FIN Forum 2026 speakers

Adam Rich is the Deputy CIO and Portfolio Manager for Vaughan Nelson Investment Management, where he leads the firm's international equity investment strategies. Prior to joining the firm in 2016, he conducted equity analysis for Visium Asset Management. Prior to that, he worked at Hotchkis & Wiley Capital and Goldman Sachs & Co.

In addition to being a CFA® charterholder, Adam holds a Bachelor of Science in business management from Brigham Young University.

Artemiza has over 20 years of investment management experience. Before co-founding Integrated Quantitative Investments LLC, Artemiza was a quantitative researcher at Man Numeric, where her research efforts focused on alpha signals, data processing, and model construction. Prior to joining Man Numeric in 2015, Artemiza was at Russell Investments for over a decade, where, as senior researcher, she focused on quantitative manager selection.

Artemiza has taught courses in finance, economics and statistics at the University of Washington and the University of Auckland, New Zealand. She has a PhD in finance from University of Washington, and an MSc and BSc(Hons) in mathematics from University of Auckland.

Her academic research focused on asset pricing and portfolio optimization, and she has published in prestigious academic journals such as the Journal of Finance, Journal of Portfolio Management, and Management Science.

Brian is a Managing Director and Partner at Disciplina Group with the primary role of Chief Market Strategist. In this role, he is responsible for developing market forecasts and investable themes that can be implemented in client portfolios. He often shares these views through presentations at industry conferences, authoring Disciplina's quarterly newsletter and in meetings with clients. With over 20 years of experience in the global credit markets, Brian also provides insights regarding manager selection in credit and income-oriented strategies.

Prior to working at Disciplina, Brian held strategist and portfolio manager roles at long only and hedge fund managers such as Lord Abbett, Claren Road, Morgan Stanley, and JP Morgan Investment. While at Morgan Stanley he was recognized as an All-American leveraged credit strategist by Institutional Investor Magazine and as a top strategist in the European High Yield market by Euromoney magazine.

Brian is a graduate of Seton Hall University with a bachelor's degree in Marketing (1989) and holds an M.B.A. from the University of Rochester (1994) where he concentrated in Finance and Corporate Accounting. He is also a co-founder and board member of the Rosemary D. Gruner Cancer Fund.

Hoa Quach joined Wespath in June 2024, bringing extensive experience in asset manager research, fund construction and investment analytics. As Director, Public Markets, she is responsible for monitoring, developing and implementing strategies for Wespath’s public equity and fixed income investments. Before Wespath, Hoa served as Managing Director, Portfolio Manager at Christian Brothers Investment Services, where she oversaw the selection of asset managers, portfolio construction and monitoring of a diverse range of funds. Prior responsibilities include manager research at Mercer and portfolio management for natural resources and public equities at the University of Chicago’s Investment Office. Hoa earned her bachelor’s in Business Administration from the University of Notre Dame and her MBA from the University of Chicago. Hoa is a CFA Charterholder.

John Tennaro ("JT") has spent more than 25 years on the allocator side of the investment industry, serving family offices, private wealth firms, RIAs, and OCIO platforms at firms including NEPC, CIBC, Commonwealth Financial and Walton Enterprises.

His career has spanned leadership roles in investment strategy, manager research, portfolio construction, and due diligence, including tenures as a Chief Investment Strategist and as Head of ESG and Impact Investing. Over that time, he has developed a deep understanding of how sophisticated investors assess managers, allocate capital, and make investment decisions.

JT is also a university lecturer, co-host of the Say It Anyway podcast, and founder of JTF Advisory.

Kwesi Smith, CFA leads Greenwood Project with a mission to open doors for Black and Latino college students in financial services. Drawing on twenty years of global investment experience and his own journey from Jamaica to the United States, Kwesi brings both strategic depth and deep personal commitment.

As CEO, he transformed Greenwood, quadrupling its reach and ensuring over 90% of alumni secure high-trajectory roles. He is now leading the development of an AI fluency framework for the next generation of financial professionals. Recognized nationally for his impact, including ringing the NYSE Opening Bell, Kwesi leads with a single belief: talent is everywhere, and opportunity must be too.

Luis is an SMU graduate with a double major in Finance and Economics. He serves in a generalist investment role helping oversee a $2.3 billion investment portfolio across all asset classes.

His recent work has focused on private and public equity investments, where he contributes to portfolio construction, investment manager due diligence, and long-term strategic asset allocation.

Matt DenBleyker is the CIO of Quincy Wells Advisors, responsible for leading the development of scalable investment solutions and multi-asset class portfolios for the Chicago-based firm, which is a subsidiary RIA of Quincy Wells Group.

He joined Quincy Wells in July 2026 after serving as director of investments for private markets at Lee Financial. He was previously a managing director and co-CIO at Commerce Street Investment Management.

Miguel Silva is an Investment Manager within CalPERS' Sustainable Investments team, where he leads strategy, oversight, and engagement for the organization's emerging manager platforms across private markets. He is responsible for sourcing and conducting due diligence on new fund and co-investment opportunities and oversees intermediated emerging manager strategies in Private Equity. Miguel works closely with asset class leadership, external advisors, and investment managers to advance CalPERS' investment objectives.

Miguel began his investment career in 2002 and brings broad experience spanning institutional allocation, private market sponsorship, financial advisory, and commercial brokerage. Earlier in his career, he served as Managing Member of real estate partnerships, raising capital and executing value-add strategies in Northern California.

A first-generation Portuguese American, Miguel is fluent in Portuguese and Spanish. He holds dual Bachelor of Arts degrees from the University of California, Davis.

Nadine Buckland is the CEO and Co-Founder of Zenzic Capital, a European real estate credit and special situations investment firm. She co-founded the firm in 2014 alongside Tom Lloyd-Jones and has led its growth from inception into an institutional platform, with over $1.25 billion of real estate and asset-backed transactions originated and financed to date.

Under Nadine's leadership, Zenzic has developed a differentiated approach focused on the UK and European lower mid-market, providing flexible, asset-backed credit solutions across the capital structure. The firm's strategy emphasizes downside protection, disciplined structuring, and active asset management, positioning it to deliver strong risk-adjusted returns across market cycles.

Nadine has been instrumental in expanding Zenzic's investor base globally, including the recent launch of its institutional evergreen fund, anchored by leading U.S. investors. She is a recognized voice in private credit and real assets, frequently speaking on topics including capital markets dislocation, niche credit strategies, and the evolving role of private capital in European real estate.

Pallavi Srivastava serves as a Director on the Investment Team at Tolleson Wealth Management. In this role, she oversees portfolio construction, third party manager selection, and ongoing portfolio management of the firm's international investments portfolio. She is also involved in sourcing, diligence and monitoring of private investments, particularly in venture capital and growth equity.

Prior to joining Tolleson, Pallavi was a senior investment professional at View Capital Advisors, where she was responsible for investment manager research and due diligence across multiple asset classes with a focus on private equity investments. With more than 10 years of experience, Pallavi started her career at UBS where she was involved in running a covered call writing options strategy.

Pallavi received a master's in finance degree from Rochester Institute of Technology. She is married with two children and is a published author of a book on motherhood.

Robert Holley is a 20-year veteran in the investment industry, with a background in fixed income, equities, alternatives, and futures/commodities. He currently serves as Executive Director for the $3.0 billion Baltimore City Fire & Police Employees' Retirement System, where he is responsible for all aspects of managing the defined benefit retirement plan for the first responders of the City of Baltimore.

Prior to his work in Baltimore, he headed the $2.0 billion Prince George's County Pension Plan, and before that was portfolio manager for the Office of the Illinois State Treasurer. From 2001-2014, Robert worked in New York and Chicago, holding several positions with Citigroup Global Markets, Inc. within their Institutional Clients Group (ICG).

A graduate of Stanford University (2001), Robert focused on public policy, with a minor in art history. Robert is a champion for workforce diversity, regularly participating in fundraising and hosting networking events for Sponsors for Educational Opportunity (SEO). From 2003-2008 he served as Citigroup's firm captain for the SEO program. He is also an active member of the National Association of Securities Professionals (NASP) and involved in programming and initiatives for the National Association of Investment Companies (NAIC).

Robert currently resides in Laurel, Maryland, with his wife Lynda and his two sons, Quinton and Malcolm. He completed his Executive MBA at Georgetown University in May 2023.

Ryan Bailey is a Partner and Chief Investment Officer at Paradigm, where he helps lead the firm's investment strategy and portfolio construction across public and private markets. Prior to joining Paradigm, he served as Head of Investments at Children's Health System of Texas, overseeing $1.8 billion in assets and building the organization's investment office from the ground up. He also served as Investment Officer and Interim CIO at the Meadows Foundation and began his career in equity research at Smith Barney, Deutsche Bank, and Credit Suisse First Boston. A Yale University graduate, Ryan holds the CFA, FRM, CAIA, and CMT designations.

Ryan currently serves on the investment committees of the American Heart Association, Texas Employees Retirement System, Dallas Police & Fire Pension System, and Parkland Hospital, and serves on several corporate and nonprofit boards. He has been recognized by Institutional Investor, aiCIO, and Trusted Insight for his leadership in institutional investing.

Steve Thieme serves as Director of Public Markets at HighGround Advisors, where he oversees the firm's public equity and hedge fund portfolios. With more than 15 years of investment management experience, he specializes in manager selection, portfolio construction, and multi-asset investing.

Before joining HighGround in 2022, Steve was Senior Vice President at Fund Evaluation Group, leading hedged and specialty equity research and managing equity and hedge fund portfolios for nonprofit institutions. Earlier, he served as Investment Officer at Summer Hill Capital Partners, a Cincinnati-based family office.

Steve earned a BBA in Finance from Morehead State University and an MBA from Miami University. He is both a CFA® charterholder and CAIA® charterholder, and is an active member of the CFA Institute, CAIA Association, and CFA Society Dallas/Fort Worth. He also serves on the Board of Trustees at Grace Academy of Dallas.

Tommy Heitz is a Senior Associate with the Emerging Manager Program at the Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS). He is responsible for sourcing, evaluating, and monitoring investment managers, assessing portfolio risk, and supporting investment decisions across the program's portfolio.

Tommy works across all asset classes within TRS's Emerging Manager Program, with a primary focus on hedge funds. He has spent eight years at TRS evaluating alternative investment managers and helping identify emerging investment talent capable of scaling to institutional mandates.

Prior to joining TRS, Tommy served five years in the United States Marine Corps. He holds a BBA in Accounting and a Master in Professional Accounting from The University of Texas at Austin's McCombs School of Business and is a CAIA Charterholder. Outside of work, he enjoys woodworking and building custom furniture.

Mr. Lyons is the Head of Global Equity at Attucks Asset Management and is responsible for the assessment of investment management firms, portfolio management and data architecture.