and his team are managing and monitoring those goals.
What Do You Enjoy Most About Working at KARWA:
Oren loves working with so many talented individuals. He feels the team is thoughtful, collaborative, and extremely intelligent. KAR prides itself on always doing what is right for the client!
What Are You Involved in Outside of Work:
Outside of work, Oren enjoys spending time outdoors hiking and camping. He is an avid soccer fan and supports Real Madrid FC. He stays active playing soccer on a weekly basis and loves traveling with his wife Shantelle and their son Liran.
How Does KARWA Approach Wealth Management Differently?
KARWA truly takes a holistic approach when managing wealth for our clients by taking the time to understand clients’ specific goals and objective.
What Do You Hope to Achieve For Your Clients?
I hope to provide my clients with peace of mind, knowing that someone is advocating for their best interest and is caring for their financial health.
Bridget E. Costello, CFP®
Industry Start Date: 2008
KAR Start Date: 2015
Recognition: Bridget was recognized as a Leader of Influence, Wealth Manager by the Los Angeles Business Journal (2023).
Education: B.S. in Business Administration from Emmanuel College
Certificate in Financial Planning from Boston University
Licenses: Series 7, Series 63, Series 65
Prior to Joining KAR:
Bridget was a Portfolio Administrator, Assistant Vice President for One West Bank. Before that position, she was an Account Manager with Adviser Investments, where she spend the first five years of her career.
When Not in the Office:
I enjoy riding my horse, Cambridge, and walking my dog, Teddy, around my Santa Monica neighborhood. Originally from Boston, I appreciate the Southern California weather.
Tyler Sterk, CPA, CFP®
Industry Start Date: 2018
KAR Start Date: 2022
Education: B.A., Business Economics with Accounting Emphasis, University of California, Santa Barbara
Credentials: CFP (Certified Financial PlannerTM), CPA (Certified Public Accountant), Series 66
Prior to Joining KAR:
Tyler worked as an Associate Wealth Advisor at a boutique wealth firm called Brown Wealth Management (BWM), where he specialized in tax saving strategies for high income earners and building customized investment portfolios to help clients achieve their financial goals. Before working at BWM, Tyler spent two years as a Associate Wealth Advisor at Merrill Lynch, after starting his career as a Tax Accountant for business owners and professional athletes at Hamilton Tharp.
What Do You Enjoy Most About Your Job?
The most rewarding part of my job is developing personal and trusting relationships with my clients. It’s a great privilege and responsibility to be a key decision maker in the financial affairs of so many bright, successful individuals.
What Do You Enjoy Most About Working at KARWA?
I love the passion and commitment to excellence that my colleagues at KAR embody everyday. Our firm takes great pride in the long-lasting relationships we’ve developed with our clients and strives to create a culture built on loyalty, honesty and trustworthiness.
How Does KARWA Approach Wealth Management Differently?
Our investment management team is committed to quality. We diversify our risk not by owning a bunch of average companies, but by carefully selecting top business with consistent earnings, low debt, and strong cash flow. These are the companies most likely to produce great results no matter what the market environment.
What Do You Hope to Achieve For Your Clients?
I love putting in the time to truly understand how my clients think and feel about money, so I can ultimately create a sustainable financial plan that will help them use money as a tool to do all the things in life that are most meaningful to them.
When Not in the Office:
Tyler enjoys being active and outdoors, whether it’s at the beach, on the slopes, or on the golf course. He’s the youngest of three, and has four nieces and one nephew living nearby. He’s also a loyal fan of the San Diego Padres and LA Chargers.
Thomas Pontius, CFP®
Industry Start Date: 2016
KAR Start Date: 2021
Education: UCLA Anderson School of Management M.B.A, Finance Concentration
Temple University, Fox School of Business – B.B.A. Accounting, Finance Minor
Credentials: Series 65, CFP® (Certified Financial Planner)
Prior to Joining KAR:
Thomas worked as a Wealth Planner for Wells Fargo Private Bank, providing Tax and Estate planning advice to high net worth and ultra-high net worth clients. Prior to Wells Fargo, Thomas worked as a Tax accountant for EY and Anderson in their Private Client Services groups providing tax compliance, and consulting for individuals, trust, partnerships, S-corporations, and estates.
What Do You Enjoy Most About Your Job?
I really enjoy hearing our about our clients lives, whats important to them, and values that drive their decisions. Being still early in my career, their insights provide a lot perspective into what is important to different people. I feel that I learn just as much from our clients as our client’s learn from me.
What Do You Enjoy Most About Working at KARWA?
To work with a great group of highly motivated individuals. There is a strong sense of community and pride within the organization and that makes it very easy to come to work everyday. The collaborative nature of the group also supports that sense of community and helps better the work and advice we provide to clients.
How Does KARWA Approach Wealth Management Differently?
The advisor team at KAR has some of the best relationships I have seen between clients and their advisors. The attentiveness and care the advisor team approaches their clients with is second to none. I believe the clients at KAR feel very close with their advisors and appreciate that relationship.
What Do You Hope to Achieve For Your Clients?
At a high level, I hope to provide them financial peace of mind and be a professional they can trust to help them make complicated financial decisions.
I also hope to provide the advice that allows our clients to go forward and achieve their financial goals. Many of our clients are at a point in their lives where they have achieved their career goals. Now its time to understand what their other goals are and what it takes financially to achieve them.
When Not in the Office:
I enjoy checking out everything Los Angeles has to offer. Whether it’s the beach, mountains, or desert, I enjoy them all. I also enjoy going to shows, and concerts to see historic venues and theaters in the city. To stay active, I play squash golf, ride my bike and I’m attempting to take up tennis.
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Rosalie Haglund, CFP®
Industry Start Date: 2006
KAR Start Date: 2017
Education: B.S., Business Administration, University of Southern California, Marshall School of Business
Certificate in Personal Financial Planning from University of California, Los Angeles
Licenses: CFP® (Certified Financial Planner), Series 65
Prior to Joining KAR:
Rosalie was an Assistant Vice President for Oakwood Capital Management. Before that position, she was a Client Operations Associate with Fisher Investments. She has also worked in international finance as an intern with various banks such as Bank of America and Union Bank.
What Do You Most Enjoy About Your Job:
I enjoy helping people and developing very close and long-lasting relationships with clients and their families. I strive to bring my attentiveness, initiative, and enthusiasm to ensure our clients are engaged in a high-touch client service experience.
What Do You Enjoy Most About Working at KAR?
I enjoy working at a firm that promotes idea-sharing and a culture of innovation and initiative. Being part of a collaborative environment allows us to grow individually and as a whole, in order to provide effective and customized wealth management solutions to our clients.
How Does KARWA Approach Wealth Management Differently?
Our firm cares and acts in the best interests of the client at all times. We consistently provide unique resources on an individual and firm-wide level to our clients such as: webinars, podcasts, insights, and client events, so that our clients are up to date on all topics ranging from the economic outlook to legislation changes and how it directly impacts their portfolio.
What Do You Hope to Achieve For Your Clients?
My goal is to rise to the occasion at all times to provide an exceptional and invaluable level of service so that clients feel that they can trust, delegate, and achieve that financial peace of mind that they’re looking for.
When Not in the Office:
I enjoy traveling, soccer, the beach and giving back to the community.
Stephen A. Rigali, CFA
Industry Start Date: 1979
KAR Start Date: 1991
Education: B.S., Business and Economics, Loyola Marymount University
Prior Work Experience:
Vice President – Shearson Lehman Brothers
What Do You Enjoy Most About Your Job:
There are two aspects of my role that are very rewarding. The first aspect is working with our clients. We have the pleasure of working with a wonderful group of institutional and individual clients and, over the years, we have become very close to our clients. It’s been very rewarding to see the positive impact we have been fortunate to have on our clients and their financial well-being.
The second aspect of my job that I find rewarding is strategic planning for the firm. It has been exciting and rewarding to see the firm evolve over the years as we execute on our business plans. I also enjoy getting the opportunity to watch our employees advance in their careers and the organization as the firm has continued to grow.
What Do You Enjoy Most About Working at KAR:
What I enjoy most about working at KAR are my colleagues. We are a close knit group. We have a number of employees that have been with the firm for 10 to 20 years and that is pretty unusual in most organizations. I think many of us have stayed with the firm for so long because we have shared common values and we work very closely together within those shared values for the benefit of our clients.
What Are You Involved in Outside of Work:
Outside of KAR, I enjoy cycling. I have been cycling, specifically road cycling, for over 10 years. Cycling is great for clearing the mind. I enjoy the close knit group and I tend to find that cyclists generally are people that are motivated, social and have a positive outlook on their lives. Cycling has taken me all over the world and I think the best way to travel is on a bike.
Jeannine Vanian
Industry Start Date: 1987
KAR Start Date: 1989
Education: Attended The American University in Cairo, Egypt
What Do You Enjoy Most About Working at KAR:
The special culture of KAR is the primary reason I have been at the firm for over 25 years. We spend many hours of our day away from other things that we enjoy (like our families). So I believe it is very important to work with people that we enjoy, to feel challenged and to have the opportunity to evolve and grow, to have mutual respect with our peers and colleagues and, it goes without saying, to have the highest ethical standards.
We also have a very client-centric attitude. When faced with a difficult situation with multiple options, when you look at it from a client standpoint, the decisions really become easy. This is a guiding principle that we live by and it makes work and decision making much easier when you approach it from that viewpoint.
What Are You Involved in Outside of Work:
Outside of KAR, my main focus is my family. I am fortunate to have a wonderful husband, three kids and let’s not forget the dog. Balancing work and family is always a challenge and, having been at the firm for over 25 years, I find myself very fortunate that work also feels like family to me. I think it is also important to note that I am not unique in this situation. If you look at the employees across the firm, over 40% of our employees have been with us over 15 years and over 20% have been with us over 20 years.
Douglas S. Foreman, CFA
Research Experience Start Date: 1986
KAR Start Date: 2011
Doug Manages: Large Cap Sustainable Growth, Mid Cap Sustainable Growth, All Cap Sustainable Growth
Education: MBA, Harvard University
B.S., Marine Engineering, U.S. Naval Academy
Prior Work Experience:
Director of Equities – HighMark Capital Management
Group Managing Director and Chief Investment Officer of U.S. Equities – Trust Company of the West
Portfolio Manager and Research Analyst – Putnam Investments
What Do You Enjoy Most About Your Job:
When I was in the Navy, investing became a hobby for me. I used to read a lot of books on investing. And I figured out that if I could make a living at a hobby that I enjoyed then it was a good profession to pursue.
What Do You Enjoy Most About Working at KAR:
The most enjoyable part of working at Kayne Anderson Rudnick is the people. It is really a family type of environment. Everyone is truly interested in doing what is best for our clients and, as a firm, we are focused on doing the right thing. The investment group is always interested in learning and becoming better investors. They are always striving to find the best ways to invest our clients’ money and I am truly proud of this as this is how our business should be oriented.
What Are You Involved in Outside of Work:
When I am not in the office I enjoy spending time with my wife and kids. I also love golfing. I spend a fair amount of time trying to improve my game (not that it has worked out that well so far!). I also enjoy boating. I spent a number of years in the Navy and I still enjoy being out in the water to this day.
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Douglas S. Foreman, CFA
Research Experience Start Date: 1986
KAR Start Date: 2011
Doug Manages: Large Cap Sustainable Growth, Mid Cap Sustainable Growth, All Cap Sustainable Growth
Education: MBA, Harvard University
B.S., Marine Engineering, U.S. Naval Academy
Prior Work Experience:
Director of Equities – HighMark Capital Management
Group Managing Director and Chief Investment Officer of U.S. Equities – Trust Company of the West
Portfolio Manager and Research Analyst – Putnam Investments
What Do You Enjoy Most About Your Job:
When I was in the Navy, investing became a hobby for me. I used to read a lot of books on investing. And I figured out that if I could make a living at a hobby that I enjoyed then it was a good profession to pursue.
What Do You Enjoy Most About Working at KAR:
The most enjoyable part of working at Kayne Anderson Rudnick is the people. It is really a family type of environment. Everyone is truly interested in doing what is best for our clients and, as a firm, we are focused on doing the right thing. The investment group is always interested in learning and becoming better investors. They are always striving to find the best ways to invest our clients’ money and I am truly proud of this as this is how our business should be oriented.
What Are You Involved in Outside of Work:
When I am not in the office I enjoy spending time with my wife and kids. I also love golfing. I spend a fair amount of time trying to improve my game (not that it has worked out that well so far!). I also enjoy boating. I spent a number of years in the Navy and I still enjoy being out in the water to this day.
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Chris Armbruster, CFA
Research Experience Start Date: 2005
KAR Start Date: 2013
Sector Coverage: Mid and large-capitalization communication services, consumer discretionary, healthcare and information technology
Chris Manages: Large Cap Sustainable Growth, Mid Cap Sustainable Growth, All Cap Sustainable Growth
Education: B.A., Business Economics, Minor in Accounting, University of California, Los Angeles
Prior Work Experience:
Associate Analyst , Special Situations – B. Riley & Co.
Vice President, Equity Research – Al Frank Asset Management
What Do You Enjoy Most About Your Job:
Every day we come into the office we are challenged with turning over rocks and kicking tires to find high-quality investment opportunities for our clients’ hard-earned money. That discovery process has always been exhilarating for Chris. It’s like CSI Wall Street, but instead of solving a crime, we are looking for long-term investment opportunities to help our clients meet their long-term financial goals.
What Do You Enjoy Most About Working at KAR:
At KAR, we have an overarching investment philosophy, but the analysts are empowered to work within that discipline to find creative ways to add value to the investment process. I feel very privileged to work alongside some incredibly intelligent and highly credentialed professionals. That structure keeps employees both highly motivated and allows us to build more complete pictures of investment opportunities.
What Are You Involved in Outside of Work:
When Chris is away from the office, he really values the time that he can spend with my family. Chris has two young daughters and he loves every minute that he gets to spend helping them grow and develop. The unpredictability of the stock market pales in comparison to what two young daughters can do when they are running around the house.
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Todd Beiley, CFA
Research Experience Start Date: 1999
KAR Start Date: 2002
Sector Coverage: Small and mid-capitalization insurance.
Todd Manages: Small Cap Core, Small Cap Sustainable Growth, Small Cap Quality Select, Global Small Cap
Education:MBA., University of Southern California
B.S., Finance, Northern Arizona University
Prior Work Experience:
Associate Analyst, Equity Research – Prudential Securities
Equity Research Associate – RNC Capital Management
What Do You Enjoy Most About Your Job:
I enjoy learning about different kinds of interesting companies. I like trying to understand why a particular company has been successful or not and speaking with business leaders to hear what has enabled their companies to develop over time.
What Do You Enjoy Most About Working at KAR:
The most enjoyable part about working at KAR is working with (and learning from) a talented group of people toward the shared goal of long term investment success.
What Are You Involved in Outside of Work:
Outside of work I enjoy family vacations, traveling to new places, reading, and playing tennis.
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Julie Biel, CFA
Research Experience Start Date: 2004
KAR Start Date: 2013
Sector Coverage: Small and mid-capitalization information technology and healthcare
Julie Manages: Small-Mid Cap Sustainable Growth, Long-Short
Education: MBA, University of California, Los Angeles
B.A., Economics and Psychology, New York University
Prior Work Experience:
Equity Research Associate – Imperial Capital
Equity Research Associate – Merrill Lynch
What Do You Enjoy Most About Your Job:
I love our process and philosophy and will tell anyone who listens about it. Most investors have to have an opinion on every stock, because if it’s cheap enough, you should buy it. You can sometimes get into stocks with businesses you’re not quite sure about because they’re cheap. At Kayne, if I come across a business and can be pretty sure it will never reach our quality standards, I don’t need to do any more work. I don’t need to agonize that at some magic price, we should buy it. This gives me so much more time and headspace to just focus on understanding the quality businesses we own, and new candidates we could invest in.
What Do You Enjoy Most About Working at KAR:
I feel really lucky to work with such humble people who really try to take the emotion and ego out of investing. Some of our PMs have records anyone would dream of, but you can go into their office, and the first thing they’ll tell you is all the mistakes they’ve made. For most PMs, you could spend an hour talking to them about how things are going lately, and you wouldn’t really be able to tell if they’re having a good quarter or bad quarter just by their moods. The long-term focus and a conviction in quality really shines through the team. The temperament of our team, patient, thoughtful, and thorough, is what really sets us apart.
What Are You Involved in Outside of Work:
Outside of work, I ride and compete horses in show jumping. The competitions are based on jumping the fences cleanly and quickly. It’s a huge rush of adrenaline, but it is also about the relationship you build with an animal without words. It satisfies both a need to compete, as well as a chance to connect. It’s also so expensive, I’ll never be able to retire from KAR 🙂
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Jon K. Christensen, CFA
Research Experience Start Date: 1995
KAR Start Date: 2001
Sector Coverage: Small and mid-capitalization healthcare and industrials
Jon Manages: Small Cap Core, Small Cap Sustainable Growth, Small Mid Cap Core and Mid Cap Core
Education: MBA, California State University, Long Beach
B.S., Mathematics/Applied Science, University of California, Los Angeles
Prior Work Experience:
Portfolio Manager and Senior Research Analyst – Doheny Asset Management
What Do You Enjoy Most About Your Job:
I really love investing. It is an exciting profession to be in because you are always learning something new—a new business model, a new technology, a new consumer product, a new way to conduct business. It can be very humbling, but the beauty of the profession is that you are learning every day that you come into the office.
What Do You Enjoy Most About Working at KAR:
One of the things I enjoy most about working at KAR is the people. Working with a great group of people that continually challenge you intellectually.
One of the other things I truly enjoy is that I fundamentally believes in our high-quality approach to investing. Every day we are examining really great businesses, really digging in and challenging each other as to why these are or are not great businesses. As a result, we all make each other better as investors. That makes coming to work every single day a truly enjoyable experience.
What Are You Involved in Outside of Work:
While I thoroughly enjoy work, family is by far the most important thing to him. I have two kids that keep me very busy. I have coached their sports teams since they were three years old. They learn from me but, most importantly, I learn from them as well and that helps me be a better parent.
Outside of that, I read and love being active – running, skiing, and playing tennis. I am also very involved in his church.
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Hyung Kim
Research Experience Start Date: 2009
KAR Start Date: 2017
Sector Coverage: Emerging Markets, International Small Cap, and International Smid Cap portfolios.
Hyung Manages: Emerging Markets Small Cap , International Small Cap, International Small-Mid Cap
Education: MBA, University of Chicago, Graduate School of Business
B.A., German, minor in Economics, Hankuk University of Foreign Studies in Seoul, Korea
Prior Work Experience:
International Equity Analyst – Advisory Research
Corporate Banking – HSBC and Woori Bank, Seoul, Korea
What Do You Enjoy Most About Your Job:
I love the intellectual stimulation. I read, think and learn about businesses and industries every day. I get to talk, and ask questions to industry experts and management teams around the world. The job doesn’t stop here. I also try to understand what others in the market are thinking and decide if I can form a different view that can ultimately lead to an investment thesis. I will never retire from investing.
What Do You Enjoy Most About Working at KAR:
People. Especially my team. I am doing what I love with people I enjoy doing it with. What more can I ask for?
What Are You Involved in Outside of Work:
Outside of work, I love spending time with friends and family. I also enjoy lifting weights in the gym, watching sports, reading, traveling, and woodworking.
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Julie Kutasov
Research Experience Start Date: 2001
KAR Start Date: 2001
Sector Coverage: Small and mid-capitalization materials, industrials and utilities
Julie Manages: Small Cap Quality Value, Small-Mid Cap Quality Value and Small-Mid Cap Core
Education: MBA, Harvard Business School
B.A., Business Economics, University of California, Los Angeles
Prior Work Experience:
Goldman Sachs program focused on investment management for high-net-worth individuals
Senior Associate – Arthur Andersen
What Do You Enjoy Most About Your Job:
I feel very lucky that I am in a profession that allows you to be challenged intellectually every day no matter how long you have been in the industry. That makes me very excited to come to work on a daily basis. In fact, I am as enthusiastic today about coming to work as I was on my very first day at Kayne Anderson Rudnick.
What Do You Enjoy Most About Working at KAR:
The most enjoyable part about working at KAR is the culture. No matter how much we have grown (and we’ve grown quite a bit in my time here), it still feels like a small, family-like firm. The first thing you notice is the respect that everyone has for each other on the team. And when I use the word “team,” it is very genuine. It is a very collaborative environment and that helps you grow professionally.
What Are You Involved in Outside of Work:
I’ve always admired those that find time in their busy schedules to help other less fortunate people in need. I was truly honored to join the Board of Trustees of a Los Angeles-based student scholarship foundation several years ago, which I was a recipient of myself as an undergrad at UCLA. There is nothing more rewarding than being involved in young people’s lives and to see their dreams come true.
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Richard Sherry, CFA
Research Experience Start Date: 1998
KAR Start Date: 1995
Sector Coverage: Large-capitalization communication services, energy, financials, and utilities
Richard Manages: Large Cap Quality Value, Global Dividend Yield, Equity Income
Education: M.B.A., Finance, University of Southern California
B.A., Economics, University of California, Los Angeles
Prior Work Experience:
Marketing Analyst – Kayne Anderson Rudnick Investment Management
Operations/Marketing Supervisor – Pilgrim Asset Management
What Do You Enjoy Most About Your Job:
I enjoy the fact that there is always something new to learn. It could be a new business that we have never looked at in the past or it could be re-examining a business that we have haven’t looked at in a number of years. We are constantly getting new pieces of information that give us more knowledge. I love learning about new things and you really get to satisfy your curiosity with this job.
What Do You Enjoy Most About Working at KAR:
I love working at KAR because it is a very collegial and open company. We are not the kind of place where everyone shuts their door and stays to themselves. We work together and we talk about things all the time. From that, you get different perspectives and you learn more than if you are just off on your own. We spend a lot of time together educating each other. I believe this leads to more knowledge and, therefore, better investment results for our clients.
What Are You Involved in Outside of Work:
Time outside of work is spent with family. I have two boys and they keep him busy, whether it is helping them with their homework or shuttling them to different activities. They also like to go to the park to play ball and love to hike. If I have any free time, I love to read history, financial books and if I totally wants to escape, I’ll read some Stephen King.
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Craig Stone
Research Experience Start Date: 1990
KAR Start Date: 2000
Sector Coverage: Small and mid-capitalization real estate and consumer discretionary
Craig Manages: Small Cap Quality Value, Small-Mid Cap Quality Value, Small-Mid Cap Core, and Mid Cap Core
Education: MBA, University of Southern California
B.S., International Business, San Francisco State University
Prior Work Experience:
Portfolio Manager – Doheny Asset Management
What Do You Enjoy Most About Your Job:
The investment team is unified in our goal of helping our clients attain financial security. We want to do this by achieving strong returns, but also by making sure that we focus on capital preservation. I truly enjoy working on a team that works so diligently to help our clients achieve their financial goals.
What Do You Enjoy Most About Working at KAR:
What I most enjoy about working at KAR is the people and camaraderie. It’s very important for everyone to have a common belief and all of the investment professionals here at KAR truly believe in our philosophy of investing in high-quality companies. I think it is very rare in our industry to have such strong commonality and cohesion in our investment philosophy.
What Are You Involved in Outside of Work:
I enjoy traveling and I am a hobbyist photographer. During my travels, I like to take my camera and seeing the world through the camera lens gives you a different perspective. This perspective helps me to see that the world is so different in many ways, but people are also very similar and I enjoy exploring these different aspects of the world around us.
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Craig Thrasher, CFA
Research Experience Start Date: 2003
KAR Start Date: 2008
Sector Coverage: International small cap, emerging markets small cap portfolios
Craig Manages: International Small Cap, International Small-Mid Cap, Emerging Markets Small Cap, Global Small Cap
Education: MBA, University of Chicago, Graduate School of Business,
B.S., Business and Public Administration, concentration in Finance, University of Arizona
Prior Work Experience:
Equity Analyst – Kirr, Marbach & Company
What Do You Enjoy Most About Your Job:
What I enjoy most about investing is that it involves solving a wide range of very complex problems. When you do your work on an investment, you conduct a lot of research and analysis and then you form a hypothesis about the investment you are either going to make or not make. When you do this over a number of companies over a number of years you get to test your investment hypotheses over time. Through this process, you get to learn a lot and I find that to be very fascinating and rewarding.
What Do You Enjoy Most About Working at KAR:
One of the best things about working at KAR is that the firm’s investment philosophy is the same as my own personal investment philosophy. There are a lot of different ways to approach investing, but I believe that if you are going to excel you really need to believe in what you are doing. I spend a lot of time studying and thinking about investing and I really do believe that the most important aspect of any investment decision is the quality of the business. There aren’t a lot of other firms out there that place as much emphasis on business quality as we do here at KAR and that makes it very satisfying for me to come to work every day.
What Are You Involved in Outside of Work:
Outside of work, I really enjoy traveling. I have traveled to over 40 countries outside of the U.S. and I enjoy visiting new places, observing different cultures and seeing how people live throughout the world.
Another thing that I find fulfilling outside of work is participating in the Big Brothers Big Sisters program. I have been a Big Brother for over seven years and my little brother and I have been able to do things together that I am not sure he would have had a chance to do if it were not for the program. Some of the things we have done together include taking him to see snow for the first time and teaching him to ride a bike and to swim. It has been very rewarding to be a part of these activities with him.
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Chris Wright, CFA
Research Experience Start Date: 2012
KAR Start Date: 2012
Sector Coverage: Small and mid-capitalization financials, financial technology, energy and transportation
Chris Manages: Long-Short, Small-Mid Cap Sustainable Growth
Education:
M.B.A., University of California, Los Angeles,
B.S.E., concentration in Finance, Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania
Prior Work Experience:
Senior Associate, Turnarounds, and Restructuring – Alvarez & Marsal
Associate, Investment Banking Financial Institutions Group – Houlihan Lokey Howard & Zukin
What Do You Enjoy Most About Your Job:
Investing is an amazing profession. It is intellectually challenging and dynamic. Your mind is never dull and you are constantly learning.
What Do You Enjoy Most About Working at KAR:
I feel very fortunate every day he comes to work at KAR. I am surrounded by bright people that share his passion for investing and a focus on finding high-quality businesses.
What Are You Involved in Outside of Work:
When I am not poring over annual reports, I am busy at home with my two young children.
Every day as a parent is a brand new learning experience and it is extremely rewarding, especially the big hug my kids give me each night when I come home from work.
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Adam Xiao, CFA
Research Experience Start Date: 2013
KAR Start Date: 2018
Sector Coverage: Small cap and mid cap financials, communication services, consumer discretionary, and information technology
Education:
M.B.A., Columbia Business School
B.A., Operations Research and Management Science, University of California, Berkeley
Prior Work Experience:
Equity Research Senior Associate – Diamond Hill Capital Management.
Equity Research Associate – Dodge & Cox
What Do You Enjoy Most About Your Job:
I find the work of investing a joy because of the continuous discovery and knowledge accumulation. I live for the moments when learning about a company I realize there might be something special there and it sets off for me a thrilling chase to verify that inkling and to fully understand each aspect of the business that contributes to that specialness. Each incremental discovery adds to my understanding of business and competition. That feeling of growth keeps me motivated and excited throughout.
What Do You Enjoy Most About Working at KAR:
What I love the most about KAR is working with people who each individually have a deep passion for investing and a strong desire to continuously improve at it. I am invigorated every day by the atmosphere of shared striving to hone the craft. The best part of our entire team is that each member is warm, friendly and enthused to help you. The discussions we have, challenging our ideas and exploring new avenues of thinking, have each time made me better – and that is a feeling that I treasure.
What Are You Involved in Outside of Work:
Outside of the office, I spend a good amount of my time on fitness. I enjoy being active not only because of the endorphin rush post-workout but also because of the opportunity to get a little better and go a little further each time. I am also constantly on the lookout for new songs that move me, great fiction stories that resonate with me, comedians well-versed on the human condition and well-researched psychology lectures that can teach me about who we are.
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Katie Advena
Research Experience Start Date: 2011
KAR Start Date: 2015
Sector Coverage: Mid and large-capitalization portfolios in the consumer staples, healthcare, industrials and materials sectors
Education: MBA, Amos Tuck School of Business, Dartmouth College
Bachelor and Master of Macro Economics – Institute of World Economy and Informatization, Moscow, Russia
Prior Work Experience:
Research Analyst – Mission Value Partners
Equity Research Analyst – Bloomberg
What Do You Enjoy Most About Your Job:
I love investing and studying various business models. I try to uncover why some companies succeed and others fail, what triggers that loss of a competitive position, and what the warning signs are. It’s exciting, intellectually rewarding and humbling, often all at the same time!
What Do You Enjoy Most About Working at KAR:
KAR is unique because of the people. Everyone is a true professional, passionate about what they do and will go out of their way to help one another. It creates an incredible environment.
From a professional standpoint, I highly value that KAR’s investment philosophy closely aligns with my own. This alignment makes searching and recommending new ideas easy and natural as I’m choosing the same companies I would for my own portfolio.
What Are You Involved in Outside of Work:
Outside work, I enjoy spending time with my family. I have two kids, ages 16 and 2. It’s incredible to see them go through very different stages of development. With one we might be learning about colors and shapes, and with the other, discussing a possibility of eternal life by means of downloading a mind into a computer. Never a lull moment!
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Sean Dixon
Research Experience Start Date: 2008
KAR Start Date: 2018
Sector Coverage: Small cap and mid cap portfolios: consumer discretionary and industrials
Education: B.S.B.A, Finance, minor in Accounting, University of Denver
Prior Work Experience:
Analyst – Madison Street Partners
Analyst – Denver Investments
What Do You Enjoy Most About Your Job:
I enjoy learning about the competitive positioning of businesses and the evolving nature of markets. The ongoing change of this environment fosters an intellectually stimulating and exciting industry to spend my professional time.
What Do You Enjoy Most About Working at KAR:
The most enjoyable aspect of working at KAR is the people and our shared approach to investing in high-quality businesses. The team’s common approach to investing in high-quality companies promotes an intellectually stimulating environment as we search and learn about businesses across industries and over time.
What Are You Involved in Outside of Work:
Outside of work, I enjoy spending time with family and getting in the ocean as much as possible.
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Noran Eid
Research Experience Start Date: 2012
KAR Start Date: 2018
Sector Coverage: Large-capitalization consumer discretionary, information technology, and healthcare
Education:MBA, Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania
B.S., Engineering, American University in Cairo
Prior Work Experience:
Investment Analyst – Sands Capital Management
What Do You Enjoy Most About Your Job:
The intellectual challenge of understanding complex business models and thinking about how they and their industries will evolve never gets old! I love that I’m paid to learn.
What Do You Enjoy Most About Working at KAR:
The people. KAR’s supportive and intellectually honest culture makes it a joy to interact with and learn from peers.
What Are You Involved in Outside of Work:
I manage a concentrated, low turnover portfolio at home consisting of two young kiddos.
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David Forward
Research Experience Start Date: 2015
KAR Start Date: 2018
Sector Coverage: International and emerging markets small cap portfolios
Education: B.A., Economics, Cornell University
Prior Work Experience:
Equity Research Analyst – DWS Asset Management
What Do You Enjoy Most About Your Job:
I love the sense of discovery that comes with researching a new idea. We get to come in every day and learn something new about what makes certain businesses succeed and fail. Whether we choose to invest or not, almost nothing we learn goes to waste. This makes the job exciting and meaningful and that accumulated knowledge compounds over time. I feel incredibly lucky to be doing something intellectually stimulating that I believe in and am passionate about while being surrounded by people who feel the same.
What Do You Enjoy Most About Working at KAR:
We spend a lot of time assessing the culture of other companies, but what I’ve experienced at KAR sets the bar pretty high. It’s not just about passion and intelligence – it really comes together when everyone operates under the same investment philosophy and is focused on finding great businesses expanding their edge over competitors. This collaborative environment makes it impossible not to learn something new every day.
What Are You Involved in Outside of Work:
I enjoy pretty much any sport and try to run every day. Outside of work, I love to hike and travel to countries a little outside my comfort zone. In New York, I was involved with a Big Brother program called iMentor for four years and plan to join something similar in Los Angeles.
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Sean Pompa, CFA
Research Experience Start Date: 2016
KAR Start Date: 2021
Sector Coverage: International and emerging markets small cap portfolios
Education:
MBA, University of California, Los Angeles
B.S.B.A., Finance, West Virginia University
B.A. Political Science, West Virginia University
One-Year Certificate Program, Mandarin Chinese, Zhejiang University
Prior Work Experience:
Research Analyst – Weitz Investment Management, Inc.
Research Analyst – First Pacific Advisors, LP
Associate National Bank Examiner – Office of the Comptroller of the Currency
What Do You Enjoy Most About Your Job:
The analyst role is multifaceted and combines a lot of my interests. One of the main goals is to find the best businesses around the world at attractive valuations, but to do that you have to approach the work like a business strategist, an investigative journalist, a forecaster, and an odds-maker among other things. While it’s secondary to our bottoms-up process, covering international and emerging markets means you also have to be aware of where macroeconomic and geopolitical conditions are prone to deteriorate, remain stable, or improve and I reall likes that added layer of complexity.
What Do You Enjoy Most About Working at KAR:
I feel fortunate to work with a fun, collaborative group that shares an investing philosophy that mirrors my own. By focusing on business quality first and defining that term in a broadly similar way, I believe it helps us cut through a lot of the noise in the market, elevate the debates that we have on individual companies, and it improves the odds of long term investing success. The philosophy is the north star, but as individuals on a team, we also have a lot of flexibility to keep improving the more granular aspects of the research process and decide what to prioritize our time on.
What Are You Involved in Outside of Work:
I enjoy anything related to the outdoors, traveling to new places, movies, cooking, and playing guitar.
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Arthur Su, CFA
Research Experience Start Date: 2015
KAR Start Date: 2022
Sector Coverage: Small and mid-capitalization technology, consumer staples, and industrials
Education: B.A., Economics, University of California, Berkeley
Prior Work Experience:
Senior Equity Research Associate – Capital Group
Equity Research Associate – Needham & Company
Senior Valuation Associate – Bay Valuation Advisors
What Do You Enjoy Most About Your Job:
I enjoy investing and learning how great companies are built and run. Every company has a strategy to compete and generate shareholder value, but not all strategies yield the same results over time. The analyst has the fun job of discovering and analyzing businesses with the goal of finding exceptional companies with strong competitive advantages that are durable through the long-term. The role is demanding, pulls on various skill sets, and is quite humbling, which makes it that much more fulfilling to discover new exceptional businesses.
What Do You Enjoy Most About Working at KAR:
The culture at KAR is amazing with a genuine sense of camaraderie. The people are warm-hearted, intelligent, and passionate about investing in high quality businesses, which creates a very productive environment to develop as an investor. I love that the team is aligned on a core investment philosophy, which provides common ground to share ideas and collaborate effectively.
What Are You Involved in Outside of Work:
Outside of work, I enjoy spending time outdoors with my family and dog, visiting new places, and trying out new activities or hobbies.
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Mitch Vogt, CFA
Research Experience Start Date: 2017
KAR Start Date: 2023
Education: B.S., Finance, Oregon State University
Prior to Joining KAR:
Senior Research Associate – Hotchkis & Wiley Capital Management
Research Analyst – Arnerich Massena
Sector Coverage: International Small Cap, International Small -Mid Cap, Emerging Markets Small Cap, and Emerging Markets Portfolios
What Do You Most Enjoy About Your Job:
Investing has always been a hobby for Mitch. He started investing in stocks in 6th grade through a fake money account on Investopedia.com, and have been picking stocks ever since.
What Do You Enjoy Most About Working at KAR?
Mitch enjoys the cohesive nature of the team at KAR. The close collaboration helps surface numerous perspectives while progressing an idea through the pipeline. Additionally, the strong working relationships we foster lead to a more open and honest discussion, resulting in a more comfortable environment to share dissenting views. An occasional game of ping-pong or after work happy hour helps keep the team close.
What Are You Involved in Outside of Work?
Whether it is playing a game of pickup basketball, watching college football, or most recently dabbling in pickleball, if it is sports related it has Mitch’s interest. As an Oregon native, it pains him to be in LA Laker territory, so he makes a point to wear his Blazers gear anytime his childhood team is in town. He also loves business podcasts, and usually listens to about 5 shows a week.
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Clarissa Ali
Research Experience Start Date: 2023
KAR Start Date: 2018
Education: B.A., Business Economics, UCLA
Prior Work Experience:
Accounting Intern – Ziffren Brittenham
Property Project Assistant/EA – Law Offices of Mikel Rastegar
What Do You Enjoy Most About Your Job:
Researching companies, analyzing reports, project planning, and finding solutions to problems.
What Do You Enjoy Most About Working at KAR:
The people and the culture at KAR are great!
James B. May, CFA
Industry Start Date: 1989
KAR Start Date: 2019
Education: MBA, Boston College
B.A., Finance, Bentley University
Prior Work Experience:
Product Specialist – Virtus Investment Partners
Senior Portfolio Manager and ETF Specialist – SSgA
What Do You Enjoy Most About Your Job:
The equity markets have always offered both challenges and opportunities for investors. In my role, I enjoy working with the Financial Advisor community and their clients to help them achieve their long term goals.
What Do You Enjoy Most About Working at KAR:
One of the things I like most about working at KAR are the people. The KAR Investment Team works in a true collegial environment which creates an intellectually challenging and fun work place. We all have a strong belief in our investment philosophy and high-quality approach. The depth to which the Team goes to understand the businesses in our portfolios is amazing.
What Are You Involved in Outside of Work:
I am a life long Boston Red Sox fan. As a season ticket holder, I try to get to Fenway Park as often as possible.
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Kimberly C. Friedricks
Industry Start Date: 1987
KAR Start Date: 1998
Education: University of Southern California
Credentials: Member of the California Society of Municipal Analysts
Prior to joining KAR: Kim was responsible for management of fixed-income trading, fundamental research and portfolio management, specializing in municipal-credit analysis for a specialty-management firm in Beverly Hills.
What Do You Enjoy Most About Your Job:
I love the multiple aspects of my job—analyzing taxable and municipal credits, trading in a negotiated market and helping clients understand the bond market and using it to meet their financial goals.
What Do You Enjoy Most About Working at KAR:
What I enjoy most about working at KAR is the varied perspectives everyone brings to the table when looking at the capital markets. I also enjoy the friendly manner in which we all share those opinions.
When Not in the Office:
I am currently transitioning from an involved parent to an empty nester. This means I am currently looking for my next charitable organization that could use my help.
Michael Montgomery, CFA
Industry Start Date: 2012
KAR Start Date: 2022
Education: B.S., Finance, Wake Forest University
Credentials: Chartered Financial Analyst
Prior to Joining KAR:
Michael was responsible for trading and portfolio management of short duration municipal bonds at an asset manager in Chicago.
What Do You Enjoy Most About Your Job:
Keeping a pulse on the financial markets and using that knowledge to collaborate with the KAR team to help our clients meet their goals.
What Do You Enjoy Most About Working at KAR:
The growth trajectory of the firm and nimbleness to which the firm adapts to changing clients needs.
When Not in the Office:
I enjoy hiking and exploring the Los Angeles area with my dog Jemma.
Matt Wallis
Industry Start Date: 2018
KAR Start Date: 2023
Education: B.A., Finance & Economics, Ole Miss
Prior to Joining KAR:
First Horizon – Municipal Credit Analyst
Angel Oak Capital – Analyst
What Do You Enjoy Most About Your Job:
I enjoy how no two days are the same because of the ever changing fixed income market. There is always so much to learn, it makes it exciting.
What Do You Enjoy Most About Working at KAR:
The team atmosphere where each person’s opinion on the team matters. I believe the collaboration leads to making everyone better. This allows the firm to adapt to any situation that may arise.
When Not in the Office:
Outside of work I spend time with my fiancé and two dogs, we like to take them on plenty of hikes. I also enjoy playing hockey, playing golf, and staying active.
Stephen A. Rigali, CFA
Industry Start Date: 1979
KAR Start Date: 1991
Education: B.S., Business and Economics, Loyola Marymount University
Prior Work Experience:
Vice President – Shearson Lehman Brothers
What Do You Enjoy Most About Your Job:
There are two aspects of my role that are very rewarding. The first aspect is working with our clients. We have the pleasure of working with a wonderful group of institutional and individual clients and, over the years, we have become very close to our clients. It’s been very rewarding to see the positive impact we have been fortunate to have on our clients and their financial well-being.
The second aspect of my job that I find rewarding is strategic planning for the firm. It has been exciting and rewarding to see the firm evolve over the years as we execute on our business plans. I also enjoy getting the opportunity to watch our employees advance in their careers and the organization as the firm has continued to grow.
What Do You Enjoy Most About Working at KAR:
What I enjoy most about working at KAR are my colleagues. We are a close knit group. We have a number of employees that have been with the firm for 10 to 20 years and that is pretty unusual in most organizations. I think many of us have stayed with the firm for so long because we have shared common values and we work very closely together within those shared values for the benefit of our clients.
What Are You Involved in Outside of Work:
Outside of KAR, I enjoy cycling. I have been cycling, specifically road cycling, for over 10 years. Cycling is great for clearing the mind. I enjoy the close knit group and I tend to find that cyclists generally are people that are motivated, social and have a positive outlook on their lives. Cycling has taken me all over the world and I think the best way to travel is on a bike.
Douglas S. Foreman, CFA
Research Experience Start Date: 1986
KAR Start Date: 2011
Doug Manages: Large Cap Sustainable Growth, Mid Cap Sustainable Growth, All Cap Sustainable Growth
Education: MBA, Harvard University
B.S., Marine Engineering, U.S. Naval Academy
Prior Work Experience:
Director of Equities – HighMark Capital Management
Group Managing Director and Chief Investment Officer of U.S. Equities – Trust Company of the West
Portfolio Manager and Research Analyst – Putnam Investments
What Do You Enjoy Most About Your Job:
When I was in the Navy, investing became a hobby for me. I used to read a lot of books on investing. And I figured out that if I could make a living at a hobby that I enjoyed then it was a good profession to pursue.
What Do You Enjoy Most About Working at KAR:
The most enjoyable part of working at Kayne Anderson Rudnick is the people. It is really a family type of environment. Everyone is truly interested in doing what is best for our clients and, as a firm, we are focused on doing the right thing. The investment group is always interested in learning and becoming better investors. They are always striving to find the best ways to invest our clients’ money and I am truly proud of this as this is how our business should be oriented.
What Are You Involved in Outside of Work:
When I am not in the office I enjoy spending time with my wife and kids. I also love golfing. I spend a fair amount of time trying to improve my game (not that it has worked out that well so far!). I also enjoy boating. I spent a number of years in the Navy and I still enjoy being out in the water to this day.
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Jeannine Vanian
Industry Start Date: 1987
KAR Start Date: 1989
Education: Attended The American University in Cairo, Egypt
What Do You Enjoy Most About Working at KAR:
The special culture of KAR is the primary reason I have been at the firm for over 25 years. We spend many hours of our day away from other things that we enjoy (like our families). So I believe it is very important to work with people that we enjoy, to feel challenged and to have the opportunity to evolve and grow, to have mutual respect with our peers and colleagues and, it goes without saying, to have the highest ethical standards.
We also have a very client-centric attitude. When faced with a difficult situation with multiple options, when you look at it from a client standpoint, the decisions really become easy. This is a guiding principle that we live by and it makes work and decision making much easier when you approach it from that viewpoint.
What Are You Involved in Outside of Work:
Outside of KAR, my main focus is my family. I am fortunate to have a wonderful husband, three kids and let’s not forget the dog. Balancing work and family is always a challenge and, having been at the firm for over 25 years, I find myself very fortunate that work also feels like family to me. I think it is also important to note that I am not unique in this situation. If you look at the employees across the firm, over 40% of our employees have been with us over 15 years and over 20% have been with us over 20 years.
Kimberly C. Friedricks
Industry Start Date: 1987
KAR Start Date: 1998
Education: University of Southern California
Credentials: Member of the California Society of Municipal Analysts
Prior to joining KAR: Kim was responsible for management of fixed-income trading, fundamental research and portfolio management, specializing in municipal-credit analysis for a specialty-management firm in Beverly Hills.
What Do You Enjoy Most About Your Job:
I love the multiple aspects of my job—analyzing taxable and municipal credits, trading in a negotiated market and helping clients understand the bond market and using it to meet their financial goals.
What Do You Enjoy Most About Working at KAR:
What I enjoy most about working at KAR is the varied perspectives everyone brings to the table when looking at the capital markets. I also enjoy the friendly manner in which we all share those opinions.
When Not in the Office:
I am currently transitioning from an involved parent to an empty nester. This means I am currently looking for my next charitable organization that could use my help.
Spuds Powell, CPWA®
Industry Start Date: 1993
KAR Start Date: 2004
Education: B.S., Industrial and Labor Relations, Cornell University (awarded the Cornell Tradition Fellowship for leadership and academic achievement and played varsity football)
Credentials: Certified Private Wealth Advisor®
Recognition:
Spuds is ranked #1 on Barron’s Top 100 Independent Financial Advisors list and was inducted into the Barron’s Hall of Fame in 2022. This is the fifth year that Spuds has been ranked #1 (2017-2020, 2022) and the tenth year that Spuds has been ranked in the top 10 (2013-2022). He is also ranked on Forbes’ list of the Top 250 Wealth Advisors for the third straight year, and he has been named a Five Star Wealth Manager by Los Angeles Magazine, a designation awarded to wealth managers who scored highest in overall satisfaction, for the last eleven years since 2012. Spuds was recognized as a 2022 Banking & Finance Visionary by the L.A. Times B2B Publishing and a 2022 Leader of Influence for Wealth Management by the Los Angeles Business Journal. Spuds is a Certified Private Wealth Advisor® professional and he formerly served on the Fidelity Wealth Advisor Solutions® Client Advisory Council. In addition, Spuds is a frequent public speaker and has been quoted in the Wall St. Journal, Barron’s, Investment News, Investors’ Business Daily, Wealthmanagement.com, Forbes, and ThinkAdvisor.
Prior to Joining KAR:
Spuds worked as the National Mid-Plan Sales Manager for Financial Engines, a firm founded by Nobel Laureate, Dr. William Sharpe, to provide institutional-quality investment advice to millions of investors. Before working at Financial Engines, Spuds was a Retirement Plan Consultant for Retirement Plan Strategies, after spending the first four years of his career in a variety of roles at Franklin Templeton Funds.
What Do You Enjoy Most About Your Job?
I feel very lucky to do what I do and there’s a lot about it that I enjoy. The most rewarding aspect of my job is developing very close, personal and trusting relationships with my clients. I love putting in the time and effort necessary to truly understand what they’re trying to accomplish with their wealth and developing a customized investment strategy to help them achieve that financial peace of mind that they’re looking for.
What Do You Enjoy Most About Working at KARWA?
I love working with so many amazing people! Our firm prides itself on having a corporate culture built on integrity, honesty and trustworthiness and the people here walk that walk. They’re very smart, experienced, friendly, warm and willing to help each other and our clients. I feel grateful to be able to work with them.
How Does KARWA Approach Wealth Management Differently?
“We have a proven ability to play great defense and protect our clients’ wealth during difficult markets. One of the ways we have had success in this area is through the utilization of asset classes that perform differently from equities and fixed income, what we refer to as alternative investments. One of the few guarantees in our industry is that there will be periods when the stock market does poorly. By allocating a portion of our clients’ wealth to assets that perform well during those periods when equities struggle, we can generate better performance with less risk than many of the firms in our industry.Another thing that I appreciate about KAR is that we manage the wealth of our senior investment professionals and principals. I’m always very proud to tell prospective clients and existing clients that we are a classic example of a firm that “eats its own cooking” by investing alongside clients in the same portfolios.”
What Do You Hope to Achieve For Your Clients?
I strive to provide my clients with financial peace of mind, the notion that with the investment strategy that we’ve implemented for them, they’ll never have to worry about money again.
When Not in the Office:
I strive to have a balanced life and spend as much time as possible with his family. I married his high school sweetheart, Ann and we have four children; Emmet, Mary Clare, Finn and Margot.We support TrinityKids Care, The Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital, Westcoast Sports Associates, the Manhattan Beach Education Foundation and Loyola High School, among other organizations. I enjoy playing sports and cooking and am a loyal fan of the San Francisco Giants, San Francisco 49ers and Notre Dame Football.
Andrew P. Grant
Industry Start Date: 2003
KAR Start Date: 2023
Education: B.A., Political Science, University of New Hampshire
Prior to Joining KAR:
I worked as the Director of Portfolio Management at IDA, a RIA based in San Diego, where he managed day-to-day operations including investment manager due diligence, client education, and trading portfolios. Prior to that, I worked for LPL Financial as an Analyst and Trader, and at Morgan Stanley as a Financial Advisor and Analyst.
What Do You Enjoy Most About Your Job:
I enjoy collaborating with advisors and clients to empower them with knowledge by providing updates on the current market environment, and involving them in the investment process. This level of partnership helps to further our clients’ progress towards achieving their investment objectives.
What Do You Enjoy Most About Working at KAR:
The people at KAR are the company’s strength.
How Does KARWA Approach Wealth Management Differently?
KARWA looks to provide clients with a true institutional feel to investing by providing access to investment strategies managed by an in-house investment team as well as other external institutional-quality managers. Advisors are able to build client portfolios from a diverse set of strategies and asset classes, which has led to many success stories.
What Do You Hope to Achieve For Your Clients?
To educate them well enough so that they feel confident with educating someone else with that knowledge. It is then that I knows I’ve done my job correctly.
When Not in the Office:
Outside of work, I spend most of my time with my wife and two children. Sports and family are a big part of our life and keep us outdoors.
Andrew P. Grant
Industry Start Date: 2003
KAR Start Date: 2023
Education: B.A., Political Science, University of New Hampshire
Prior to Joining KAR:
I worked as the Director of Portfolio Management at IDA, a RIA based in San Diego, where he managed day-to-day operations including investment manager due diligence, client education, and trading portfolios. Prior to that, I worked for LPL Financial as an Analyst and Trader, and at Morgan Stanley as a Financial Advisor and Analyst.
What Do You Enjoy Most About Your Job:
I enjoy collaborating with advisors and clients to empower them with knowledge by providing updates on the current market environment, and involving them in the investment process. This level of partnership helps to further our clients’ progress towards achieving their investment objectives.
What Do You Enjoy Most About Working at KAR:
The people at KAR are the company’s strength.
How Does KARWA Approach Wealth Management Differently?
KARWA looks to provide clients with a true institutional feel to investing by providing access to investment strategies managed by an in-house investment team as well as other external institutional-quality managers. Advisors are able to build client portfolios from a diverse set of strategies and asset classes, which has led to many success stories.
What Do You Hope to Achieve For Your Clients?
To educate them well enough so that they feel confident with educating someone else with that knowledge. It is then that I knows I’ve done my job correctly.
When Not in the Office:
Outside of work, I spend most of my time with my wife and two children. Sports and family are a big part of our life and keep us outdoors.
Michele Huber
Industry Start Date: 2008
KAR Start Date: 2015
Education: B.S., Finance, Indiana University, Kelley School of Business
Licenses: Series 7
Prior to Joining KAR:
Michele was an Account Services Manager for Chamberlain Group. Before that position, she was a Senior Portfolio Consultant with Stifel Nicolaus, where Michele spent the first five years of her career.
What Do You Enjoy Most About Working at KARWA?
I enjoy my relationships with my colleagues and clients. Our company truly consists of people who are like family to me. KAR continues to strive for diversity and inclusion and it’s evident that it’s an important initiative embedded in our day-to-day.
What Do You Hope to Achieve For Your Clients?
Trust, peace of mind, and knowing we always have their best interest at heart!
When Not in the Office:
As a former NCAA Division 1 collegiate for Track & Field, I enjoy anything related to running. I also enjoy watching sports, playing golf, and cooking. Originally from the Midwest, I currently reside in Los Angeles, California.
Evans Raslanian
Industry Experience Start Date: 2007
KAR Start Date: 2015
Education: B.S., Financial Services, California State University, Northridge
Prior to Joining KAR:
Evans was a Client Service Associate at OneWest Bank and a Relationship Service Manager at Bank of America.
What Do You Enjoy Most About Your Job:
What I enjoy most about my job is my interactions with our clients and the relationships that we build over the years.
What Do You Enjoy Most About Working at KAR:
What I enjoy the most about working at KAR is that I get to work with a diverse group of individuals on a daily basis.
How Does KARWA Approach Wealth Management Differently?
No matter how much we grow as a firm, at our core, we remain a family office at heart. This sets us apart from our competitors.
What Do You Hope to Achieve For Your Clients?
A sense of comfort and trust that they are in good hands and that their financial goals are on track.
When Not in the Office:
I enjoy playing table tennis, snowboarding, hiking and traveling. My favorite sports team is the Miami Dolphins. Originally raised in Germany, I currently reside in Northridge, California with his wife, daughter and son.
Mae Diapera
Industry Start Date: 2015
KAR Start Date: 2020
Education: B.S., Public Health & B.S., Environmental Biology, Tulane University
Prior to Joining KAR:
Mae was the Reporting Analyst and Operations Manager with a focus on firm-level project management to manage the full-cycle of client service for Asset Management and Institutional clients at North Pier Fiduciary Management.
When Not in the Office:
A native Angeleno, Mae is a forever Laker and also follows the Esports scene closely. Mae enjoys film, comics, yoga, swimming and is an avid year-round ice cream maker.
Lorrie Hanson
Industry Start Date: 2007
KAR Start Date: 2020
Education: Baking and Pastry Arts Certificate, Long Beach City College – 2019
Prior to Joining KAR:
Lorrie worked at Wells Fargo Advisors for 9 years and Smith Barney both as a Senior Client Associate.
What Do You Enjoy Most About Your Job?
The most enjoyable aspect of the job is getting to know various individuals. We interact with many different individuals on a daily basis that our days are never the same.
What Do You Enjoy Most About Working at KARWA?
I enjoy working with the amazing people at KAR. I have found that colleagues assist in creating your work environment, and this environment is amazing and caring.
When Not in the Office:
I spend time with my husband Chi, a fire captain with a local fire department, and with my son Russell, and travelling on cruises.
James Holden
Industry Start Date: 2016
KAR Start Date: 2021
Education: B.S. Biopsychology, University of California, Santa Barbara
Licenses: Series 7 and 66
Recognition: At Morgan Stanley James was recognized as one of the top registered associates.
Prior to Joining KAR:
James was an associate on a Global Sports and Entertainment team at Morgan Stanley managing over $2.0 billion of client assets. He focused on working with high-net-worth families, foundations, non-profits and partnerships. He also served as a complex coach, training new hires and educating colleagues on new policies and procedures.
What Do You Enjoy Most About Your Job:
Developing relationships with clients and helping them achieve financial peace of mind.
What Do You Enjoy Most About Working at KAR:
The people and culture. KAR has an incredible collection of talented people that all support each other.
How Does KARWA Approach Wealth Management Differently?
We approach wealth management differently through our emphasis on planning and bespoke investment strategies.
When Not in the Office:
I enjoy staying active through playing basketball, surfing, tennis and hiking. I am an avid traveler and loyal fan of the Lakers and Rams.
Beth Romer
Industry Start Date: 1994
KAR Start Date:
Education: Associates Degree in Liberal Arts
Prior to Joining KAR:
Beth was an associate at Lipman, Carrasso and Young and an office manager for an architectural firm.
When Not in the Office:
Beth resides in Sherman Oaks, California and enjoys spending time with family and friends, travel and attending concerts.
Darryl Yee
Industry Start Date: 1999
KAR Start Date: 2012
Education: Bachelor of Science in Business Management
Prior to Joining KAR:
Darryl held various positions in client servicing, operations and compliance at our sister firm, SCM Advisors LLC in San Francisco. He was also the Sr. Operations Manager at BlackShip Capital Management, LP, a small private equity firm in San Mateo, CA.
What Do You Enjoy Most About Working at KAR?
As KAR continues to rapidly grow, it still feels like a small boutique firm with a family environment and strong representation of diversity. Every single person at KAR is a real pleasure to work with and collaborate with.
What Do You Hope to Achieve For Your Clients?
I want our clients to feel special and taken care of. The most enjoyable aspect of my job is developing strong relationships with our clients and gaining their trust as we help them plan for their future.
Hannah McNally
Industry Start Date: 2019
KAR Start Date: 2019
Education: B.S., Management, University of California, Riverside
Prior to Joining KAR:
Hannah worked part-time in UCR’s Undergraduate Admissions Office while studying for her Bachelor’s Degree in Business Management.
When Not in the Office:
I love to play soccer and I am a youth soccer coach for AYSO. I enjoy going on family outings, such as archery tag, foot golf and bubble soccer.
Alexander Mansfield
Industry Start Date: 2020
KAR Start Date: 2022
Education: B.S. in Business Administration with a concentration in Financial Planning, Liberty University
Prior to Joining KAR:
Alex worked as a Client Service Associate at Beacon Pointe Advisors in their Newport Beach office
What Do You Enjoy Most About Your Job?
I enjoy the collaborative environment that we have at Kayne Anderson Rudnick. Each person at KAR brings a different perspective to the Wealth Management team, allowing us to serve our clients excellently.
What Do You Enjoy Most About Working at KARWA?
I love the company culture, and the friendly employees within each department. The Food is also excellent.
When Not in the Office:
I am on the Free Wheelchair Mission Associate Board, which designs and manufactures cost-efficient, durable wheelchairs for developing countries worldwide.
I also enjoy playing Golf, and spending time by the ocean.
Erin Moriarty
Industry Experience Start Date: 2007
KAR Start Date: 2017
Education: B.A., Sociology from Northern Illinois University and Personal Financial Planning Certification from University of California, Los Angeles.
Licenses: Series 6 and 63
Prior to Joining KAR:
Erin was a Client Service Associate II for Edelman Financial. Before that position, she was an Office Manager with PlanWealth, Inc.
What Do You Enjoy Most About Your Job?
I enjoy building relationships and interacting with clients. I feel most fulfilled when a client is comfortable reaching out to me knowing I will find solutions to their client service needs.
What Do You Enjoy Most About Working at KARWA?
I love working with my team and colleagues. They are a great group and I’m fortunate to have developed strong friendships during my time at KAR and for that I am very grateful.
When Not in the Office:
I enjoy yoga, pilates, hiking, spending time at the beach and reading.
Cory Rayfield
Industry Start Date: 2018
KAR Start Date: 2023
Education: B.S., Economics and International Business, Drexel University
Prior to Joining KAR: Cory worked as a Senior Client Service Associate for Brown Brothers Harriman in Boston, MA.
When Not in the Office:
I love to play golf, ski, and spend time outdoors either running or going on a hike. Being new to California from Massachusetts, I am spending a lot of time exploring new restaurants and taking advantage of the great weather.
Danielle Wallius
Industry Start Date: 2017
KAR Start Date: 2022
Education: B.S. in Business Administration with an Emphasis in Finance from the University of Southern California, Marshall School of Business
Prior Work Experience: Client Service Associate – Clark Asset Management + Associates, Inc.
Prior to Joining KAR:
Danielle spent the first five years of her career as a Client Service Associate at Clark Asset Management + Associates, Inc. and graduated from USC in May 2022. At USC, Danielle served as Vice President of Mentorship and President of USC Accounting Society, consulted for businesses abroad through the Marshall Transfer International Experience Program, provided research for the Smart Woman Securities Investment Board, sang with the University Concert Choir, and taught music theory to local grade school students.
What Do You Most Enjoy About Your Job:
I love that I get to help people every single day! The work I do for clients and the team at KAR is very meaningful to me and keeps me rooted in my core values to always act with empathy, curiosity, and creativity.
What Do You Enjoy Most About Working at KAR?
Everyone at KAR is incredibly supportive of one another’s growth and pursuit of knowledge– you are endlessly encouraged to explore your interests and follow your curiosities.
When Not in the Office:
I enjoy staying active and spending time outdoors as an avid camper, hiker, and beach-goer. I am also a classically and operatically trained vocalist, and love making music with her friends and family.
Maryam Noori
Industry Start Date: 2016
KAR Start Date: 2022
Education: B.A., History with a minor in Chicana/o Studies, University of California, Los Angeles
Prior to Joining KAR:
Maryam was an Administrative Assistant at Offit Capital’s Los Angeles office for four years.
When Not in the Office:
I am an avid skier and aspiring sailor. After work, I enjoy breaking a sweat at CrossFit and Krav Maga.
What Do You Enjoy Most About Your Job?
I am constantly learning and improving with the support of my colleagues. For me, it is a privilege to work alongside a diverse team of brilliant, dedicated individuals.
What Do You Enjoy Most About Working at KARWA?
I take pride in KAR’s distinguished reputation and longevity in the industry. I enjoy being challenged to uphold the highest standard of client service and portfolio management.
Michele Huber
Industry Start Date: 2008
KAR Start Date: 2015
Education: B.S., Finance, Indiana University, Kelley School of Business
Licenses: Series 7
Prior to Joining KAR:
Michele was an Account Services Manager for Chamberlain Group. Before that position, she was a Senior Portfolio Consultant with Stifel Nicolaus, where Michele spent the first five years of her career.
What Do You Enjoy Most About Working at KARWA?
I enjoy my relationships with my colleagues and clients. Our company truly consists of people who are like family to me. KAR continues to strive for diversity and inclusion and it’s evident that it’s an important initiative embedded in our day-to-day.
What Do You Hope to Achieve For Your Clients?
Trust, peace of mind, and knowing we always have their best interest at heart!
When Not in the Office:
As a former NCAA Division 1 collegiate for Track & Field, I enjoy anything related to running. I also enjoy watching sports, playing golf, and cooking. Originally from the Midwest, I currently reside in Los Angeles, California.
Frank Lee, CFA
Industry Experience Start Date: 1991
KAR Start Date: 1995
Education: M.B.A., University of California, Los Angeles
B.A., Economics, University of California, Los Angeles
Prior Work Experience: Investor Relations Representative – T. Rowe Price Associates
What Do You Enjoy Most About Your Job: The best part of my job is the opportunity to learn something new all the time.
What Do You Enjoy Most About Working at KAR:
The key to KAR’s success, in my view, is the people. Not only are the people very capable and passionate about what they do, they are also genuinely nice. I’m fortunate to be able to work with such amazing talent and that truly makes “work” enjoyable.
What Are You Involved in Outside of Work:
When I’m not chauffeuring my three boys from activity to activity, I try to get in a round of golf when I can. I’m also trying to learn French so that when I visit Paris someday, I can order escargot in French.
Jennifer Okutake
Industry Experience Start Date: 1996
KAR Start Date: 2018
Education: MBA, Marshall School of Business – University of Southern California
B.A., Economics – University of California, Irvine
Prior Work Experience: SVP of Operations – First Pacific Advisors
Portfolio Administration & Asst. Portfolio Mgr. – Tradewinds Global
Investors Assistant Portfolio Manager – Roxbury Capital Supervisor Managed Accounts Department – NWQ Investment Management
Bryan Dario, CFA
Industry Experience Start Date: 1995
KAR Start Date: 1998
Education: B.S., Kinesiology, University of California, Los Angeles
Prior Work Experience: Mutual Fund Trader (Institutional Clients) – T. Rowe Price Mutual Funds
What Do You Enjoy Most About Your Job?
I love working with a team of people who are excellent at what they do. It sure does make my job easier!
What Do You Enjoy Most About Working at KAR?
The culture and people are my favorite things about KAR. I’ve never experienced a better place to work!
What Are You Involved in Outside of Work?
I volunteer at the Valley Rescue Mission and Children’s Hunger Fund. I also love training in martial arts. When I’m not doing those things I can often be found driving through the local mountains. Vroom Vroom!
Learn more.
Joe Nazarian
Industry Experience Start Date: 2000
KAR Start Date: 2005
Education: B.S., Business Studies (Emphasis on Management and Finance), Lebanese American University (Beirut, Lebanon)
Prior Work Experience:
Trader / Client Servicing Associate – Envestnet / Net Asset Management
Wrap Trader / Operations Specialist- Trust Company of the West (TCW)
What Do You Enjoy Most About Your Job:
I enjoy the early start and finish of my work day (New York Stock Exchange hours).
What Do You Enjoy Most About Working at KAR:
I like the people at KAR. Everyone is very respectful and I feel my contribution is valued here.
Robert Ruiz
Industry Experience Start Date: 1996
KAR Start Date: 1996
Education: B.A., Business Administration, Finance, Whittier College
What Do You Enjoy Most About Your Job:
I enjoy the Autonomy, which allows me to get things done.
What Do You Enjoy Most About Working at KAR:
The people (co workers) around me. They are enjoyable and easy to work with.
What Are You Involved in Outside of Work:
I like to hike and follow all sports.
William Chow
Sharon Delgado
Industry Experience Start Date: 1994
KAR Start Date: 2017
Education: B.A., in Political Science, University of Southern California
Prior Work Experience:
Sr. Managed Acct Specialist – Trader – NWQ
Managed Account Specialist – TCW
Sales Assistant – RBC Dain Rausher
What Do You Enjoy Most About Your Job:
Working with a great people!
What Are You Involved in Outside of Work:
I’m involved with helping to rescue animals in need.
Bruce Liu
Industry Experience Start Date: 2010
KAR Start Date: 2020
Education: B.S., Finance, Boston College
Prior Work Experience:
Senior Derivatives Operations Specialist – Western Asset Management
Investment Operations Analyst – Panagora Asset Management
What Do You Enjoy Most About Working at KAR:
I enjoy working with the people on my team. Everyone is really great here.
Eric Skrabak
Industry Experience Start Date: 2021
KAR Start Date: 2022
Education: B.S. Financial/Actuarial Mathematics, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)
Prior Work Experience:
Wealth Management Intern – Wedbush Securities
Treasury Management Intern – Independent Financial
What Do You Enjoy Most About Your Job:
I enjoy being able to learn something new everyday. Everybody has been extremely kind and supportive, and tracking the market and monitoring trading allocation and execution has allowed me to gain industry insight from experienced professionals.
What Do You Enjoy Most About Working at KAR:
I enjoy the office – open floor design, great views, an open-door and friendly work environment, and an amazing kitchen along with delicious lunch choices!
What Are You Involved in Outside of Work:
Weightlifting, Intramural Foosball, Reading (G.R.R. Martin, Dostoevsky), disappointed Lakers fan.
Joseph Aube
Industry Experience Start Date: 2002
KAR Start Date: 2015
Education: MBA, University of Connecticut
B.S.B.A., Finance, Northeastern University
Prior Work Experience:
Trader for Domestic and International Equities for Various Institutional Strategies – Artio Global Investors (formerly Julius Baer)
Head of Trading for a Small Hedge Fund
Joanna Grzeskowiak
Industry Experience Start Date: 2001
KAR Start Date: 2021
Education: B.A., Economics, University of California, Los Angeles
Prior Work Experience:
Trader – Kayne Anderson Capital Advisors
NASDAQ Market Maker – Knight Capital Group
Equity Research – JPMorgan
What Do You Enjoy Most About Your Job: Logging into work every day is like stepping into the Star Wars Cantina—trading Asian markets are dynamic, exciting, tactical, and sometimes weird. I love that it keeps me on my toes and you really need to stay frosty to achieve the best execution, minimize costs, and eliminate slippage for our clients.
What Do You Enjoy Most About Working at KAR: As with any firm, organization, or group of people—your colleagues become your second family whether you like it or not, so choose wisely. Luckily the people at KAR are top-notch and a stellar group of peers to be in the trenches with day in and day out.
What Are You Involved in Outside of Work: Almost anything outside: skiing, surfing, rock climbing, hiking, camping, fly fishing. I love spending money on gear and my garage rivals any REI.
Olivia Song
Industry Experience Start Date: 2003
KAR Start Date: 2016
Education: B.S., Business Administration, University of California, Riverside
Prior Work Experience: Institutional Trader – Tradewinds Global Investors/Nuveen Investments
Institutional Trading Assistant/Coordinator – NWQ Investment Management Company/Nuveen Investments
What Do You Enjoy Most About Your Job:
What I enjoy most about my job is that there is always something to learn, which I find to be a great privilege.
What Do You Enjoy Most About Working at KAR:
What I enjoy most about working here is the culture and the people. KAR is truly a team-oriented environment, as everyone is willing to help no matter how chaotic their day might be at the moment.
What Are You Involved in Outside of Work:
Outside of work, I love spending time with my family and two children, who keep me constantly busy with their hobbies.
Andrew Stout
Industry Experience Start Date: 2002
KAR Start Date: July, 2020
Education:
M.B.A., Finance, Emory University
B.S., Business Administration, University of Kansas
Prior Work Experience:
International Commodity Trader – Koch Industries, Inc
International Sales Trader – Credit Suisse New York and London
Senior Trader – Artio Global Investors
Senior Trader – Vinik Asset Management
Head of EMEA Trading – Kopernik Global Advisors
Head of International Trading – Monashee Investment Management
What Do You Enjoy Most About Your Job?
Trading international markets, especially within EMEA, has always fascinated me due to the various country intricacies, market dynamics and trading styles within each market. Walking in every day knowing that this is what I’m going to be faced with is something that I’ll never get tired of!
What Do You Enjoy Most About Working at KAR?
The best part about working at KAR are the people, which all contribute to the its amazing culture. I’ve never worked in a more supportive, intellectually curious and team oriented environment.
What Are You Involved in Outside of Work:
When I am not at work, I am spending time with my wife and three kids, which usually means I’m either on a flag football field, in a basketball gym, or at a hockey rink.
Jennifer Okutake
Industry Experience Start Date: 1996
KAR Start Date: 2018
Education: MBA, Marshall School of Business – University of Southern California
B.A., Economics – University of California, Irvine
Prior Work Experience: SVP of Operations – First Pacific Advisors
Portfolio Administration & Asst. Portfolio Mgr. – Tradewinds Global
Investors Assistant Portfolio Manager – Roxbury Capital Supervisor Managed Accounts Department – NWQ Investment Management
Nora Salazar
Industry Experience Start Date: 1993
KAR Start Date: 1993
Education: B.A. Finance, Texas Tech University
Prior Work Experience: Banking
What Do You Enjoy Most About Your Job:
I like the fact that no two days are the same. There is always something different so that keeps it interesting.
Trina Vasquez
Industry Experience Start Date: 1997
KAR Start Date: 2017
Education: B.A., Psychology, University of California at Berkeley
Prior Work Experience: AVP, Senior Managed Accounts Trader – Tradewinds Global Investors
Managed Accounts Specialist – NWQ Investment Management
Wrap Fee Trader – Provident Investment Counsel
What Do You Enjoy Most About Working at KAR:
What I enjoy most about working at KAR are the people.
What Are You Involved in Outside of Work:
Outside of work, I enjoy spending time with my husband and family by staying active and enjoying the great outdoors.
Keith Carmona
Rikki McDaniels
Industry Experience Start Date: 2001
KAR Start Date: 2017
Education: Southern University, Louisiana
Prior Work Experience: Consultant – KAR
Wrap Trader – NWQ
Wrap Trader – Tradewinds
What Do You Enjoy Most About Your Job:
I enjoy the group of people I work with the most.
What Are You Involved in Outside of Work:
I have 2 kids and my youngest is in high school and involved in sports. We spend a lot time at practices and meets.
Sean Samarasekara
Industry Start Date: 2000
KAR Start Date: 2020
Education: St. Anthony’s College, Kandy
Sri Lanka
Prior Work Experience:
Trade Support Associate – KAR
Portfolio Accountant – First Pacific Advisors
Trade Coordinator – Tradewinds Global Investors
Investment Service Specialist – Net Asset Management
What Do You Enjoy Most About Your Job:
I enjoy the challenges, freedom, team collaboration and being able to make a difference.
What Do You Enjoy Most About Working at KAR:
I enjoy KAR’s Culture and the people.
What Are You Involved in Outside of Work?
I support animal rescue organizations.
Kimberly Hoang
Industry Experience Start Date: 1998
KAR Start Date: 2016
Education: Executive MBA., Certificate in Finance, University of California, Los Angeles
B.A., Economics and Political Science, Boston College University, Boston
Prior Work Experience: Vice President, Investment Operations – Nuveen Investments
Associate Vice President, Accounting Manager – Ares Investments LLC
What Do You Enjoy Most About Your Job: We do amazing things together as a team while having fun succeeding.
What Do You Enjoy Most About Working at KAR: The people at KAR really embrace the culture of “doing the right thing” which makes the working environment really nice as all the professionals are respectful, kind, and level headed in everyday interactions and especially so when faced with challenges.
What Are You Involved in Outside of Work: I love watching and proudly supporting my kids compete in track and field, baseball, and dance. I also volunteer in my local community and participate in UCLA alumni sponsored events. Lastly, I enjoy taking long walks daily with my dog, Bear (a.k.a. Care Bear).
Roxane Clark
KAR Start Date: 1998
Education: Pasadena City College
El Camino Real High School
Prior Work Experience:
Operation Senior Specialist – Kayne Anderson Rudnick
Clerk Assistance – (temp at a bank in Century City)
Assistant Vice President – Bank of America
Operations Clearing Clerk – Pacific Stock Exchange
Bank Teller – Security Pacific National Bank
What Do You Enjoy Most About Your Job:
The daily challenges and my co-workers. Everyday we are met with new challenges and work together on finding solutions.
What Do You Enjoy Most About Working at KAR:
The people and the work environment.
What Are You Involved in Outside of Work:
I assist in raising my grandson, and spending quality time with my family. Prior to the pandemic I enjoyed going to the movies, concerts, spending time with my sisters, shopping and music.
Steven Lin
Industry Experience Start Date: 2006
KAR Start Date: 2021
Education: B.S International Business, California Polytechnic University of Pomona
Prior Work Experience:
Manager – PIMCO
Gary Reyes
Jason Wong
Industry Start Date: 2004
Education: B.A., Business Administration, University of California, Riverside
Prior Work Experience:
Senior Portfolio Client Service Associate, Nuveen Investments
Portfolio Manager Associate, NWQ Investment Management Company
Senior Portfolio Accounting Specialist, Nuveen Investments
Senior Fund Administrator, Western Asset Management Company
David Hudson
Industry Experience Start Date: 2017
KAR Start Date: 2022
Education: B.A., International Business, Spanish minor, University of North Carolina Charlotte
Prior Work Experience:
Capital Markets Middle Office Analyst – Wells Fargo
Index Analyst – London Stock Exchange
What Do You Enjoy Most About Your Job:
I enjoy working with my team.
What Do You Enjoy Most About Working at KAR:
I enjoy being surrounded by people with vast knowledge of the market.
What Are You Involved in Outside of Work:
Outside of work, I enjoy surfing, Jiu-Jitsu, and exploring new places.
Michael Shoemaker
Industry Experience Start Date: 2004
KAR Start Date: 2019
Education:
J.D., Chicago-Kent College of Law, Illinois Institute of Technology
MBA, Finance and International Business, DePaul University
B.S. Business Administration, major in Accounting, The University of Arizona
Prior Work Experience:
Chief Compliance Officer – Driehaus Capital Management
Compliance Officer – PIMCO
Senior Compliance Analyst – Driehaus Capital Management
What Do You Enjoy Most About Your Job:
I really enjoy being actively engaged with the various business functions and initiatives across the organization in order to help the business succeed in delivering results for its clients in a compliant manner. Being able to be a resource for others while at the same time learning from others is what drew me to compliance initially and what has kept me here throughout his career.
What Do You Enjoy Most About Working at KAR:
The people and culture are what I enjoys most about working at KAR. It is truly a dedicated bunch of professionals who care about each other and who work well together to accomplish our shared goals and initiatives.
What Are You Involved in Outside of Work:
Since escaping Chicago after 15 endless winters to return to California in 2019, I have taken up year-round cycling to maximize enjoyment of the best year-round weather that Southern California has to offer.
Thomas Licari, CFA
Industry Experience Start Date: 2003
KAR Start Date: 2021
Education:B.S., Business Administration, University of California, Riverside
Prior Work Experience:
Compliance Manager – Hotchkis & Wiley
Investment Compliance Consultant – Franklin Templeton
Senior Associate – Risk Management Consulting and Fund of Funds, Hedge Fund Firm
Portfolio Compliance Analyst – PIMCO
Tracie Sun
Industry Experience Start Date: 2006
KAR Start Date: 2023
Education: B.A. Political Science, UCLA
Prior Work Experience:
Compliance – DoubleLine Capital
Compliance Officer, Regulatory Affairs – Western Asset Management Company
Compliance, Senior Associate – Wilshire Associates
What Do You Enjoy Most About Your Job:
There is never a dull moment in compliance as new regulations and products continue to evolve. More importantly, I enjoy collaborating with all the different teams at KAR.
What Do You Enjoy Most About Working at KAR:
Definitely the culture and people… the lunches are fantastic too.
What Are You Involved in Outside of Work:
When I’m not shuttling my daughter to her sports tournaments, I can be found hiking, cooking or catching up with friends.
Nicolette Hayden
Industry Experience Start Date: 2011
KAR Start Date: 2019
Education: B.A., English, UC Santa Barbara
Prior Work Experience:
Compliance Officer – Guggenheim Partners
What Do You Enjoy Most About Your Job:
Being part of a great team.
What Do You Enjoy Most About Working at KAR:
Working with great people!
What Are You Involved in Outside of Work:
Nicolette enjoys spending time with her family.
Adam Stutz
Industry Experience Start Date: 2006
KAR Start Date: 2020
Education: B.A., Communication Studies, Sonoma State University
Prior Work Experience:
Compliance Consultant – Core Compliance & Legal Services., Inc.
Compliance Registration/Code of Ethics Analyst – Brandes Investment Partners, L.P.
What Do You Enjoy Most About Your Job:
The opportunity to learn more about how the SEC’s regulatory framework impacts our business and how best to problem solve for this rules and regulations in order to protect the firm and our clients.
What Do You Enjoy Most About Working at KAR:
What I enjoy most about working at KAR are the people. Ever since I started at KAR everyone has been so kind and generous with their time and knowledge. I’m especially grateful for my team and for the opportunity to continue to grow alongside them.
What Are You Involved in Outside of Work:
When I’m not at work, I’m editing an on-line poetry and art journal and trying to get out to attend as many poetry and book events as I can on the weekends.
Karl Tan, CFA, FRM
Industry Experience Start Date: 2006
KAR Start Date: 2020
Education: B.A. Economics and Political Science, University of Michigan
Prior Work Experience:
Head of Portfolio Analytics / ESG – Altrinsic Global Advisors, LLC
Quantitative Analyst – Artio Global Investors
Portfolio Analytics Specialist / Consultant – FactSet Research Systems
What Do You Enjoy Most About Your Job:
We get to come up with solutions to new and challenging questions all the time, and it is extremely rewarding to see how we are able to make things easier for others. This job also provides the opportunity to continually learn and grow, which makes each day that much more interesting and fulfilling.
What Do You Enjoy Most About Working at KAR:
The people make all the difference here. It is extremely easy to work in such a collegial environment with others who share common values and goals. We frequently have engaging discussions where everyone’s opinions are cherished and sought after, which makes it a truly collaborative culture.
What Are You Involved in Outside of Work:
Karl loves spending time with family and cherishing the special moments with his little one. Trying to keep up with him definitely keeps Karl on his toes! Outside of that, he also enjoys cooking and traveling.
Learn more.
Vincent Tran, CIPM
Industry Experience Start Date: 1999
KAR Start Date: 2018
Education: MBA, New York Institute of Technology
B.A., Finance, Baylor University
Prior Work Experience:
Assistant Vice President, GIPS Compliance and Performance – Oaktree Capital Management, L.P.
Manager, Portfolio Accounting and Performance – Macquarie Allegiance Capital, LLC
Specialist, Portfolio Accounting – PIMCO
What Do You Enjoy Most About Your Job:
I enjoy the analytical aspect of my job.
What Do You Enjoy Most About Working at KAR:
I enjoy the friendly atmosphere and the flexibility.
What Are You Involved in Outside of Work:
I bike at Huntington Beach after work as often as I can.
Sean Grigorian
Industry Experience Start Date: 2002
KAR Start Date: 2007
Education: B.A., Psychology, Azad University in Tehran
Prior Work Experience: Network Administrator – Metrocities Mortgage
Mohnish Chand
Suyash Sathaye
Learn more.
Aung OO
Industry Experience Start Date: 2008
KAR Start Date: 2017
Education: B.S., Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Middle East Technical University, Ankara Turkey
B.S., Computer Science, University Of Computer Science Yangon, Myanmar
Prior Work Experience:
BI Developer – Score Big, United States
BI Developer – NetLink Trust, Singapore
Data Analyst – SingTel, Singapore
Substation Automation Engineer – UAE
What Do You Enjoy Most About Your Job:
I like logical thinking and programming since my high school. As an application system specialist I have the chance to put my interest to my work with passion.
What Do You Enjoy Most About Working at KAR:
The stability of my job and friendly environment at KAR make me happy. I also like working remotely on some days as it save energy and give strength to work with more productivity.
What Are You Involved in Outside of Work:
After the work I spend most of my time with my two kids, playing with them, guiding their school works. Working out, swimming and singing are my favorite things to do, but I rarely have time for it.
Brad Schoonmaker
Industry Experience Start Date: 1999
KAR Start Date: 2011
Education:
Certificate in Systems Analysis UCLA Extension
Certificate in Linux Administration UCLA Extension
Cisco Network Academy, Alameda College
Prior Work Experience:
Lead Associate – UBS Investment Bank
Technical Support Specialist – Perot Systems
Systems Administrator – VerticalNet
What Do You Enjoy Most About Your Job:
I enjoy playing my role in helping KAR run its IT infrastructure successfully on a daily basis. I particularly enjoy being a part of IT projects to implement better technologies.
What Do You Enjoy Most About Working at KAR:
I enjoy all of the wonderful coworkers that I’ve had the pleasure to become friendly with over the years.
What Are You Involved in Outside of Work:
I’m part of a loose knit hiking group of friends called “Still Peakin’ “. In 2019 we completed the Southern California Six-Pack of Peaks challenge.
Michael Walther
Industry Experience Start Date: 1994
KAR Start Date: 2019
Prior Work Experience:
IT Manager – Hi-Shear Technology Corp/Chemring Energetic Devices
IT Infrastructure Specialist – Hi-Shear Technology Corp
IT Consultant
What Do You Enjoy Most About Your Job:
I enjoy working with people and helping them use the tools available to do their jobs.
What Do You Enjoy Most About Working at KAR:
The people at KAR are great to work with. Everyone is very knowledgeable in their fields, and management really cares about their employees.
What Are You Involved in Outside of Work:
I enjoy physical activities and am an avid alpine skier. I also participate in 5ks for charity about once a month.
Matthew Griego, CFA
Industry Experience Start Date: 2006
KAR Start Date: 2014
Education: B.A., Economics and Politics, Brandeis University
Prior Work Experience:
Assistant Vice President – Overlay Portfolio Management, LPL Financial
Senior Overlay Analyst – LPL Financial
What Do You Enjoy Most About Your Job:
I enjoy collaborating with people and teams across the organization. And spreadsheets.
What Are You Involved in Outside of Work:
I enjoy spending time with family and friends, exploring Los Angeles, and hiking.
Christiana Imafidon
Industry Experience Start Date: 2017
KAR Start Date: 2022
Education: MBA, Finance, California State University, Northridge
GCBA, Business Administration, California State University, Northridge
B.A. Hons, Modern Languages, Ambrose Alli University, Nigeria
Prior Work Experience:
PMO Lead – Canyon Partners, Los Angeles
Graduate Assistant – California State University Northridge, Los Angeles
Business Development Manager – Ropeways Transport, Nigeria
Project Implementation Manager – Alpine Invests, Nigeria
Strategic Planning Manager – Virgin Group Nigeria & UK
What Do You Enjoy Most About Your Job:
I enjoy collaborating and interacting with various teams.
What Do You Enjoy Most About Working at KAR:
The diversity and respectful nature of the people.
What Are You Involved in Outside of Work:
I support orphans and children in need of education in Africa.
Noel Phenicie, CPA
Industry Experience Start Date: 1996
KAR Start Date: 2008
Education: B.A., Business Economics (Accounting Emphasis), University of California, Santa Barbara
Prior Work Experience:
First Vice President, Controller – Countrywide Home Loans Global Markets Division
Accounting Manager – Roxbury Capital Management
Jorge Franco
Glenn Santos
Industry Experience Start Date: 2000
KAR Start Date: 2021
Education: B.S. in Accounting, Hunter College City University of New York
Prior Work Experience:
Lead Senior Accountant – Western Asset Management LLC
Senior Accountant Analyst – Goldman Sachs & Co
Manager – Mutual of America
Senior Fund Accountant – Morgan Stanley Dean Witter
What Do You Enjoy Most About Your Job:
I enjoy the people I work with. It’s a friendly and fun atmosphere, and I actually enjoy going to work each morning even with the new working schedule. I feel that the leadership team is great.
What Do You Enjoy Most About Working at KAR:
The people, The best part of my job is working with leaders, their open door policy is really something to be treasured. I love how the company feels like a family, everyone is always willing and take time to help. Go KAR!.
What Are You Involved in Outside of Work:
I volunteer at our local church in the Children’s Ministry Department.
Marie Roman
KAR Start Date: 2011
What Do You Enjoy Most About Your Job:
What I enjoy most about my job is that each workday is different for me. One day I may be helping an employee with changes to their benefits and the next day I am working with a manager to fill a new role within their department. My position allows me the ability to do my part in ensuring KAR’s continued success.
What Do You Enjoy Most About Working at KAR:
What I enjoy most about working at KAR is the People. KAR is lead by a very strong and caring Executive team. They encourage our team to maintain a balance between priorities in work and life in general and lead by example.
KAR employs great people who work well together because we believe in what we do! Our employees have a team first mentality and we understand the importance of treating each other with respect. We are professionals who conduct ourselves with the highest ethical standards and the importance of Doing the Right Thing is evident in our daily interactions.
Dion Brewster
Industry Experience Start Date: 2022
KAR Start Date: 2022
Education: Associate Degree, Business Administration, Santa Monica College
Prior Work Experience:
Ricoh
Fedex
Pitney Bowes
What Do You Enjoy Most About Your Job:
I enjoy the great atmosphere, the food, the massage chair and gym.
What Do You Enjoy Most About Working at KAR:
The firm has great benefits and diversity within the company and in management.
What Are You Involved in Outside of Work:
I have two daughters, with one in college at Texas Southern University, so I have a complete full life working at KAR and being a full-time dad at home.
Abigail A Arefaine
Industry Experience Start Date: 2023
KAR Start Date: 2023
Education:
MS, Management- Organizational Development & Design, Purdue University
BS, Business Administration- Concentration: Marketing, San Francisco State University
Prior Work Experience:
Administrative Operations Manager/Executive Assistant- RGA LLP
Executive Assistant/Office Manager- Financial Planning & Tax Office
What Do You Enjoy Most About Your Job:
I really enjoy making a difference, even in the little things, when it comes to servicing the office. I love to see everyone happy and enjoying themselves. I believe a part of my purpose is to service others and I get to do that at work everyday!
What Do You Enjoy Most About Working at KAR:
I really enjoy the culture here, that is what sets KAR apart from the rest!
What Are You Involved in Outside of Work:
I am a foodie, I love to try new restaurants in any city or country I visit. I am also all about self-care, wellness, and fitness. So I try to incorporate a balance and coordinate events within my friend group and community that focuses on these things!
Stephanie Gillman
Industry Experience Start Date: 1993
KAR Start Date: 1999
Education: B.A., Business Economics, University of California, Santa Barbara
Prior Work Experience:
Senior Communications Specialist – Capital Guardian Trust Company
Marketing Associate – Mercer Global Advisors
What Do You Enjoy Most About Your Job:
What I enjoy most about my job is that each day presents a new opportunity to learn and to grow. On a daily basis, we deal with a wide range of projects and tasks for our clients and prospects and it is very rewarding to come up with solutions that meet all of the required objectives. I am fortunate to be able to offer up creative solutions within my position and that always makes the problem solving more fun.
What Do You Enjoy Most About Working at KAR:
As like most people at KAR, what I enjoy most about working here is the culture and the people. It is such a collegial environment and that really makes it easy to come to work every day. The culture is also very oriented toward balance in our work and personal lives and that is so appreciated as we all try to effectively manage all aspects of our lives.
What Are You Involved in Outside of Work:
Outside of work I love to spend time with my two children. They are very active in sports and extracurricular activities and I like to be able to participate and be there for all of their events. Outside of that, I also love to travel and spend time exploring new cities and cultures.
Patricia Go
Industry Experience Start Date: 2009
KAR Start Date: 2021
Education: B.A., Economics, Global Studies Minor,
University of California, Los Angeles
Prior Work Experience:
Associate Director & Principal – Los Angeles Capital Management
Business Development Associate – Palisades Investment Partners
What Do You Enjoy Most About Your Job:
I enjoy the ability to mix the creative and analytical sides of my brain every day.
What Do You Enjoy Most About Working at KAR:
I’m lucky to work with incredible colleagues in an environment where idea generation is encouraged and supported. I think we’re a great group of professionals with skillsets that complement each other to help the firm and our clients reach their goals.
What Are You Involved in Outside of Work:
I’m always on the lookout for new restaurants to try and I like staying active outdoors.
Stella Tan
Industry Experience Start Date: 2001
KAR Start Date: 2018
Education: B.A., Business Economics, University of California, Los Angeles
Prior Work Experience: Vice President, Marketing Materials Manager – Nuveen Investments
Performance Analyst – Nuveen Investments
Performance Analyst – Western Asset Management
What Do You Enjoy Most About Your Job:
I love the challenge and ability to use both sides of my brain. On any given day, I can go from working on tables, charts and data spreadsheets to creating unique layouts and designs for a new project or piece of marketing collateral.
What Do You Enjoy Most About Working at KAR:
The people and the firm culture. Management is very intentional in sourcing individuals with like-minded talents and attitudes which I believe has created a truly distinctive environment of partnership and collaboration.
What Are You Involved in Outside of Work:
I am blessed to be a mother to a charismatic little boy, so basically whatever he wants to do is what I am involved in. I am proud to admit that I know more about trucks than I ever thought I would.
Claire Alve
KAR Start Date: 2021
Vart Kiourktzian
Soraya Amir
Richard Wiener
Industry Experience Start Date: 1992
KAR Start Date: 2012
Education: MBA, University of Michigan
B.S., Business Administration and Accounting, California State University, Northridge
Prior Work Experience:
Senior Vice President – Trust Company of the West
Senior – Ernst & Young
What Do You Enjoy Most About Working at KAR:
My fellow employees! It’s nice working collaboratively with such talented people.
What Are You Involved in Outside of Work:
I am avid baseball and basketball fan. I enjoy spending time with family and friends and binge watching shows.
Nasra Ismail
Adam Grazer
Industry Experience Start Date: 2011
KAR Start Date: 2022
Education: B.S., Political Science, Arizona State University
Prior Work Experience:
Associate, Securities Valuations – Nuveen
Marketing Services Specialist – Nuveen
Senior Analyst – Goldman Sachs
What Do You Enjoy Most About Your Job:
Adam’s favorite part of his job is that he gets to work with various individuals and departments from all across the firm.
What Do You Enjoy Most About Working at KAR:
The thing he enjoys most about working at KAR is the collaborative environment.
What Are You Involved in Outside of Work:
In his spare time Adam enjoys spending time with his wife and two dogs as well as staying up to date on his favorite TV shows.