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Michael is a Principal and co-founder of PEI and consults clients nationwide. Prior to co-founding PEI, Michael worked at PaineWebber in New York and Princeton, New Jersey. At PaineWebber, Michael worked as both an Investment Executive and as a Retirement Plan Analyst. As a Retirement Plan Analyst, Michael was responsible for establishing new plans and monitoring existing plans for ERISA regulation compliance. Michael has worked extensively with trustees in the area of portfolio management and fiduciary compliance. His ongoing responsibilities with existing clients include reviewing client's investment policies and strategies, analyzing portfolios with respect to rates of return and risk, asset liability matching, and asset allocation studies. Michael received his BS in Business Administration from Montclair State University and has passed the Series 7 & 63 (Registered Representative) exams. Michael has 19 years of professional experience. He has written articles and spoken at national seminars on topics relating to investment portfolio performance and fiduciary compliance.
Rich is a Principal and co-founder of PEI. He has over 20 years of experience involving all aspects of defined benefit and defined contribution investment advisory. He works extensively with institutional clients nationwide in the areas of asset allocation modeling, investment policy, investment manager evaluations, investment manager searches, vendor searches, and fee analysis studies. He is a member of the firm’s investment committee which oversees investment manager research and due diligence reviews. He has also spoken at several industry conferences on subjects pertaining to fiduciary oversight best practices for plan sponsors. Prior to starting PEI, Rich held various positions at Bankers Trust Company, United States Trust Company of New York, and Merrill Lynch. He received a BA and MBA from Rutgers University and achieved the Certified Investment Management Analyst (CIMA) designation through the Investment Management Consultants Association (IMCA) and the Wharton School of Business.
Attila helped co-found the firm in 1992 after realizing the need that small and mid sized retirement plans had in receiving independent, conflict free advice. Attila brings over 22 years of consulting experience to his clients. As a principal, Attila is exposed to a variety of client types including defined benefit, defined contribution, endowment – foundation and non qualified plans. Attila works with his clients on strategy development and all aspects of evaluation, investment analysis, implementation and review. In addition to working with some of the firms largest clients, Attila also assists in new business development. Attila is a frequent speaker on topics pertaining to investment analysis, fee benchmarking and target date funds. Prior to founding PEI, Attila worked with Merrill Lynch as a manager in the retirement business unit. Attila has a BS in Business Administration from Saint Francis University. He is a member of the firm’s investment committee which oversees investment manager research, the firm’s report development committee and also chairs the firm’s fee analysis committee..
Greg is an investment consultant and consults clients nationwide. He has worked with corporations, not-for-profits, foundations, endowments, unions, and high net worth clients. In addition to his consulting duties, Greg oversees traditional asset class research in domestic equity, foreign equity, global equity, real estate, fixed income, and target date funds. Since joining PEI in 1994, Greg has had extensive experience with performance measurement and attribution, fee analysis, asset allocation studies, investment policy development, investment searches, and vendor searches. He received a BA in Mathematics and Economics from the College of the Holy Cross and MBA from the Graduate School of Management at Rutgers University. He holds the Chartered Financial Analyst designation and is a member of the CFA Institute (CFAI), New York Society of Security Analysts (NYSSA) and Beta Gamma Sigma Business Honor Society. In the past, Greg has taught various Mathematics classes at the County College of Morris and served for two years as a Level II CFA exam grader.
Marcia is Director of Product Research & Risk Management, overseeing alternative asset class research, including hedge fund, private equity, and alpha enhancing strategies. She has also focused on special projects such as investment fund searches, performance evaluations, liability driven investment strategies, and asset allocation studies. Prior to joining PEI, Marcia was a derivatives specialist for The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc., in their New York office. She covered mutual funds, pension funds, corporate treasury departments, and high net worth individuals, helping them to manage investment return and risk in the currency, commodity and interest rate markets. Her responsibilities included structuring hybrid notes and warrants, creating option and swap strategies, and developing risk management tools. Marcia graduated cum laude with a BSE in Chemical Engineering from the University of Pennsylvania, and an MBA with high honors distinction from The Wharton School. She holds the Chartered Financial Analyst designation and had passed the Series 7 & 63 (Registered Representative) exams. She is also a member of the CFA Institute, the New York Society of Security Analysts, and the Beta Gamma Sigma Business Honor Society.
As the Senior Consultant leading PEI in the Atlanta office, Fred brings more than 20 years of Financial Services/Retirement Plan experience with him to PEI. Prior to joining the firm he was most recently Vice President of the Institutional Consulting Group with UBS and member of the Defined Contribution Advisory Board. Previously, Fred has worked in many diverse organizations, namely the mutual fund, insurance, and banking industries, including starting his career with Fidelity Investments. This accumulated experience with many firms and extensive knowledge of qualified and non-qualified retirement plans and compliance issues provides a strong knowledge base to leverage and better serve his Clients. Areas of focus include: consulting, sales and administration/operations of mid-size and large retirement plans and investment management analysis, among others. He has serviced clients with assets ranging from $5-$500 million. In keeping with the PEI philosophy, Fred provides independent/unbiased advice, personalized solutions and the highest commitment to personal customer service. Fred earned a B.S. in industrial psychology/business from Eastern Kentucky University in 1988. He holds Series 6, 7, 63 and 66 securities licenses as well as life, health and variable annuity insurance licenses. In addition, Fred has been awarded the Certified Employee Benefit Specialist (CEBS) professional designation.
Brian is an investment consultant with a primary focus on the west coast region which is served by PEI’s Los Angeles office. He advises larger institutions, ensuring their investment committees that oversee defined contribution, defined benefit, and non-qualified plans fully meet their fiduciary responsibilities, especially in the area of selecting and monitoring plan investments. In addition to these consulting responsibilities, Brian is also responsible for planning and leading many of PEI’s growth and new business development initiatives. Brian has more than twenty years experience developing, marketing, and managing new products within the financial services, Internet, and telecommunications industries. His prior experience includes leadership positions at two multi-national Fortune 100 companies and two privately funded startups. Brian also established his own successful consulting practice, where he developed and implemented new online services and marketing programs for several midsized corporations. Brian is a CFA charterholder, member of the CFA Institute, and member of the New York Society of Securities Analysts. Brian also has an MBA in Marketing from Seton Hall University and a BS in Chemical Engineering from Clarkson University.
David is an investment consultant in the Warren, NJ office. He provides investment consulting services for defined contribution, defined benefit, foundation, and endowment clients. Aside from his investment consulting duties, David has been an integral part of PEI’s research efforts in areas such as target date funds, stable value, and fee analysis. Aside from his investment consulting duties, he is a frequent contributor to the firm’s quarterly newsletter and has co-authored a white paper on target date funds benchmarking. He has also testified before the DOL’s ERISA Advisory Council. Prior to joining the firm in 2006, David worked with ADP Retirement Services and with American Express Financial Advisors. He is a summa cum laude graduate of Gettysburg College and has earned an MBA from Seton Hall University. He is an active member of the American Society of Pension Professionals & Actuaries (ASPPA) and holds the Qualified 401(k) Plan Administrator (QKA) and the Qualified Plan Financial Consultant (QPFC) designations. In addition, he earned the RPA designation with the International Society of Employee Benefits.
Ken is an investment consultant and consults to clients in the NY Metro region. Ken has extensive experience in asset management focusing on retirement planning, portfolio management techniques, and asset allocation. Prior to joining the firm in 2008, Ken worked as a senior investment counselor with T. Rowe Price. Prior to that he worked as a financial consultant for A.G. Edwards, and as a wholesaler and investment specialist for Salomon Brothers Asset Management and Wood Logan Associates. He is a graduate of Pace University’s Lubin School of Business and holds a BBA in Business Management. He has passed examinations for FINRA series 7, 63, 65, 51, and 24 as well as the NJ Health & Life Insurance examinations. He also holds the Accredited Asset Management Specialist (AAMS) designation from the College for Financial Planning.
Jean has over twenty years of experience with employee benefits plans, specializing in defined contribution plans. She has a diverse background that includes benefits consulting as well as corporate benefits administration. Her experience encompasses a wide variety of industries including financial services, retail and manufacturing. As the RFP Practice Leader at Portfolio Evaluations, Inc. (PEI) Jean’s responsibilities include conducting vendor searches for retirement plans, focusing on defined contribution plans. While at PEI, Jean has developed a comprehensive process for evaluating and recommending vendors based on the clients’ specific requirements. Given her extensive industry experience, she has in-depth knowledge about the capabilities and constraints of the full-service providers and TPAs and can therefore effectively guide clients through the selection and conversion process. Prior to joining PEI, Jean was a Senior Consultant for Wallach & Associates, Inc. for nine years. Her client projects included conducting key vendor searches for clients (where she was instrumental in developing the firm’s Request for Proposal – RFP), helping clients successfully complete vendor conversions as well as working on regulatory related projects. Other important roles were to assist clients where they lacked in-house expertise in compliance related issues and to assist clients in understanding and completing Form 5500 government reporting requirements. Also at Wallach & Associates, Inc. Ms. Martone was responsible for new business development. Her duties included expanding new business prospects as well as working within existing relationships to facilitate additional opportunities. Ms. Martone’s prior corporate roles include having served as Vice President and Manager of Qualified Plans at Shearson Lehman Brothers. In this position, Jean was responsible for the plan design and administration of five defined contribution plans as well as managing a staff of fifteen. Earlier, she was employed at Kwasha Lipton and with a small New York boutique benefits firm where she designed and structured a flexible 401(k) recordkeeping system. Jean also has extensive experience dealing with plan merger issues and the IRS correction programs. Ms. Martone holds a B.A. in Economics (with a Concentration in Finance) from Douglass College, Rutgers University.
Michael is a senior investment analyst, focusing on both participant-directed plans as well as trustee-directed plans. He has more than 10 years of Financial Services/Retirement Plan experience. Before joining PEI, he worked with First Investors Corporation, first as a Retirement Consultant, where he trained and supported over 800 investment consultants on retirement plan design and legislative updates, then as a Project Manager in their Executive Sales Department. Prior to that, he worked as a Retirement Specialist with Merrill Lynch in their defined contribution area. In addition, Mike has passed his NASD Series 7 and 66 exams and has earned his BS in Marketing from the State University of New York and MBA in Finance from St. John’s University.
Jennifer is a senior investment analyst, primarily focusing on trustee directed plans. In addition to conducting ongoing performance evaluations for these types of clients, she also provides assistance with plan restructurings and related trading issues. Jennifer is currently responsible for researching real estate, hybrid and passive equity strategies for the firm. Prior to joining PEI, Jennifer worked for Prudential Investments’ institutional asset management group, supporting marketing efforts for a number of managed equity vehicles and providing ongoing servicing to existing pension clients. She earned a BS in Finance and an MBA from Rutgers University.
Christine is a senior investment analyst, primarily focusing on trustee directed plans. Experienced in investment policy design and development, investment performance monitoring and evaluation and investment manager selection, Christine offers clients in-depth analysis and advice in their investment decisions and implementations. Prior to joining Portfolio Evaluations, Christine worked in a similar capacity for Curcio Webb, LLC where she was a consultant on investment and full provider searches. Before going to Curcio Webb, Christine was a consultant and an investment manager for the Vanguard Group. She graduated with a BA from Colgate University and is a level III candidate for the Chartered Financial Analyst designation.
Danny is a senior investment analyst, primarily focusing on participant directed plans. Danny joined PEI in 2008. Prior to joining PEI, Danny was an analyst at RegentAtlantic Capital. He is a graduate of the University of Vermont with a BS in Business Administration with a concentration in Management Information Systems.
Ed is a senior investment analyst, primarily focusing on trustee directed plans. Previously, Ed was an equity trader specializing in trading Nasdaq listed securities. Ed also worked as a Financial Analyst at Salomon Brothers where he analyzed mortgage backed securities. Ed is a graduate of Cornell University College of Engineering with a Bachelor of Engineering in Computer Science.
Christina is a senior investment analyst, primarily focusing on trustee directed plans. Prior to joining the firm Christina worked in the Treasury Department and Portfolio Management of Erste Bank der oesterreichischen Sparkassen AG Austria and with TD Bank. She has earned a MS in Business Administration with a specialization in Finance from the University of Economics, Vienna and is a CFA level 3 Candidate.
Julie is a senior investment analyst, primarily focusing on participant directed plans. Prior to joining the firm in 2006, Julie worked as a junior equity analyst and research assistant with MSW Asset Management. She is a summa cum laude graduate of Drew University with a BA in Economics and Spanish. She is a member of Phi Beta Kappa, as well as the International Economics Honor Society, Omicron Delta Epsilon, and the National Collegiate Hispanic Honor Society, Sigma Delta Pi.
Saleem is a senior investment analyst focusing on both trustee directed and participant directed plans. Saleem has over 10 years of industry experience, most recently as an investment consultant with T. Rowe Price Investor Services. Saleem is a graduate of Texas A&M University. He holds the Chartered Financial Analyst designation and is a member of the CFA Institute (CFAI) and New York Society of Security Analysts (NYSSA).
Scott is a senior investment analyst, primarily focusing on participant directed plans. Prior to joining the firm in 2008, he worked for Scottrade as a Senior Stockbroker and for American Express Financial Advisors as a Financial Advisor. Scott earned a BS in Finance from The College of New Jersey and an MBA from Rutgers University, where he received the Business School Finance Advisory Board Award in honor of outstanding academic achievement. He is also a level II candidate for the Chartered Financial Analyst designation.
Kate began her investment career in 2000 as Assistant Portfolio Manager of the $3 billion fixed income portfolio of New Jersey Manufacturers Insurance Company. Subsequently she joined 1838 Investment Advisors, LLC, where she assisted in the portfolio management and security selection of the 1838 International Fund as well as large cap domestic equities. Additionally, she was responsible for the selection of fixed income securities for high net worth clients. Kate then served as equity research analyst for Dumont and Blake Investment Advisors in Princeton, New Jersey. Kate was then Vice President of Investment Research with Pennsylvania Trust Company for 3.5 years, prior to joining PEI in January of 2009. She received her BA from the University of Pennsylvania and her MBA in finance from Drexel University. She is a member of the CFA Institute as well as the New York Society of Security Analysts. Kate has completed Level 1 of the CFA program.
Ann is an investment analyst, primarily focusing on participant directed plans and has been with the firm since 2001. Aside from her financial analyst duties, Ann has managerial responsibilities of the junior analyst group. Over her years at the firm, Ann has had experience working on vendor searches as well as fee analysis studies. Ann is a graduate of Bloomsburg University with a BA in Anthropology.
Marc is an investment analyst, primarily focusing on participant directed plans. Aside from his analyst duties, Marc has assisted senior investment analysts with their investment commentary and has provided innovative solutions and suggestions for the firm. Prior to joining the firm Marc has worked from 2003-2007 as a tax analyst for Wyndham Worldwide Corporation a spin-off of Cendant Corporation. He is a Delta Mu Delta honor society graduate of Ramapo College of New Jersey with a BS double major in Business Administration (concentration finance) and Economics. He is a CFA level I candidate.
Josh is an investment analyst, primarily focusing on trustee directed plans. Prior to joining the firm, Josh was a financial analyst for Granary Associates. Josh is a graduate of Syracuse University with a BS in Business Management from the Martin J. Whitman School of Management.
Mike is an investment analyst, primarily focusing on trustee directed plans. Prior to joining the firm, Mike worked with Langdon Ford Financial as a financial advisor in 2007. He had passed his Series 7 (Registered Representative) and NJ Health & Life Insurance exams. Mike is a graduate of Susquehanna University with a BS in Business Administration and an emphasis in Finance from the Sigmund Weis School of Business.
Dan is an investment analyst, primarily focusing on participant directed plans. Prior to joining the firm, Dan worked as a Registered Financial Services Representative for First Investors Corporation, and previously as a Financial Consultant Intern for A.G. Edwards and Sons. He is a graduate of Ursinus College with a BA in Business and Economics. He had previously passed his Series 6, 63 (Registered Representative), and NJ Life Insurance exams.
Ashley is an investment analyst, primarily focusing on the investment research. Ashley is also responsible for quarterly investment performance reports and is an important member of the investment research team at PEI. Prior to joining PEI in 2008, Ashley closely worked with an Ameriprise Financial Advisor from 2007 to 2008. She attended Rutgers University, graduating cum laude from Rutgers College with a BA in Economics and Biological Sciences. She is also a member of Phi Beta Kappa (Honor Society) and Phi Sigma Iota (Foreign Language Honor Society).
Brad is an investment analyst and a member of the firm’s research team. His responsibilities include conducting mutual fund manager analysis, evaluating alternative investments such as hedge funds and hedge fund of funds, and contributing to the firm’s economic research. He earned a BA in Economics and English and graduated with high honors from Lehigh University.
Michael joined PEI in 2009 as an investment analyst. However, he maintains a hybrid role with a concentration on PEI’s client acquisition and marketing efforts. Prior to joining the firm in 2009, Michael worked with Enterprise Rent-a-Car as a branch manager, and previously as Promotion and Event Coordinator for Sprint/Nextel. Michael is a graduate of Southern New Hampshire University with a BS in Marketing.
John implements aspects of PEI’s client acquisition initiatives. He provides a mellifluous interface to the firm’s consulting staff. William M. Mercer, Pricewaterhouse Coopers, Morgan Stanley, Merrill Lynch, comprise John’s formative years in business over the past decade. He graduated Alpha Sigma Lambda at Rutgers’ University College. John is studying for an MS degree in Information Systems at University of Maryland.
Fana is the Financial Controller overseeing accounting functions, as well as implementation and monitoring of internal accounting controls. She reports directly to the firms three Principals. Fana has transitioned the firms accounting practices to an internal software package, implementing procedures for handling daily, weekly, monthly and yearly controls and processes. Prior to joining the firm, Fana worked as a financial controller for a mid-sized local general contractor for a period of 18 years. She attended the University of Connecticut, earning a BS from the School of Business Administration in Health Systems Engineering with a minor in Accounting.
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