Committee Bios
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KATHLEEN (KAT) MCGRATH, CFA
Senior Lead Investment Analyst
GLOBAL MANAGER RESEARCH (GMR)
Kathleen “Kat” McGrath is a senior lead investment analyst for Global Manager Research (GMR), a division of Wells Fargo Investment Institute. The GMR team conducts due diligence and provides research on the third-party money managers used throughout Wells Fargo’s brokerage, private banking, family wealth, and retirement businesses.
In her role, Kat covers Emerging Markets and Asia equity managers as well as leads ESG initiatives within GMR. Prior to joining Wells Fargo in 2022, Kat worked at Asset Consulting Group (ACG) as a vice president on the global equity manager research team, focused on US Small-to-Mid Cap equity managers, and spearheaded the firm’s ESG efforts. Prior to ACG, Kat worked at WallachBeth Capital, Leerink Swann, Susquehanna Investment Group, and Stifel Nicolaus as a sell-side analyst covering the Medical Device and Equipment industries.
Kat earned a BS in Business Economics and Finance with a minor in Mathematics from Southern Illinois University – Edwardsville. She holds the Chartered Financial Analyst designation and the CFA Institute Certificate in ESG Investing. She has held the positions of Vice President (2020-2021) and President (2021-2023) with the CFA Society of St. Louis.
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BLAKE EMERSON, CFA
Head of Investments & Advice – Missouri
Executive Director
J. P. MORGAN PRIVATE BANK
In his role, Blake works with high net-worth individuals and families to develop and deliver customized, long-term investment strategies. He also serves in a leadership capacity within the St. Louis office, partnering closely with the Office Team Lead to grow the firm’s presence throughout a five-state region.
Blake joined the St. Louis team in march 2015 after spending five years working with families in the firm’s New York City office. He has been heavily involved within the firm on a national level, having served recently as a member of the U.S. Private Bank Advisory Council.
Blake is actively involved in the St. Louis community, serving as a member of the University of Michigan alumni association and serves on CFA Society St. Louis board of directors.
He holds a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from the University of Michigan Ross School of Business. He earned his CFA designation in 2015 and also holds Series 7, 9, 10 and 63 FINRA licenses.
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ALEC HUBBARD, CFA
Portfolio Solutions Senior Specialist
STIFEL FINANCIAL CORP.
As a Portfolio Solutions Senior Specialist at Stifel, Alec Hubbard is responsible for helping financial advisors build customized multi-asset class portfolio strategies for high-net-worth clients based on Stifel’s strategic and dynamic asset allocation models. He regularly engages with a variety of clients and prospects to represent Stifel’s CIO office’s current market and investment views, focusing on high-net-worth individuals, family offices, foundations, and trusts via their financial advisors.
Prior to joining Stifel, Mr. Hubbard served as a portfolio analyst for Wells Fargo’s Investment Solutions division. He earned his B.S. in Economics from Truman State University and holds the Chartered Financial Analyst® (CFA) designation, the Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst (CAIA) designation, the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ certification, and Series 7 and 66 licenses.
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DR. GAURANGO BANERJEE, CFA
Professor of Finance,
Plaster School of Business & Entrepreneurship
LINDENWOOD UNIVERSITY
Dr. Banerjee is originally from India, and received a Bachelor’s of Engineering and Economics in the dual degree program at BITS Pilani, India. Subsequently, he completed a Master’s and Doctorate program in the Finance and Economics Department at the University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa. After completing his Doctoral program, he taught at the University of Texas at Brownsville for 14 years before joining Lindenwood University in St. Louis in 2013. During his tenure at the University of Texas, he completed the requirements for the Chartered Financial Analyst program, and received the CFA designation. He has served as a Faculty Advisor for the CFA Research Challenge student team at Lindenwood University since 2016. In July 2021, Dr. Banerjee was appointed to the Board of Directors at the CFA Society St. Louis.
He has published his research in over 15 peer-reviewed journals in his field, and his current research interests lie in Risk Management and Corporate Governance issues. He has taught a wide variety of finance courses, including Corporate Finance, Investments, and seminars in Finance, Derivatives and Fixed Income Securities at the undergraduate and graduate level.
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DAN CONNER, CFA
General Partner – Ascend Venture Capital
EDWARD JONES
Dan is the founder and general partner at Ascend Venture Capital, an early stage data-centric tech focused venture capital firm located in St. Louis, MO and the world’s leading proponent of ethical venture capital practices. Dan founded Ascend out of a relentless passion for innovation and entrepreneurship. As a c-level operator at disruptive startups, as a quantamental management consultant, and as an investor in big ideas, Dan has cultivated a career in enabling the future states of industries. Dan is an Olin Business School MBA graduate and holds an undergraduate degree from Yale in mechanical engineering; he also holds a master’s in advanced renewable technologies from Washington University in St. Louis.
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JULI NIEMANN, CFA
Executive Vice President
SMITH MOORE
Juli Niemann has worked in the financial services industry for nearly 50 years, and her extensive experience in this industry has given her the perspective and skill to manage the risk in investing. Investors cannot control the range of the returns available and set the markets. However, through careful analysis and proper balancing, they can control the risks in their individual portfolios. It is Juli’s task to know and understand your unique needs and concerns, to monitor changing circumstances, and to build and maintain a portfolio to satisfy your objectives.
Juli graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree from Fontbonne College and from the University of Missouri-St. Louis with an MBA in Finance. As a Chartered Financial Analyst, Juli is a current member and former president of the CFA Society of St. Louis.
Outside of the office, Juli remains active in the community as a member of many organizations, including the University City Pension Board, the Metro Children’s Theater Company, Parents as Teachers, the Missouri Women’s Forum, St. Louis Culinary Society, Women’s Democratic Forum, St. Louis Forum, Focus St. Louis, Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri, and the Mary Ryder Home.
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BRADY RITCHEY
Founder and Chief Investment Officer
ROTH INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT
Brady founded Roth Investment Management in 2018, and is responsible for managing the opportunity strategy. Brady’s prior experience includes the Federal Reserve Bank and Mindshare Capital Management. A registered investment advisor in the states of Missouri and Illinois, Brady holds a Master of Science in Finance from Webster University and completed the Value Investing program at Columbia Business School.
In addition to Roth Investment Management, Brady also teaches International Financial Strategies at St. Louis University as well as Finance and Investments at Webster University.
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SCOTT FROIDL
VP, Portfolio Manager - Research
ENTERPRISE BANK & TRUST
As an Assistant Vice President and Investment Analyst on the Investment Manager Research Team, Scott is a member of the LPL Financial Strategic and Tactical Asset Allocation Committee for Weaver Wealth Management. He covers U.S. large cap equity managers and is a key contributor to the LPL Research centrally managed portfolios.
Prior to joining LPL Financial in 2021, Scott performed investment analysis with the Wells Fargo Investment Institute and Stifel and began his career as a financial advisor at Prudential Securities in 1996, and has earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Sales and Marketing from Lindenwood University.
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MORGAN L. KOENIG, CFA, CAIA
VP, Portfolio Manager - Research
ENTERPRISE BANK & TRUST
Morgan serves as Portfolio Manager at Enterprise Bank & Trust and has worked in the investment industry since 2002. Prior to joining Enterprise, Morgan was a Portfolio Manager and Research Analyst for Wedgewood Partners, Inc. where she was a member of the Investment Team responsible for Wedgewood's Large Cap Focused Growth product. Prior to Wedgewood, Morgan worked at Apollo Capital Management as a Senior Hedge Fund Analyst where she led a team responsible for the performance calculations for a hedge fund of funds structure.
Morgan earned her BSBA (Finance), minor in Accounting from UMSL, with honors. She is a CFA Charterholder and CAIA Charterholder.
In addition to being a member of the College of Business Administration's Finance & Legal Studies Advisory Board, she is also an active member of the Alumnae Chapter of Zeta Tau Alpha which supports breast cancer awareness and education via Think Pink partnerships with American Cancer Society, the National Football League, and Bright Pink.
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