Board of Directors
board of directors
Anya Coverman serves as president and CEO of the Institute for Portfolio Alternatives (IPA), a leading advocacy organization for the portfolio diversifying investment industry. In this role, Anya leads the organizations efforts to bring together top asset managers, product distribution partners and industry service providers and drive industry progress through education and advocacy initiatives Previously, she served as the IPA’s senior vice president of government affairs and general counsel. In the role, Anya led the IPA’s legislative, regulatory and legal initiatives, including the IPA’s Political Action Committee (PAC), served as the primary liaison and senior policy representative before Congress, the executive branch, and federal and state financial and self-regulatory agencies, and counseled the IPA on all internal legal and governance matters. Prior to joining the IPA in 2017, Anya was the deputy director of policy and associate general counsel at the North American Securities Administrators Association, the national association representing state financial regulators. She has also practiced corporate and securities law at the international law firm Greenberg Traurig LLP in Washington, D.C., and, prior to that, at a boutique financial services law firm in New York City. Anya received her J.D. from American University’s Washington College of Law and her B.A. from the University of Miami. She is admitted to practice law in the District of Columbia, Virginia, New York and Texas.
For more than 20 years, public and private companies have relied on Jason Goode for fund formation, M&A, public securities offerings, and private placements. He focuses his practice on the REIT and real estate fund industry. Jason regularly advises boards of directors on corporate governance issues and also counsels brokerdealers on compliance with applicable FINRA rules. He is active in several industry organizations and is a frequent speaker on securities and corporate governance issues. Jason influences the real estate industry through his leadership with the Institute for Portfolio Alternatives (IPA), where he is the co-chair for the Policy and Government Affairs Committee and is the former chair of the Legal and Regulatory Committee. He interviewed Robert Telewicz, a top official at the SEC, during IPAVision 2020. Jason serves as a director of ACG Atlanta, a chapter of the Association for Corporate Growth, and as vicechair of M&A South (formerly ACG Capital Connection), the premiere networking event in the South for deal makers. Jason is listed in Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business in the REITs category and The Best Lawyers in America© in the Securities/Capital Markets category. He has also been named “Legal Elite” by Georgia Trend magazine.
Brendan Cuddihy is the Chief Operating Officer at CAIS. He oversees the Operations, Client Service, and Integrations teams. Brendan is responsible for funds and investment product operations, including onboarding, integration of workflows, reporting, and investor/manager relations. He has more than 10 years of experience in the asset management and financial services industry, having worked at US Bancorp and Moody’s Corporation. Brendan graduated Cum Laude with a BA in Economics and received his MBA from Marist College. Brendan holds his Series 7 and Series 63 licenses.
Robert Bergdolt leads DLA Piper's representation of non-traded,publicly offered real estate investment trusts. Since 1992, his practice has focused on securities regulations, corporate governance and mergers and acquisitions for traded and non-traded REITs. Over the last ten years, Robert has headed DLA Piper's representation with respect to numerous non-traded REIT public offerings and mergers and acquisitions, including for programs sponsored by Blackstone, Ares/Black Creek Group, CNL, KBS Capital Advisors, Phillips Edison, Resource Real Estate, Behringer Harvard, Wells Real Estate Funds, Carter Validus and Steadfast.
Adam Bobker, Managing Director, is Global Co-Head of the Private Wealth Solutions business at Fortress. In this capacity, he oversees strategy, distribution, marketing, product development, and client management activities across Fortress’ investment programs in the global wealth management channel. Prior to joining Fortress in 2022, Mr. Bobker was with BlackRock as a Managing Director and Head of the Private Wealth Advisory Group. He led a team focusing on private wealth management and institutional consultant channels, as well as business development for BlackRock's hedge fund, private equity, private credit, and real asset platforms. Before joining BlackRock in 2002, Mr. Bobker was the head of sales for a global industrial services firm. Mr. Bobker earned a BS degree in marketing from Syracuse University. In addition, he earned the Certified Investment Management Analyst (CIMA) designation through the Investment Management Consultants Association in conjunction with the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania."
John joined the Managed Investments team in 2022 to lead the product management and strategy of the firm’s investment, education, and gifting vehicles. He works closely with partners in the Mutual Fund, ETF, Alternative, 529, UIT, and the Donor Advised Fund business. John joined Edward Jones in 2006 in the Trading area where he was a team leader in taxable and tax-free fixed income. He later moved to the Portfolio Construction Team in Advice and Guidance where he contributed to the management of multiple advisory fund models and the Bridge Builder mutual funds. John joined the Trust Company as a leader in 2019, and helped drive several core and strategic initiativesvwhile also leading a team of portfolio managers. John and his wife, Ali, live near the Edward Jones campus in Tempe with their three children, Mackenzie, Lane, and Tenley. In addition to being an ASU graduate, John holds his Series 7, 66, 24, 55 and is an active CFA Charterholder. He is a past CFA Institute volunteer, serving as a President Council Representative for the Western U.S. and Past President of the CFA Society of Phoenix. John serves on the Institute of Portfolio Alternatives Board of Directors and multiple other industry trade organizations.
As the Managing Director, Head of Registered Fund Services, Neal is responsible for the strategic planning and support of our clients’ registered fund products. He oversees the delivery of accounting, administration, distribution, transfer agency and creative services. Neal has over 30 years of fund industry experience – with an emphasis in managing complex global relationships, expansion of new business and product lines, and the delivery of overall satisfaction for strategic relationships. In addition to directing large scale operations, Neal has led a number of industry leading transformational client initiatives in both the US and Europe. He also was previously responsible for the asset management strategy consulting practice at Olmstead Associates assisting clients with the development and implementation of their front to back operating models. Neal holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of New Hampshire and is a CFA Charterholder.
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Alice Connaughton is co-chair of the firm’s REIT practice and a partner in Morrison Foerster’s Capital Markets practice group. Ali’s practice focuses on representing public and private companies, including real estate investment trusts (REITs) and other direct participation programs, in a variety of corporate and securities matters, including, among other things, public and private securities offerings and tender offers. Ali regularly advises boards of directors, audit committees, and management with respect to strategic matters and corporate governance issues. Ali also routinely counsels public company clients with respect to complex regulatory matters, compliance with federal and state securities laws, corporate governance and general corporate matters. She has represented several of the leading sponsors of public, non-listed REITs in connection with more than $35 billion in public offerings. Ali has been recommended as a leading lawyer in Chambers USA for REITs since 2014. She also has been an active participant in the advocacy efforts of the IPA for more than 15 years. Ali’s commitment to the REIT industry allows her to be completely dialed-in to regulatory developments and emerging trends, making her a trusted advisor to clients and a frequent speaker on topics impacting the industry.
As a Senior Director on the Alternative Investments team within Wealth Management Solutions, Sam Cote leads product management for the Ameriprise non-daily liquid alternative investments platform. Wealth Management Solutions provides research, investments, and sales consulting to meet clients’ wealth management and retirement needs. Sam has over fifteen years of financial services experience. Prior to joining Ameriprise, Sam held various roles with Woodbury Financial Services. Sam earned his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a finance emphasis from the University of Wisconsin – River Falls and an MBA from the University of Minnesota at the Carson School of Management. He also holds the CAIA designation.
Nick Darsch is Chief Commercial Officer at Ultimus Fund Solutions. He leads the firm’s commercial strategy, accelerates growth, and drives strategic execution across its full suite of public and private market fund solutions. As a key member of the executive leadership team, Nick directly oversees all client development activities, including sales and marketing efforts, focusing on building and strengthening strategic relationships with investment advisers and industry partners. He champions key client partnerships and drives forward-looking, customized fund solutions and advances new market opportunities for Ultimus’s diverse client base. Nick currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Institute of Portfolio Alternatives (IPA), reflecting his commitment to industry advocacy and promoting global best practices. Before joining Ultimus, Nick held various senior roles across sales, strategic relationship management, product, and research at SS&C Technologies (including predecessor firms DST Systems, ALPS, and Boston Financial Data Services). His leadership has been recognized by the IPA, where he was named to the Rising Leaders Council, and by Fund Directions, which selected him as a “Rising Star” in the Asset Management industry. Nick received a B.S. in Economics and Finance and an MBA from the McCallum Graduate School of Business at Bentley University.
Dev Desai is Head of Private Capital and Specialty Products within Wells Fargo Wealth & Investment Management, based in Charlotte, NC, with more than 25 years of experience in financial services. He oversees product and business management for alternative investment solutions, including private equity, private credit, private real assets, and direct co-investment programs that complement traditional portfolios. In addition, he leads national sales for the Internal Alternative Consultant team. Prior to joining Wells Fargo, Dev spent over 12 years at Goldman Sachs and The Carlyle Group in roles focused on private credit and private equity investments. He led deal teams on acquisitions, divestitures, and recapitalizations for energy investments across the U.S. and Europe. Dev also served as an adjunct professor at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte’s business school.
Jonathan C. Diorio has served as Vice President since January 2025. Mr. Diorio, Managing Director of BlackRock, is a member of BlackRock’s Product and Platform Group. Jon is responsible for product management, development and strategy within Blackrock’s US Wealth Advisory (“USWA”). USWA delivers BlackRock’s full set of capabilities including iShares, alpha seeking and alternative products to wealth management firms and financial advisors in the US. Jon’s team partners across BlackRock to deliver market and portfolio insights, develop commercial priorities, drive new product development and manage BlackRock’s wealth product line. Jon oversees BlackRock’s Alternatives for wealth business. He is responsible for product and platform placement and driving adoption for alternatives in wealth. Jon is a member of BlackRock’s Global Operating Committee and the US Wealth Advisory Executive Committee. Prior to joining BlackRock, Jon held various roles at Deutsche Bank focused on product strategy and product management for the wealth market. Jon earned a BA degree in Finance from Loyola University and an MBA degree with a concentration in Finance and Economics from NYU Stern School of Business. In addition, he earned the Certified Investment Management Analyst designation through the Investment Management Consultants Association in conjunction with the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. Jon has his series 6,63,7, and 24 licenses.
Mark Earley is the Americas Head of Hines Private Wealth Solutions and serves as Chief Executive Officer of the brokerdealer affiliate. His leadership has been instrumental in the firm’s $10.7 billion capital raise throughout the wealth management channel. Mark also directs the overall strategyfor the Americas and provides tactical guidance to the organization with particular focus on product development, distribution, sales management and business planning. Additionally, he serves on the Capital Markets Committee of Hines. Prior to joining Hines in 2003, Mark was a Regional Sales and Marketing Director for Morgan Stanley, where he supervised sales for the proprietary asset management group and the sales and marketing activities of 65 branch offices.
Michael T. Ezzell has more than 25 years of extensive investment management, financial and strategic leadership experience. He previously held positions with Cole Capital in leadership and executive roles for over five years. Most recently, he served as Executive Vice President of American Realty Capital Properties, Inc. (ARCP) and CEO and President of Cole Capital. He was responsible for all aspects of the management of the nontraded REIT sponsor’s distribution and investment management business, including sales, product development, broker dealer relationship management, securities operations, and capital markets. Prior to the merger of Cole Real Estate Investments (Cole) with ARCP in February 2014, Mr. Ezzell served as Senior Vice President of Product and Business Development for Cole, securing selling agreements with broker dealers for existing and new product offerings, opening new distribution channels and overseeing due diligence and new product development. Prior to joining Cole, Mr. Ezzell served as Director of Investment Research at AIG Advisor Group, where he was responsible for managing investment research for a network of broker dealers serving independent financial advisors. In that role, he managed the research and due diligence for all packaged investment products including mutual funds, variable annuities, alternative investments and third-party money managers. During his career, he also held positions with J.P. Carey Asset Management. Mr. Ezzell received his Bachelor of Arts degree with double majors in Economics and Political Science from Stetson University. He also holds Series 7, 24 and 63 securities licenses with the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA).
Throughout his career, Mr. Frank has been involved in the creation, structuring, launch, capital formation, management, and monetization of dozens of real asset strategies with over $35 billion in aggregate value. He has worked closely with wealth management, accounting, tax and legal firms on the education, due diligence and implementation of sophisticated real assets solutions including Real Estate Investment Trusts, Interval Funds, Business Development Companies, 1031 Tax Deferred Exchanges and Qualified Opportunity Funds. Mr. Frank earned a B.A. in Business Economics with an emphasis in Accounting from the University of California, Santa Barbara. He holds FINRA Series 7, 24, and 63 licenses and is an Investment Banking Representative. Jay lives with his wife and two daughters in Santa Monica, California. Jay plays an active role in Happy Trails for Kids, a non-profit organization committed to improving the lives of foster youth across Los Angeles.
James Hannigan is a Managing Director in the Client and Product Solutions group at Apollo. Prior to joining Apollo in 2021, James was a Managing Director in the Alternative Asset Management division of Blackstone. Previously, he was an Associate Vice President at FRM Americas LLC and an associate in the asset management group of Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP. James graduated from Vanderbilt University with a BA in philosophy and received a JD from the University of Virginia School of Law.
Keith Jones is Global Head of Private Markets Product at Invesco. In this role, he is responsible for establishing and executing the firm’s private markets strategy, including the development and ongoing management of private market products distributed globally through Invesco’s institutional, wealth management, and retirement channels. These products include private funds, registered funds, co-investments, and separate accounts that provide access to real estate, alternative credit, and multi-asset alternative strategies. Mr. Jones joined Invesco in 2025. Prior to joining the firm, he spent nearly nine years at Nuveen as global head of alternative investments product, overseeing the development and management of alternative investment products worldwide. He was also a member of the Extended Leadership Team, a voting member and chair of the Private Investments Product Committee, and a member of the Nuveen Philanthropic Steering Committee. Before that, Mr. Jones spent five years at Barclays, where he was responsible for the origination, distribution, and ongoing management of private equity, hedge funds, and other private investments offered to high-net-worth individuals, family offices, and institutional investors. Earlier in his career, he worked at Merrill Lynch in the Global Investment Solutions group, focusing on product development and new initiatives. He eventually took a leading role within the Alternative Investments group, responsible for real asset product origination. Mr. Jones entered the financial services industry in 2006. Mr. Jones earned a BS degree in business administration with an emphasis in finance and accounting from the University of Colorado at Boulder. He holds the Series 7, 24, and 66 registrations.
Liz Jones is a Managing Director and Head of Ares Private Wealth Partnerships within Ares Wealth Management Solutions, which oversees Ares' client management activities in the global wealth channel. Prior to joining Ares in 2021, Ms. Jones was a Director at UBS Financial Services, where she was responsible for driving the strategic direction of the private markets platform for the global wealth management business. Ms. Jones oversaw the sourcing and underwriting of private equity, private credit and real asset funds in this role. Previously, Ms. Jones served as Head of the UBS Alternative Investments Sales Desk. Ms. Jones holds a B.A. from Duke University in Political Science. She is a CFA® charterholder.
Michael Keogh is a Managing Director with iCapital. As head of Investment Product Development Michael implements programs and products where iCapital helps advisors access the private capital markets in HNW focused structures including registered funds, private placement insurance and model portfolios. As part of his role he helps private capital fund sponsors gain access to the accredited investor segment of the high-net-worth market. Michael advises fund sponsors on structuring their offerings to meet the unique needs of the HNW advisor market. Prior to joining iCapital, Michael spent eight years with BlackRock where his responsibilities included developing proprietary tender offer funds and liquid alternative mutual funds. Previously, he served in various roles with OppenheimerFunds during a 20-year tenure with the firm. Michael earned a BS in Accounting from St. John’s University. He holds FINRA Series 7, 63, and 24 licenses.
Kyle is a managing director in the Client Solutions Group within Goldman Sachs Asset Management. He serves as global head of Alternatives for Third Party Wealth (TPW), overseeing client strategy for the firm’s TPW clients globally, delivering the power of the Alternatives investing platform to a broad set of individual investors through our partnerships with financial intermediary clients and their advisors, including Private Banks, Broker-Dealers, RIAs and other distribution platforms. Kyle partners closely with leadership across our Alternatives franchise to develop products that meet our clients’ evolving needs. Prior to this role, Kyle was in Alternative Capital Markets (ACM), serving as head of ACM for Goldman Sachs Ayco and leading coverage for One Goldman Sachs financial sponsors globally. He joined Goldman Sachs in 2018 as a vice president in ACM and was named managing director in 2021. Prior to joining the firm, Kyle led a variety of distribution and product management teams for Bank of America’s Alternative Investment Group within their Global Wealth and Investment Management division. Kyle is a member of The Economic Club of New York. Kyle earned a BA from Gettysburg College.
Doug Krupa (New York) joined KKR in 2019 and is a Managing Director and Head of Global Wealth Solutions in the Americas. He leads a team focused on distributing KKR strategies to advisors and clients of leading wealth platforms and registered investment advisors and led the development of KKR’s evergreen solutions across asset classes. Prior to joining KKR, Mr. Krupa spent eight years at Blackstone as a managing director and global head of product strategy for the private wealth solutions group. Previously, he worked at Legg Mason and Citigroup in product development and sales roles. Mr. Krupa holds a B.S. in Management from the State University of New York at Geneseo and is a CFA Charterholder.
Chad LaFauci is Senior Vice President of Alternative Investments at Commonwealth Financial Network®, member FINRA/SIPC, the nation's largest privately held Registered Investment Adviser–independent broker/dealer. With the firm since 2000, Chad leads the team that is responsible for the analysis, approval, and ongoing monitoring of all alternative investments products (e.g., private equity, private credit, hedge funds, real estate, infrastructure, and commodities). In addition, he trains and educates Commonwealth advisors through print and web-based media. Chad graduated from Bates College with a degree in economics. He is a CFA® charterholder and holds the CAIA designation, as well as FINRA Series 7, 24, 63, and 65 securities registrations.
Dennis Martin is a managing director at PGIM Real Estate and global head of Private Wealth & Client Solutions on behalf of the real estate business and Montana Capital Partners (mcp) – a PGIM-owned global private equity secondaries manager. Based in Newark, New Jersey, Dennis leads the team responsible for working with PGIM Investments to launch new strategies and structures that address the alternative investments requirements of global wealth advisors and their high-net-worth clients. The Private Wealth & Client Solutions team is also responsible for growing PGIM Real Estate and mcp’s presence in the Defined Contribution and OCIO channels. Prior to his current role, Dennis was head of the Americas Business Development team, where he was responsible for managing and developing PGIM Real Estate’s client relationships with U.S. & Latin American institutional investors in support of our real estate, agriculture and impact capabilities. Before joining PGIM Real Estate, Dennis was a managing director in RREEF’s Client Relations group, where he developed and managed client and consultant relationships in the Midwest and Eastern regions. Prior to that, he was the director of real estate investments for Lucent Asset Management Corp., the pension asset management subsidiary of Lucent Technologies, Inc., and practiced law with Goodwin Procter LLP, and O’Melveny & Myers LLP. Dennis has a bachelor’s degree in political science from St. John’s University and a law degree from the New York University School of Law. He has been an active participant in PREA since 2000, serving on the board of directors from 2001 to 2006 and as chairman from 2004 to 2005. In addition, Dennis serves on various church and community service organizations including as a member of the Board of Trustees for Children’s Aid and Family Services.
Patrick McGowan is a Managing Director, serving as the Head of Manager Research and Head of Alternative Investments at Sanctuary Wealth. In his current position, he spearheads a team that is responsible for developing all Alternative Investment activities, including the firm’s private equity, private credit, real asset, and hedge fund investing strategies, as well as the Sanctuary Investment Research Focus List. Mr. McGowan is a member of the Sanctuary Asset Management Investment Council, which plays a pivotal role in constructing the Firm’s global economic and capital market views, providing invaluable global asset allocation guidance, and managing model allocations. Mr. McGowan also leads the Alternative Investment Committee. Before joining Sanctuary, Mr. McGowan held a senior leadership position at the GP-stakes firm Azimut Alternative Capital Partners (BIT: AZM), a Milan-based wealth manager, where he focused on strategic growth initiatives for the firm’s investments in mid-market private markets GPs. Before that, he worked at Invesco Private Capital, a leading institutional PE and VC fund-of-funds, within the trillion-dollar asset manager, Invesco (NYSE: IVZ). Prior to Invesco, Mr. McGowan worked at a Carlyle Group venture, formerly known as OC Private Capital, focused on strategic growth initiatives in private wealth for the $1 billion close-ended private credit interval fund (TAKIX). Prior to this role, Mr. McGowan had various roles at OppenheimerFunds, AI Insight, and Altegris Investments. Mr. McGowan earned a Bachelor of Science from Vanderbilt University in Nashville, TN. He holds FINRA Series 7 and 63 registrations.
Sean is Head of Strategic Partnerships and Executive Director at Hightower Advisors. Sean has a track record of building successful solutions that empower advisors; he was most recently the Executive Vice President of Recruiting at SignatureWealth Partners. His career has included Executive Sales & Recruiting at AdvicePeriod, FolioDynamix and Envestnet. Sean will represent Hightower in the wealth management community at large using his deep understanding of the Advisory space to connect Partner Sponsors to Hightower Advisors and clients through value-added resources. In January 2026, Sean was named to the Board of Directors at the Institute for Portfolio Alternatives. Sean enjoys speaking and has done everything from podcasts to video interviews, delivered articles and presentations on such timely topics as the latest in Advisor technology, digital-advice, and reaching nextgen investors, and more. Sean lived in Santiago, Chile and has traveled extensively, earning a BA in Foreign Languages & Literatures from the University of Nevada.
Mr. Napier serves as Head of Real Estate Client Strategy JPM Real Estate investment Trust (JPMREIT) and Executive Director of JPM Global Alternatives. In his role, he leads a team of investment specialists focused on advising professional clients on real estate strategies and execution across regions, risk levels, equity, debt and defined contribution partners with clients across the wealth management channels positioning J.P. Morgan private real estate capabilities. Previously, he was leading wealth management at Heitman LLC where he led distribution, product development and operations for the channel. Prior to this, Scott held senior leadership roles at Invesco and Oppenheimer Funds. Mr. Napier is a member of the Investment and Wealth Institute and holds the CIMA designation and maintains Series 7, 66, 63 and 24 FINRA licenses. He received a M.B.A from Emory University Goizueta School of Business and B.A from The University of Texas.
Alison Nest is a managing director and head of the Investment Solutions Product Organization, with responsibility for the Alternative Investments, Traditional Investments and Insurance & Annuities businesses for Morgan Stanley Wealth Management based in New York City. She is responsible for the development, sourcing, onboarding and servicing of investment products distributed to retail and institutional clients. She was previously the Head of Alternative Investments and continues to maintain direct daily oversight for the business. Alison has been with the Firm for nearly two decades and has held several roles across the Investment Solutions and Field organizations, including the head of Strategy, Business Development and Risk and head of Offshore & Private Wealth Management Product Strategy, respectively. She also served as the CFO for various business units within Morgan Stanley Wealth Management. She joined the Firm from Smith Barney in 2009, where she started her career in 2004 as an analyst. She holds a B.S. cum laude in finance and accounting from Georgetown University, is a class of 2024 “MAKER,” serves as executive chair of the Investment Solutions Women in Wealth Chapter, co-chair of the MMI Alternative Investments Community, and a member of the IPA board and UniFi (CAIA) Advisory Council.
Jerry was appointed Co-Head of Unified Global Alternatives (UGA) in 2024. He joined UBS in 2010 and has held a broad variety of alternatives-focused senior leadership roles. Prior to joining UBS in 2010, he served in various capacities at Citigroup Global Market's Inc. and related entities since 1996. He was a Managing Director of Citigroup Alternative Investments LLC ("CAI"), a division of Citigroup that administered its hedge fund, fund of hedge fund, and commodity pool businesses, and served for several years as Chief Investment Officer of the Hedge Fund Management Group. He was President, Chief Investment Officer, and Director of Ceres Managed Futures LLC, a registered commodity pool operator and commodity trading advisor. Mr. Pascucci was also a Managing Director of Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC, where he served as Chief Investment Officer of Alternative Investments from August 2009 to June 2010. He began his career at Citigroup Global Markets as a Senior Credit Risk Officer, focused primarily on market and counterparty risks associated with hedge fund and commodity pool clients.
Kirsten Pickens serves as Managing Director and Co-Head of U.S. Distribution at Future Standard. Ms. Pickens is responsible for overseeing the distribution strategy for the U.S. Private Wealth Channel, and directly overseeing all U.S. Wealth Platforms across Wirehouse, RIA, Private Bank and Independent Broker-Dealer channels. Before joining Future Standard, Ms. Pickens was Partner and Head of Distribution at Chiron Investment Management, the global multi-asset firm she helped launch in 2015, and which was acquired by Future Standard in 2020. Prior to launching Chiron, she was Senior Vice President, Head of National Accounts and DCIO Sales for Ivy Investment Management, a firm she also helped launch to third party distribution channels in 2003. Ms. Pickens also worked for ING Funds and Seligman Investments. She began her financial services career as a Retirement Specialist at Vanguard. In addition to her role at Future Standard, Ms. Pickens serves on the boards of the Expect Miracles Foundation, Invest in Others and NICSA, as well as the FUSE National Accounts Advisory Board. She is a member of the Sales Force Marketing Committee of the Investment Company Institute, a member of the Money Management Institute. Ms. Pickens holds a BA from Arizona State University and her Executive IQ certification from the University of Virginia, Darden School of Business. She also holds her Series 7, 24 and 6 security licenses.
Brian has over 29 years of public accounting experience serving real estate clients ranging from small private companies to publicly traded and multinational companies. He serves as Deloitte’s Global Real Estate Audit & Assurance Leader and U.S. Real Estate Leader for Clients and Growth. He previously served as the Central Region Real Estate Audit Leader, co-led our national practice for REITs and real estate internal audit practice. Brian has significant experience serving partnerships, investment managers, property managers, institutional advisers, private equity firms, developers, hotels, homebuilders, and public pension advisers. Brian is also the Deloitte Private Audit leader for the Chicago practice. He is accredited in IFRS and has substantial experience in fund formation, SEC matters, mergers and acquisitions services, internal controls, fair value accounting and auditing and tax consultations. He has participated in numerous financing transactions, including public stock and debt offerings. Brian has co-authored several point-of-view articles and served as host and presenter on several Deloitte’s Dbriefs webcasts and real estate industry events. He was a former adjunct professor at DePaul University. He has also contributed to the Wharton Real Estate Review, Commercial Property Executive, and the US Private Real Estate Fund Compliance Guide. Brian was moderator and panelist at the 2021 and 2022 AICPA Real Estate and Construction Conference, moderator and panelist at several IMN Non-listed REIT Conferences, a keynote speaker at the 2018 NAI FMA Realty Conference in Lincoln, NE, and presenter at the 2013 SEC Compliance Outreach Program in Chicago. Brian serves as the Lead University Relationship Partner for DePaul University and Co-Chair of the Dean’s Advisory Council for the College of Business at DePaul University. Brian served as the 2023 commencement speaker for the Kellstadt School of Business.
Peter Schaffer is a senior leader with over 25 years of experience at asset management and independent broker dealer firms directing product management, risk, compliance, client growth and retention functions. Prior to joining Cetera Financial Group, Peter was Senior Vice President of Product Risk Management, and Corporate Supervision for LPL Financial. In this role he had direct governance oversite of LPL‘s $750+ billion product platform of alternatives investments, mutual funds and annuities. Peter was on the Board of LPL’s Political Action Committee, a member of the firm’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion council, led Employee Resource Groups and was a mentor to many employees. With international experience at Franklin Templeton and Russell Investments, Peter led the product development and/or governance functions in Europe, the Middle East, Asia, Australia and the Americas. His responsibilities included overall global product strategy, planning, pricing, governance, and reporting. Peter developed his customer-first mindset in a variety of leadership positions in sales, marketing, client retention and operations at Franklin Templeton, Charles Schwab and Wells Fargo Securities. Peter holds a B.A. in economics from the University of California, Berkeley, and a MBA from the University of San Francisco. He is FINRA licensed 7, 24 and 63 and is a Certified Regulatory and Compliance Professional from Georgetown University. Outside of work, Peter mentors student athletes at the University of California, Berkeley where he competed on the track team, captaining his senior year.
Madeleine Sinclair is a Senior Managing Director at Blue Owl and Head of Private Wealth, Americas. Madeleine oversees distribution across Blue Owl’s Private Wealth business in the US, Canada, and Latin America. As a member of the global leadership team, she focuses on fundraising, expanding strategic relationships, and launching innovative solutions for high-net-worth clients and their advisors. Prior to joining Blue Owl, Madeleine served as Head of iShares Canada for BlackRock and served on the iShares Executive Committee. Over the course of her nineteen years at BlackRock, Madeleine held numerous leadership roles within their US Wealth Advisory business, including COO, National Sales Manager, and Head of Distribution Strategy. Madeleine has deep experience in building and managing industry leading teams that deliver impactful business results. Ms. Sinclair was recently recognized by Private Equity International as a Woman of Influence in the Cross-Asset category. Madeleine holds an MBA from NYU Stern and a BA from DePauw University. She is an active member of CHIEF, a network focused on connecting and supporting women executive leaders. She also serves on the Board of 10,000 Degrees, a program focused on getting students from low-income backgrounds to and through college.
George Stephan joined Franklin Templeton in 2024 and is the Global COO of Wealth Management Alternatives. Prior to joining Franklin Templeton, Mr. Stephan spent five years at Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. (“KKR”), as the Head of Strategy and Business Development for the Firm’s Global Client Solutions business and before that, as Chief Operating Officer and Head of Investor Relations for KKR’s Global Wealth Solutions business in the Americas. Prior to joining KKR, Mr. Stephan spent nine years at Morgan Stanley as an executive within the firm's wealth management division. Mr. Stephan holds a B.S. in Finance and an M.B.A from Wagner College. Mr. Stephan currently serves on the Leadership Advisory Council of Wagner College Nicolais School of Business.
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Brad Sussman leads new product development and manager research for the Alternative Investment Group at Raymond James. Prior to joining Raymond James, Mr. Sussman led new product development and strategy for Cowen Investment Management, a strategic investor in alternative investment managers. Before Cowen, Mr. Sussman was a Managing Director at Merrill Lynch, where he was a voting member of the Alternative Investments Investment Committee, co-headed hedge fund due diligence and led non-traditional mutual fund due diligence. Prior to Merrill Lynch, Mr. Sussman was a Portfolio Manager at Ivy Asset Management for over a decade and was responsible for managing $3.5 billion across 18 hedge fund of funds portfolios. At Ivy, he also served as a member of the Investment Risk Management Committee and Product Development Team. Before Ivy, Mr. Sussman worked as Vice President of Research for Bear Hunter Specialists. He began his career as a Financial Advisor Associate at Sanford C. Bernstein & Co., where he serviced accounts for high net worth individuals, families, foundations, trusts and pension funds. He received a BA in Political Science from Yale, and is a CFA and CAIA Charter Holder.
Mark Sutterlin is the head of Alternative Investments for Investment Solutions Group. The Alternative Investments group is responsible for providing advisors and clients with access to a range of platforms and investment solutions including hedge funds, private equity, real estate and physical precious metals. Prior to his appointment as head of Alternative Investments, Mark was responsible for hedge fund origination and product management within Alternative Investments. Mark began his career at Merrill Lynch as an Investor Services Advisor within Merrill Edge, providing financial guidance to wealth management clients. Mark holds a Bachelor of Science in Economics from University of Michigan and is a CFA Charterholder.
Leon Volchyok is a Senior Managing Director at Blackstone and the General Counsel for its Private Wealth Solutions business. Mr. Volchyok plays a key role in the structuring, launch and operations of the firm’s individual investor focused vehicles and serves as the Chief Legal Officer for Blackstone Real Estate Income Trust (BREIT). Mr. Volchyok is the prior chairman of the Board for the Institute for Portfolio Alternatives and on the Executive Committee of NAREIT’s Public Non-listed REIT Council. Mr. Volchyok received a BBA from Baruch College - Zicklin School of Business and a JD from Fordham Law School.
Recognized for being a “a leader in alternative structures” in Chambers USA, Benjamin Wells is at the forefront of developing novel and commercial solutions for clients to provide individual investors access to private markets across all asset classes–real estate, private credit, private equity, infrastructure, sports and others. A Partner in Simpson Thacher’s Registered Funds Practice in New York, his practice focuses on advising leading asset management sponsors including, Blackstone, Blue Owl, Brookfield, Clarion, Cohen & Steers, KKR, New Mountain, PGIM, Starwood Capital Group and TPG. Benjamin brings deep market experience and knowledge in helping clients design, develop and structure private funds tailored for individual investors, conglomerates, REITs, closed end tender offer funds and interval funds, business development companies and various non-U.S. fundraising vehicles. He regularly represents these clients on transactional, regulatory and ongoing governance and compliance matters. Benjamin is ranked by Chambers USA for both Registered Funds and REITs, where clients describe him as a “star” and “super talented lawyer” who is “thoughtful and hardworking.” He is also recognized by IFLR1000 as “Rising star partner” and was named a Rising Star at the 2017 Mutual Fund Industry Awards."
Kate joined LPL Financial in July 2017 and is currently Senior Vice President, Investment Product Management and Retirement Partners. Kate is responsible for the strategic vision and day to day management of the Mutual Fund, 529, ETF, TAMP Product offering, the Alternative Investments business unit, and other firm-wide initiatives including M&A Activity, Reg BI, DOL, Secure 2.0 and State Fiduciary Rules. Kate brings 20+ years of experience and a diverse background in financial services with roles across operations, compliance, branch supervision, investment product management and advisory platform management. Prior to her current role, Kate was at MetLife Securities and MML Investors Service as Director of Product Management. Before that she worked for Lincoln Financial for 12 years in various roles. Kate received a BA in Finance from Belmont Abbey College, certificate from the Securities Industry Institute at The Wharton School and holds FINRA Series 7, 24 and 66 Registrations.
