Private Funds Forum
Attendee Booklet
Private Funds Forum – 2024
Atlantis Bahamas, September 17-19th
Tuesday, September 17 Arrival & Welcome Reception
WHEN - 6:00 PM
WHERE – Dragon's Patio
Wednesday, September 18 Day 1 Business Meeting
WHEN - 9:30 AM – 3:00 PM
WHERE – Poseidon I & II
Thursday, September 19 Day 2 Business Meeting
WHEN - 9:30 AM – 3:00 PM
WHERE – Poseidon I & II
Group Dinner
WHEN - 6:30 PM
WHERE – Royal Deck at Atlantis Group Dinner
WHEN – 7:30 PM
WHERE – Carmine's
AGENDA SPONSORS ATTENDEES
Organized by
AGENDA SPONSORS ATTENDEES
Thank You To Our Sponsors
Silver
Attendees
Curtis Allemang
Managing Director, Clear Street
https://www.linkedin.com/in/curtis-allemang-973a5513/
callegman@clearstreet.io
Curtis Allemang is a Managing Director on the Clear Street Equity Finance sales team.I am responsible for developing new business as well as cultivating existing client relationships. In this role, I engage with emerging and institutional investment managers taking a consultative approach to address the unique requirements of each firm.I have experience delivering strategic solutions to hedge funds, family offices, asset managers, pensions, endowments, and multinational corporations. Engagements with these varied organizations include sales presentations, deal negotiations, and implementations. I am proficient in communicating institutional product offerings, executing on new business origination, and managing strategic relationships.B.A. in finance from Michigan State University as well as Series 24, 7 and 63 licenses.
Ian Asvakovith
President & CEO, Piedmont Fund Services Inc.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ian-asvakovith-19aa6b1/ ian@pfsglobal.com
An entrepreneur with proven track record. Solid expertise in alternative investments arena.
Former Big 4 professional with over 15 years of industry experience. A community leader who is dedicated to philanthropic causes and charitable giving. A little league soccer coach, a loving husband, and a proud father of three incredibly awesome children.
Piedmont Fund Services is an award-winning fund administrator with offices in Washington DC, New York and Malaysia, dedicated exclusively to hedge funds, private equity, and fund of funds. With several years of combined experience in the alternative investment industry from Big 4 Accounting Firms to leading hedge fund institutions, our professional team can offer a full range of solutions to help you navigate through the increasingly challenging business environment. We work with a wide range of investors including family offices, foundations, endowments, and government pension funds. For more information, please visit www.pfsglobal.com
Benjamin Beer
Audit Partner, CohnReznick
Benjamin.beer@CohnReznick.com
As an assurance partner in CohnReznick’s Financial Services and Commercial Real Estate practices, Benjamin Beer specializes in alternative investment funds with investment strategies in real estate, private credit/debt, private equity, venture capital, and hedge funds.
Nicole Belmont
Managing Director, Head of Research, Far Hills Group
www.linkedin.com/in/nicole-belmont-caia-55716713
nbelmont@farhills.com
Nicole Belmont joined the Far Hills Group in 2001. Her current responsibilities include leading the firm’s efforts in sourcing new managers including analyzing and vetting new managers and strategies, conducting due diligence, and overseeing the onboarding process. In her role as the firm’s gatekeeper, Nicole routinely meets with hedge fund and private equity managers with a focus on analyzing their ability to raise institutional assets. Additionally, Nicole oversees the firm's research efforts with a focus on creating differentiated and value-added manager communications.
Prior to joining Far Hills Group, Nicole was employed by ING Furman Selz Asset Management (IFSAM) where she was responsible for research and market analysis that supported their alternative investment platform, ING Alternative Asset Management. In that role, she was responsible for developing and creating marketing materials focused on manager differentiation, quantitative analysis, client reporting, and interacting with both the consultant and hedge fund database communities. Prior to joining IFSAM in February 2000, Nicole was employed by Mainstay Mutual Funds as a Marketing Associate where she was responsible for developing programs to enhance sales productivity within the broker/dealer distribution channel.
AGENDA SPONSORS ATTENDEES
Gary Berger
Audit Partner, CohnReznick
www.linkedin.com/in/gary-berger-a561145
Gary.Berger@CohnReznick.com
Office: 646-625-5733 | Mobile: 201-247-1776
Gary Berger is an audit partner at CohnReznick LLP and serves as the Northeast Financial Services Industry Leader. Based in the Firm’s New York office, he is extensively involved in the Firm’s Financial Services practice and has more than 30 years of experience serving domestic and offshore hedge funds, private equity funds, venture capital funds, and fund of funds.
Gary provides advice on fund start up issues including organizational structure, economic and tax issues, seeding arrangements, and general business consultation. He serves as a relationship manager on numerous clients and is responsible for coordinating, managing and performing audit services of funds.
Gary is a frequent speaker at financial services conferences and seminars. He has presented on numerous industry topics including, how to launch a hedge fund, valuation and fair value of investment portfolios, organizational and tax issues associated with investment partnerships, opportunity zones, and accounting and technical issues for investment partnerships.
Joshua Blumenthal
Audit Partner, CohnReznick
www.linkedin.com/in/joshua-blumenthal-86b1125/
Joshua.l.blumenthal@cohnreznick.co
Joshua Blumenthal is an audit partner of CohnReznick’s Financial Sponsors & Financial Services Industry Group. He has more than 20 years of experience providing audit and other attestation services to the alternative investment industry, including hedge funds, private equity funds, venture capital funds, and fund of funds.
Josh is responsible for coordinating, managing and performing audit services for alternative investment vehicles. He provides guidance on fund structuring, fee allocations, seeding arrangements, best practices as well as reviewing and commenting on fund offering and governing documents.
Joshua started his accounting career at Rothstein Kass in October 1998 and worked his way up through the ranks to become partner in July 2006. He joined CohnReznick in May 2019 from KPMG LLP where he was an audit partner since July 2014, when Rothstein Kass was acquired by KPMG. Josh regularly speaks at industry events and contributes to industry thought leadership articles and publications.
m Phone: 646-448-5411 | Mobile: 201-341-4124 AGENDA SPONSORS ATTENDEES
Frank Bukowski
Managing Director, Business Development; Formidium
https://www.linkedin.com/in/frankbukowski/
frank.bukowski@formidium.com
Finance Professional with extensive global banking and risk management experience. A high-performing professional who leverages exceptional product knowledge and financial acumen for my employer to provide best practices in credit, employee benefits, investments, international and domestic treasury management and risk management needs. Ongoing responsibilities include overseeing and managing global treasury, cash flow modeling, financial planning and analysis, capital structure advisory, budgeting and forecasting.
Joe Cassano
Partner & Leader, Withum’s Financial Services Group
www.linkedin.com/in/joseph-cassano-cpa-b275116
jcassano@withum.com
646-604-4194
Joe Cassano is a partner and leader of Withum’s Financial Services Group based out of the Firm’s New York office. With over 14 years of experience, Joe provides accounting, tax and consulting services to clients in the alternative investments sector. He is currently a business advisor to various alternative investments, including hedge funds, fund-of-funds, and private equity funds.
Joe’s experience with alternative investment (including hedge fund of funds) includes funds with assets under management ranging from $1 million to $5 billion and consists of a wide range of financial products including common stock, derivatives and various debt instruments.
Jason Chertin
Co-Chair, Investment Funds & Asset Management, McMillan LLP
www.linkedin.com/in/jason-chertin-1748673
1
jason.chertin@mcmillan.ca
Jason Chertin is the Co-Chair, Investment Funds and Asset Management at McMillan LLP. A significant part of Jason's practice encompasses working with investment fund managers, portfolio advisors and dealers in establishing, marketing and maintaining investment products, including privately offered domestic and offshore funds, publicly offered mutual funds and other exchange-traded funds. Jason also provides ongoing advice to Canadian and non-resident managers with respect to registration and compliance obligations, and assists clients with regulatory reviews and audits.
Dave Cielusniak
CEO, Allegiant Global Solutions, LLC
https://www.linkedin.com/in/dave-cielusniak-a3058b5/
dave@allegiant-global.com AGENDA SPONSORS ATTENDEES
Dave is a Founding Partner and Chief Executive Officer of Allegiant Global Solutions, LLC. Dave is responsible for the development and implementation of firm initiatives and for designing clientfocused services. Dave was formerly the Chief Operating Officer and Chief Compliance Officer of TimesSquare Capital Management, LLC, where he lead the back office and operations team supporting the investment team and process. Prior to TimesSquare, Dave was the Deputy Chief Operating Officer for Credit Suisse Asset Management, Americas. He was also one of the founding partners at MoffettNathanson, an independent equity research boutique, and served as their Chief Operating Officer, General Counsel, and Chief Compliance Officer. Additionally, he served in a similar capacity at Conquest Capital Group as an investment manager/commodity trading advisor. Dave began his career as a Corporate/M&A associate for the law firm Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft. He has his B.S. in Business Administration from Georgetown University with a concentration in Finance and a minor in Economics. He also holds a J.D. from the Fordham University School of Law and is admitted to the New York State Bar.
John Clancy
PB Sales. Mirae Asset Securities (USA) Inc.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-clancy-88162360/
john.clancy@miraeasset.us.com
Fintech Business Development I Equity Finance Trading |Prime Brokerage Sales | Securities
Lending | Hedge Fund Servicing
Business Development I Client Service | Business Analysis | Team Leadership & Development | Cross-Functional | Collaboration
Entrepreneurial, client-focused professional with diverse experience across Fintech, Prime Brokerage , Equity Finance Trading, and Hedge Fund servicing. Articulate communicator continually focused on fostering positive client experiences through professional communications, responsive service, and impactful strategy development.
AGENDA SPONSORS ATTENDEES
Camille Clemons
Market Leader, Alternative Investments
https://www.linkedin.com/in/camilleclemons/
cclemons@cohencpa.com
Camille brings her expertise as a 20-plus year veteran of the investment industry, focusing on strategic growth for the firm’s nationally recognized team. She’s worked in many facets of the funds space in financial services, where she has experience across the spectrum of regulated and private funds, including private equity. With a history in operations as well as leading investment industry business development initiatives, Camille has spent the last two decades developing a strong network and deep understanding of this complex area. In addition to leading the growth and development of the firm’s Alternative Funds Group, she plays an important role in the growth initiatives across the firm’s broad range of industry verticals.
Lauren Colonna
Founder, Ovis
www.linkedin.com/in/lauren-colonna-b800281?trk=people-guest_people_search-card
lcolonna@oviscreative.com
212-545-7254 AGENDA SPONSORS ATTENDEES
Lauren Colonna is the founder of Ovis Creative, a leading creative and strategic marketing communication agency focused on serving the alternative asset management industry. With over 24 years of direct experience working in the financial services sector, Lauren has designed and produced a wide range of award-winning corporate communication programs for leading asset management and wealth advisory firms. Before founding Ovis Creative she served as Vice President and Director of Creative and Client Solutions at Synergy Graphix. At Synergy she led the creative development of all marketing communication projects and established the firm's financial services practice. Prior to Synergy, Lauren was a Senior Art Director at Morgan Stanley where she executed and led the creative design and production of high-level communication programs for both the Investment Banking Division and Individual Investor Group. Lauren's background also includes creative and strategic roles at Prudential Financial and Lord Abbett & Co., where she designed and produced print and digital communication for the investment management, wealth advisor, mutual fund, annuities and managed account divisions. She earned a BA in Corporate Design and Digital Imaging from the Rochester Institute of Technology.
Gemma Cowan
Managing Associate (Investment Funds). Ogier
gemma.cowan@ogier.com
https://www.linkedin.com/in/gemma-cowan-825a9b62/
Gemma joined Ogier in 2022 after working for five years in the funds, finance and corporate department of the Cayman Islands office of another leading offshore law firm.
She specialises in the establishment, regulatory compliance and restructuring of Cayman Islands hedge funds and private equity funds. She also advises on a broad range of corporate and finance transactions and corporate governance matters.
She was recognised as a Rising Star in the area of investment funds in the Legal 500 Caribbean in 2020, 2021 and 2022.
Before moving offshore, she worked at Norton Rose Fulbright Australia and Steinepreis Paganin in Perth, Australia, where she specialised in M&A and capital markets transactions.
Gemma received her Bachelor of Laws from The University of Western Australia and is a member of the Cayman Islands Legal Practitioners Association.
AGENDA SPONSORS ATTENDEES
John D’Agostino
Senior Advisor, Coinbase
John@daggerllc.net
https://www.linkedin.com/in/gemma-cowan-825a9b62/
John D’Agostino is Senior Advisor to Coinbase Institutional and serves on the board of directors of several of the world’s largest digital asset funds. John has a long background at the intersection of finance and technology. Shortly after graduating from HBS, and as head of strategy for the New York Mercantile Exchange, he helped transition the floor to electronic trading and led the effort to develop the first Middle East energy derivatives exchange in partnership with the Dubai Government. This work, and John’s role, was chronicled as the subject of two NY Times best-selling books, Rigged by local Boston author Ben Mezrich, and The Start Up Of You by LinkedIn founder Reid Hoffman. John received a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from Harvard Business School and studied Politics, Philosophy and Economics at Oxford University. He lectures in Fintech at Instead, MIT and Columbia Universities. In 2019, John was named Chair of the United Kingdom’s US Asset Management Working Group by Her Majesty’s Government.
AGENDA SPONSORS ATTENDEES
Joel Dodson
Partner, Head of Risk Consulting. KPMG
joeldodson@kpmg.ky
https://www.linkedin.com/in/joel-dodson-5bba5266/
I am the Head of Risk Consulting from KPMG in the Cayman Islands and lead the Accounting Advisory Services group. My team and I focus on providing ISAE 3402/SSAE 18 services for hedge fund administrators, financial reporting and Form PF services for hedge funds and Basel II consulting services for the banking industry.
Ron Geffner
Partner, Sadis & Goldberg
https://www.linkedin.com/in/rgeffner/
rgeffner@sadis.com
212-573-6660
Ron S. Geffner is a founding member of the firm’s Executive Committee and also oversees the Financial Services group. He regularly structures, organizes and counsels private investment vehicles, investment advisory organizations, broker-dealers, commodity pool operators and other investment fiduciaries. Ron also routinely counsels clients in connection with regulatory investigations and actions. His broad background with federal and state securities laws, and the rules, regulations and customary practices of the SEC, Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Commodities Futures Trading Commission and various other regulatory bodies, enables him to provide strategic guidance to a diverse clientele. He provides legal services to hundreds of hedge funds, private equity funds and venture capital funds organized in the United States and offshore.
Prior to starting Sadis & Goldberg, Ron was associated with two other New York City-based law firms, where he represented domestic and offshore private investment vehicles, as well as broker-dealers, registered investment advisers and registered investment companies.
Ian Gobin
Co-Owner, Partner; Pepperdine Cummings LLP
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ian-gobin-434a4660/
ian,gobin@cummingspepperdine.com
Ian specialises in advising asset managers on the establishment, operation and ongoing maintenance of investment vehicles. He has significant experience assisting clients with the establishment of private funds, across all asset classes, liquid and illiquid, especially for startup, emerging and mid-tier managers. He became involved with advising clients on cryptocurrencies and digital assets at an early stage in the industry’s development and has carved out a niche with respect to this innovative asset class and has spoken on the topic of cryptocurrency funds and digital asset offerings at both Harvard Business School and Columbia University.
He has advised clients in relation to the establishment of investment structures domiciled in the Channel Islands, Ireland, Luxembourg, the Cayman Islands and the British Virgin Islands and has advised managers based in the U.K., the U.S., the E.U., Switzerland and Latin America. Ian is the former founding and global managing partner of an offshore law firm associated with a global fiduciary provider and a former equity partner and global co-head of the investment funds team at another offshore law firm.
Ronan Guilfoyle
Co-Founder at Calderwood
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ronan-guilfoyle-b942264/
rguilfoyle@calderwood.ky
I am a Co-Founder of Calderwood, a fund governance firm founded in March 2016. Our services include the provision of Independent Directors to Investment Funds. With a combined experience of 25 years of serving on boards and other fiduciary appointments, and in excess of 45 years combined experience in Financial Services, we are well positioned to offer some of the most experienced Independent Directors in the governance industry.
Specialties: Serving as a director of Investment Funds
AGENDA SPONSORS ATTENDEES
Bjorn Franson
Director, Clear Street Derivatives
bfranson@clearstreet.io
Bjorn Franson is a Director on the Clear Street Equity Finance Sales team. I am responsible for originating new business with hedge funds as well as covering existing hedge fund clients from a relationship management perspective.
I have nearly 20 years of prime brokerage experience across sales, relationship management and client service having worked at Citi, BNY Pershing and Mirae Asset Securities prior to Clear Street. My clients have ranged from emerging hedge funds to large institutional asset managers and have run a variety of strategies across fixed income and equity securities. In addition, I have been a board member of the Municipal Bond Club of New York since 2017.
A.B. from Hamilton College in Clinton, NY and Series 7 and 63 licensed.
AGENDA SPONSORS ATTENDEES
Catherine Houts
Tax Partner, KPMG
https://www.linkedin.com/in/catherine-houts-7180b144
catherinehouts@kpmg.ky
Catherine has over 13 years of tax experience in Alternative Investments. Her experience is focused on U.S. taxation of investment partnerships and foreign corporations, specifically, private equity and hedge funds. Catherine’s current responsibilities include the review of complex business federal and state tax returns of private equity, hedge funds, and FATCA compliance.
Catherine provides tax advisory services covering tax regulatory matters in the Cayman Islands. Her experience covers Cayman Islands Economic Substance Act, AEOI reporting in the Cayman Islands, and Country by Country Reporting.
Catherine has worked extensively in the area of US taxation and compliance for Hedge Funds, Private Equity Funds, Passive Foreign Investment Companies and FATCA. She has a strong knowledge and technical experience with US taxation of investment products, complex partnership allocations and the structuring of hedge and private equity funds.
345-914-4308 AGENDA SPONSORS ATTENDEES
Christopher Jakob
Senior Sales Executive and Relationship Manager, Linedata
https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopherjakob/
Chris.Jakob@na.linedata.com
617-912-4798
Chris has over 25 years of experience in financial services. Starting his career as a buy-side trader at leading asset managers and hedge funds, he has expertise and knowledge in asset management, capital markets, trading, risk analytics, and operations. As an established Senior Sales Executive, selling Global Enterprise Services, Software and Technology, he works with the world’s largest financial institutions to find solutions for Front Office - Risk & Research, Middle & Backoffice -Operations, IT infrastructure and Cybersecurity, and Advisory Services.
Karen Kerby Financial Services Practice Leader, Prager Metis CPAs
https://www.linkedin.com/in/karenkerbycpa/ kkerby@pragermetis.com
As an Audit Partner and Leader of PM’s Financial Services practice, I specialize in conducting audits of investment partnerships (including hedge funds, fund of funds, and private equity funds), outsourced accounting, and fund administration. Of the 39+ years I have spent within the financial services industry, 28 of these were spent in public accounting with a specialization in investment firms. Prior to my work in public accounting, I was fortunate to have worked as an industry “insider” through my positions at a major broker-dealer company and a notable commodity trading firm. This experience allows me to understand, from the client’s perspective, how their operations are structured, how the work flows, and what challenges and opportunities exist for them. I have also conducted multiple audits for broker-dealers, Registered Investment Advisors, and various nonprofit organizations.
Sunny Kim
Head of Global Business Development, Raptor Trading Systems
https://www.linkedin.com/company/raptor-trading-syst ems /
skim@raptortrading.com
416-885-4851
Sunny Kim, is the head of global business development at Raptor Trading Systems with over two decades of diverse experience in Fintech, trading, consulting, and investment management. Having held key positions at institutions like CIBC World Markets and Capgemini, Sunny's has a diverse background and experience in developing markets and innovative services. He has advised global banks, wealth management firms and fintechs on key aspects of their technology and business models.
Sunny is a CFA charter holder and directs global sales operations from financial hubs in Miami, New York, and Toronto. Join us at the conference for any insight around the evolving fintech landscape.
Gregory Knapp
Vice President Of Business Development, Opus Fund Services
https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregknapp/
gknapp@opusfundservices.com
Gregory Knapp is the Vice President of Business Development at Opus Fund Services based in Austin, Texas. Greg has a deep working knowledge across a range of investment strategies, including Hedge, Private Equity, Venture Capital, and Digital Assets. Greg's 20 years in the industry has seen him under take a number of business development and marketing roles across a range of financial service companies.. Greg is an alumni of the University of California at Santa Barbra.
Jesse Krantz
Director, Legal at Zedra Group
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jesse-krantz-49132413/
j.krantz@zedra.com
In his capacity as Director of Legal, Jesse is responsible for advising ZEDRA personnel and management on legal, compliance and risk related issues affecting fund accounting, investor relations, compliance, anti-money laundering, investor due diligence and adherence to internal policies and procedures.
Jesse works closely with fund clients from the onboarding stage through the lifetime the fund; from reviewing and providing guidance on formation documents, private placement memorandum, subscription agreements, anti-money laundering and know your client requirements, corporate resolutions, to directly assisting investors with respect to their investment in a fund client.
Jesse acts as a continuous point of contact for any legal and corporate governance related matters impacting ZEDRA and its fund clients.
Jesse has worked as in-house counsel in the fund services industry for over 10 years. After graduating law school, he joined Citco Fund Services from 2012 to 2018 where he became Vice President of Legal for the Americas. Thereafter, he joined Atlas Fund Services from 2018 to 2022 to act as its General Counsel. Jesse has now joined ZEDRA Fund Services as its Director of Legal.
AGENDA SPONSORS ATTENDEES
David Madden
Managing Director, Wintrust
https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-madden/
dmadden@wintrust.com
15+ years experience in multiple roles ranging from front to back office, capable of understanding high level needs, IT infrastructures and market/regulatory rules. Specialize in relationship management, operational efficiencies, product development, firm risk reductions, compliance and blockchain.
Laura McGrath
Independent Director, Calderwood
https://www.linkedin.com/in/laura-piper-mcgrath-3370aa15/ lmcgrath@calderwood.ky
804-514-2294
Laura McGrath currently serves as an Independent Director on the boards of investment funds, advising on fund governance and regulatory compliance. Ms. McGrath is an accomplished board chairperson, attorney, and business executive who brings a rare blend of operational, legal, compliance, and business management expertise to board leadership positions. She has 24 years of experience in the financial services industry – the last 23 in hedge, venture capital and real estate fund services.
AGENDA SPONSORS ATTENDEES
In addition to serving as an Independent Director with Calderwood, Ms. McGrath previously served for over 2o years as Chief Operating Officer and General Counsel for a US-based hedge fund manager (Registered Investment Advisor and CPO/CTA), where she built the infrastructure, systems, and processes needed to effectively manage fund manager complexities. She was also President and Principal of a FINRA-member broker deal. For 15 years of her tenure, she held regulatory Chief Compliance Officer roles for these companies. She has served as a director on Cayman Islands hedge fund boards for over 15 years and has previously been a board director on UCITS funds registered with the Central Bank of Ireland.
Amanda McLean
Director of Sales, Interactive Brokers
https://www.linkedin.com/in/amanda-mclean-63995559/ mclean@interactivebrokers.com
203-618-8059
Amanda McLean is Director of Sales for Interactive Brokers Corp. since 2007, a FINRA registered Broker Dealer based out of Greenwich, CT, where she provides global trade, fund formation and clearing solutions to asset managers, funds, Family Offices and to institutions.
Prior to this, she worked for Edge Trade, Morgan Stanley and D.E. Shaw & Co, with a wall street career spanning 29 years.
Amanda has worked in trading, risk management, accounting and in sales.
Chris Meader
Executive Vice President, Formidium Corp
https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-meader/
chris.meader@formidium.com
630-642-5351
Chris Meader is EVP of Risk and Compliance at Formidium (fka Sudrania Fund Services).
Formidium is a full service fund administrator servicing all fund types with a large number of Digital Assets Funds. Chris has over 25 years of experience in Fund
Administration having held senior roles with large bank owned administrators in the USA as well as with medium sized administrators in both Bermuda and the Cayman Islands.
Chris is a father to 4 children and loves spending time with his family outdoors.
Nick Neri
Vice President., Business Development, Bolder
https://www.linkedin.com/in/nick-neri-8a5b3511/
Nick.neri@boldergroup.com
Office: 786-753-8747 | Mobile: 631-839-8181
Nick is Vice President of Business Development The America’s for Bolder. He brings 25+ years of industry experience within the traditional and alternative financial markets with an emphasis on Hedge Funds, Private Equity, Crypto Currency, Emerging Managers, Family Offices, and Technology Platforms. Nick is responsible for the overall planning and execution of The America’s business strategies.
Throughout his career Nick has established strong long term personal and professional relationships which span the global financial markets including Brokerage Firms, Banking Institutions, Audit and Tax Firms, and Advisory and Legal Firms.
Prior to joining Bolders’ legal predecessor Circle Partners, Nick was Head of Client Relations, North America / Chief Operating Officer for a publicaly traded fund administrator.
AGENDA SPONSORS ATTENDEES
Rob Noble
Senior Director, Kroll (Duff & Phelps)
https://www.linkedin.com/in/rob-noble-14005912/
rob.noble@kroll.com
Rob Noble is a director in Kroll’s Growth Team, based in New York. Rob is responsible for driving business development strategies and maintaining client relationships, with a focus on the U.S. private fund management industry. In his current role, he supports clients by providing a comprehensive range of solutions for their financial risk, compliance and value creation needs.
Rob has over 25 years of business development and valuation analysis experience in finance and alternative investments. His areas of expertise include fairness opinions, valuation of private investments, financial diligence, compliance and regulatory advisory, and capital raising of alternative assets. Prior to joining Kroll, Rob was Head of Business Development at Rothschild Capital Management. His previous roles also include Head of Business Development at Deltec Asset Management and Head of the Fund of Funds practice at Gerson Lehrman Group.
AGENDA SPONSORS ATTENDEES
Rob holds an MBA from the University of Chicago and a BA in economics from Queens College.
Dennis Palmeri
Executive Director of Prime Brokerage.
Mirae Assets Securities (USA) Inc
https://www.linkedin.com/in/dennis-palmeri-jr-6a236922/ dennis.palmeri@miraeasset.us.com
Marni Pankin
CPA, Partner, Alternative Investment Group, Marcum LLP
https://www.linkedin.com/in/marni-pankin-a451006/
Marni.Pankin@marcumllp.com
(212) 485-5615
Marni Pankin is a Partner in the Firm’s national Alternative Investment Industry group, responsible for advising clients on the formation and operation of investment funds. Marni provides guidance on complex accounting areas such as fair value measurements, revenue recognition, derivative disclosures, consolidation and merger/recapitalization transactions.
She assists with the Group’s administration and policy setting and provides technical support to the financial statement audit engagement team.
Ms. Pankin successfully spearheads the Firm’s Alternative Investment Group training program. She develops the curriculum and provides hedge fund training to smaller accounting firms.
A frequent presenter at industry conferences, Ms. Pankin currently serves as the editor-inchief for the Firm’s alternatives-focused newsletter, Private Investment Forum.
Jeffrey Parker
National Co-Leader, EisnerAmper
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeff-parker-09687a10/ Jeffrey.parker@eisneramper.com
Office: 212-891-4078 | Mobile: 973-985-0630
Jeffrey Parker is the National Co-Leader of the firm’s Private Client Services Tax Group and CoHead of New York Tax. He is also a leader for EisnerAmper’s Emerging Manager Hedge Fund practice as well as a member in the Financial Services Group. Jeff has over 25 years of expertise providing tax services and guidance on complex tax questions for clients in the financial services industry.
In his PCS role, in addition to assisting fund managers and CFO’s, Jeff uses his knowledge to assist investors in navigating the complex tax rules facing investments in alternative assets. His expertise has led him to become skilled in advising on personal income tax returns, estate and gift taxes, trusts, and foundations for high net worth individuals, as well as Family Offices.
Prior to joining the firm, Jeff was a Tax Partner with a national accounting firm.
AGENDA SPONSORS ATTENDEES
Yon Perullo
Founder, Fuel, LLC
https://www.linkedin.com/in/yon-perullo-a00398/
yon@fuel-invest.com
Yon brings over 25 years of experience in the financial markets, having held key roles as both an asset allocator and portfolio manager. He served as the Chief Investment Strategist for the public market investments of a multi-billion-dollar family office based in Mexico City and as Chief Risk Officer and Director of Asset Allocation at Fiduciary Research, a $10 billion investment firm. In both roles, Yon was a member of the investment committee, responsible for selecting, allocating to, and monitoring portfolio managers across various investment strategies, while also overseeing portfolio risk and asset allocation decisions.
Before transitioning to asset allocation, Yon worked as a portfolio and risk manager at Guggenheim Asset Management, focusing on long-only and long-short global equity strategies, and at Nascent Strategies, where he managed a market-neutral equity portfolio.
Beyond his investment expertise, Yon has significant experience in financial technology, having served as CEO of RiXtrema and as Head of Quantitative Analytics at FactSet Research Systems.
Cassandra Powell
Director, The Harbour Trust Co. Ltd.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/cassandra-powell-7a525867
cpowell@harbour.ky
Office: 345-949-4272 | Mobile: 345-814-2343
Cassandra Powell is Managing Director of The Harbour Trust Co. Ltd. and a Director of HTC Fiduciary Services Limited (together, doing business as “Harbour”). She is responsible for providing fiduciary services to Harbour’s fund clients, including serving as an independent director for such funds as well as having responsibility for unit trust structures for which Harbour serves as trustee.
Ms. Powell is an accomplished fund professional, specializing in hedge funds, fund of funds, private equity vehicles and related structures with a variety of investment strategies. Ms. Powell has over 21 years in the financial services industry and regularly speaks on corporate governance and regulatory matters within the alternative investment industry.
AGENDA SPONSORS ATTENDEES
Adam Reback
Partner, Optima Partners Compliance Advisory
https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamreback/
adam.reback@optima-partners.com
Office: 646-876-3546 | Mobile: 646-942-5219
Adam is a regular contributor to various investment industry periodicals and frequently speaks at numerous industry events and conferences on a wide variety of topics, including insider trading, trade desk oversight, data integrity/big data compliance, third party vendor duediligence, CCO liability and managing regulatory examinations and investigations. In 2016, Adam was invited by the SEC to speak at their Annual National CCO Outreach program.
Adam served on the Board of Directors of The National Society of Compliance Professionals (“NSCP”) from 2012-2018 where he created and chaired the NSCP Private Funds Committee. Adam attended New York University and completed the FBI Citizens Academy.
Head of Business Development, Americas
https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewbreynolds/
mreynolds@sociumllc.com
Michelle Richie
Counsel, Campbells
https://www.linkedin.com/in/michellerichie/
mrichir@campbellslegal.com
Michelle is counsel in our Corporatae Department based in the Cayman Islands. Michelle has experience gained within some of Cayman’s largest funds practices. She specialises in the formation and restructuring of all forms of open and closed ended investment funds including hedge funds and private equity / venture capital funds, co-investment structures and unregulated proprietary capital investment vehicles.
In addition to fund formation, Michelle has particular expertise on the subject of distressed funds and restructuring and has an excellent working relationship with the Cayman Regulatory bodies. Michelle also advises on joint ventures and general corporate and commercial matters and has particular interest in ESG investment.
Maarten Robberts
Managing Director, Zedra Fund Services
https://www.linkedin.com/in/maartenrobberts/
mrobberts@zebra.com
Leveraging extensive experience in strategic and cross-functional leadership, Maarten is a valuable asset for companies requiring expert assistance with international expansion, business acquisitions, or restructuring.
His broad areas of expertise include financial reporting and modeling, corporate finance, hedge funds, organisational structure, internal controls, compliance, and alternative investments.
Throughout his executive career, Maarten has held leadership positions with Atlas Fund Services, SFT Fund Administration, SS&C Fund Services, Amicorp Fund Services, and Citco Fund Services.
He served as the Managing Director of Atlas Fund Services, a fully-licensed and recognised global fund service provider, helping to provide a range of institutional and cost-effective alternative fund solutions to clients.
During his tenure, Maarten contributed significantly to the organisation’s growth from a staff of zero to a team of 35 professionals, and he played a key role in the expansion of Atlas throughout the US and Europe.
He has also been successful in providing critical guidance for complex IT regulations and collaborates extensively with the compliance department to ensure regulatory alignment.
Dennis Schall
Partner, Marcum LLP
https://www.linkedin.com/in/denniss/
dennis.schall@marcumllp.com
Dennis Schall is a Partner in the Firm’s National Alternative Investment Industry group. He provides leadership to the Group’s New York City operations and assists with practice development, client service, strategic planning and the setting of policies and procedures. Mr. Schall specializes in auditing and consulting hedge fund and investment advisors with complex investments and financial reporting matters. He advises clients beginning with the start-up phase and continuing through the life of a fund.
Mr. Schall specializes in hard-to-value investments, including complex debt & equity instruments. Mr. Schall’s experience also extends to other non-traditional investments such as, private investments in public equities, asset based lending, and life settlement investments.
Mr. Schall has more than 20 years of public accounting experience. He speaks on industry topics and has been quoted and published in various trade publications.
Mark Seaman
SVP, Business Development & Advisory Services, Linedata
www.linkedin.com/in/mark-seaman-350112b
Mark.seaman@na.linedata.com
Phone: 212-607-8214 | Mobile: 917-420-1933
Mark has supported the operational and technology needs of traditional as well as alternative asset managers for over 35 years. Prior to joining Linedata, where he oversees both business development for the Services business, and the Advisory Services practice, he was a principal and senior managing director for Gravitas Technology LLC, prior to its acquisition by Linedata.
Mark has also been a past Principal of a boutique fund administration firm, as well as an alternative asset software firm – Spectrum Global and Shepro-Braun, respectively. Earlier in his career, he managed all front office technology for Neuberger Berman.
Mark holds a BA in economics and an MBA in finance. He is a frequent conference speaker on technology and operational efficiency, and operating paradigms within asset management.
Steve Stich
Director, Prime Brokerage BTIG
https://www.linkedin.com/in/steve-stich-00560b3/ sstich@btig.com
Office: 214-855-2852 | Mobile: 214-725-4486
Steve Stich is a Director in BTIG’s Prime Brokerage group in Dallas, TX. Before joining BTIG, Steve most recently worked on a software start-up. Before that, he spent 14 years at Bank of America Merrill Lynch in various roles across Prime Brokerage, Institutional Sales and Trading, and Private Wealth Management in Dallas and New York. Steve began his career at a hedge fund in Dallas, TX working in various roles, including operations, trading, and as an analyst.
Steve is a graduate of Southern Methodist University. AGENDA SPONSORS ATTENDEES
Matt Stover
CEO. MG Stover & Co.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/mgstover/
stover@mgstover.com
MG Stover & Co. was founded in 2007 and is a leading accounting and administration firm that hires the best people in the industry to give clients an experience unmatched by others. We support a wide range clients which includes: hedge funds, private equity, venture capital, family offices and broker-dealers. MG Stover is the largest fund administration firm for cryptocurrency funds.
Michael Von Bevern
Co-Managing Director. Socium Fund Services
https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-von-bevern-cpa-caia-587 15a44/ mvonbevern@sociumllc.com
Socium provides innovative and client-focused solutions for the alternative investment industry. We are a 100% employee-owned company and our mission is to provide the most value-added outsourced services possible. Our values are based on our personal beliefs and collective experience and shape the work we deliver for you.
Socium’s entire business is designed to provide superior private equity, venture capital and real estate fund accounting, without the use of spreadsheets. We offer the highest level of expertise and professionalism, as well as best-in-breed technology that was specifically selected to handle the unique complexities of closed-end private capital funds, including the full automation of carried interest waterfalls.
AGENDA SPONSORS ATTENDEES
Kim Waldman
Business Development Executive, Withum
https://www.linkedin.com/in/kim-waldman-4834124/
kwaldman@withum.com
Waldman possesses more than 20 years' accounting and business development experience within the alternative investment and digital asset industries. Throughout the course of her career, she has collaborated with asset managers, institutional investors, enterprises and industry partners of all sizes to address complex fund administration, operational and advisory solutions. She serves as a trusted consultant, resource and introducer within the hedge fund, private equity and crypto communities. Prior to joining Withum, Waldman held leadership roles at a top crypto and data management solutions provider as well as a national accounting and consulting firm specializing in audits and tax issues for private companies, and institutional fund administration organizations. She’s been responsible for launching global firms’ first US initiatives and specializes in elevating brand awareness and credibility in the marketplace, helping to take businesses to the next level in commercial recognition and activity.
AGENDA SPONSORS ATTENDEES
Niko Whittaker
Partner, KPMG in the Cayman Islands
https://www.linkedin.com/in/niko-whittaker-3300167/
nwhittaker@kpmg.ky
Niko Whittaker is the Partner of Business Development for KPMG in the Cayman Islands. Niko oversees the business development activities for Alternative Investments across Audit, Tax and Advisory. Prior to taking on the business development role for KPMG Cayman, he spent 13 years within Audit for Alternative Investments and the Insurance industry and is a licensed CPA in the State of New York. Niko is actively involved in local community initiatives and is a current volunteer with LIFE (Literacy is For Everyone) and is a past member of Rotary Sunrise and served as Treasurer for both the Rotary Club of Grand Cayman and the National Trust of the Cayman Islands.
About Sadis
Focused on You.
Sadis & Goldberg LLP is internationally recognized for its Financial Services practice representing sponsors, asset managers, institutional investors and family offices in connection with private investment vehicles, including hedge funds, private equity funds, real estate investment vehicles, venture capital funds, crypto and digital payments funds, and commodity pools, as well as direct private transactions.
Sadis also represents a variety of service providers to the industry, including administrators, auditors, independent directors, third-party valuation firms, brokerage firms and consulting firms in connection with financial transactions, fund launches and servicing, as well as regulatory compliance and litigation matters. Our firm advises on a wide range of legal issues, including fund structuring, financial transactions, agreements with or among principals, employees and counterparties, international taxation and regulatory compliance.
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