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Carys Murphy is Head of Strategic Initiatives at Smith Capital Investors, where she leads business strategy and planning. Carys has a distinguished track record as an internal consultant in financial services.
Before joining Smith Capital Investors, Carys was instrumental in defining client and employee experiences, and executing growth and integration strategies that delivered results. At Charles Schwab, she was a leader in the integration office for the $26B acquisition and integration of TD Ameritrade with Schwab.
Carys holds a Master’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Colorado and a Bachelor’s degree in Business from Emory University.
Outside of work, Carys loves spending time being active and traveling with friends and family; including skiing, hiking, mountain biking, and playing squash.
Why did you join Smith Capital Investors?
“I joined Smith Capital Investors for the opportunity to work with smart, driven, and interesting people. I am excited to be part of a growing company that values integrity and relationships”.
Favorite book, quote, thought, inspiration, lesson.
“The cynics will tell you that the good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow. I say, do it anyway.” – Roberto Goizueta
Cassie has experience working in Registered Investment Advisory (RIA) firms. Most recently she worked for Fidelis Capital as Chief of Staff and Head of Marketing. Before this, she worked at Private Wealth Asset Management as a Financial Analyst and Relationship Manager. In both positions, she played a key role in building the companies from inception, fostering individual and institutional relationships, and driving launch marketing and sales efforts. Cassie applies her expertise to her passion: cultivating meaningful and long lasting relationships with institutions and individuals.
Cassie earned her Bachelor of Science in business from the University of St Andrews, distinction of First Class Honors. She played for the University of St Andrews golf team and received the Royal and Ancient (R&A) Scholarship. In her free time, she enjoys skiing, tennis, golf, and reading.
Why did you join Smith Capital Investors?
“I joined Smith Capital Investors to surround myself with people of high character, kindness, and investing excellence.”
Favorite book, quote, thought, inspiration, lesson.
“What counts in life is not the mere fact that we have lived; it is what difference we have made to the lives of others that will determine the significance of the life we lead.” – Nelson Mandela
Charlie Smith is an operations associate at Smith Capital Investors. He joined the team Summer of 2024 after graduating from the University of Colorado at Boulder. Charlie is focused on management and helping expand Smith Capital Investors to new heights.
Before joining Smith Capital Investors, Charlie worked a sales internship with Northwestern Mutual. At Northwestern he found a passion for connecting with people and expanding his professional network. While in school, he served on the executive and community service boards for his fraternity.
Charlie earned a Bachelors of Science degree in Business with a dual emphasis on Marketing and Real Estate. Charlie spends his free time enjoying the great state of Colorado – skiing, golfing, hiking, and going to every sports event he can get a ticket for.
Why did you join Smith Capital Investors?
“I joined Smith Capital Investors because I was given a phenomenal opportunity to work with a talented, smart, and hard-working team. I want to do whatever I can to help expand my father’s business and create an environment that my family and children would want to work for.
Favorite book, quote, thought, inspiration, lesson.
“You can never let anything distract you from your main objective. My only goal is to be great. That’s all I want. That’s all I ever aspire to be. Greatness is something nobody can ever take away from you, no matter what happens. So I put all my energy and focus into my craft” – Larry Fitzgerald
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Bryan Owen is an Analyst at Smith Capital Investors. He joined the team as an intern while finishing his degree at the University of Colorado at Boulder and assumed a full-time position with the firm in January 2020. Bryan’s focus on the team is credit and economic analysis.
Bryan earned a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration from the University of Colorado at Boulder with minors in economics and mathematics. Originally from Denver, Colorado, Bryan spends his free time following financial markets, playing ice hockey, skiing, golfing, playing tennis, and reading.
Why did you join Smith Capital Investors?
“It’s not too often that you can find yourself in an environment surrounded by great minds but more importantly, great people. I joined Smith Capital Investors because of the unique opportunity to surround myself with people of high character, that are always pushing the limits for improvement — both individually and with the business.”
Favorite book, quote, thought, inspiration, lesson.
“You were not born a winner, and you were not born a loser. You are what you make yourself to be.” – Lou Holtz
“The impediment to action advances action. What stands in the way becomes the way.” – Marcus Aurelius
Books: The Dark Tower series, Thinking in Bets, Shoe Dog, The Dao of Capital, The Lessons of History
Markus Manly is an Investor at Smith Capital Investors. He joined the team as an intern while finishing up his degree at the University of Colorado at Boulder and assumed a full-time position with the firm in May 2022. Markus’ focus on the team is credit and valuation analysis.
During his time at the University of Colorado, Markus served as an equity analyst on the student-led investment team under the Leeds Investment and Trading Group, which manages a portion of the school’s endowment. Additionally, he interned for a small M&A focused investment bank and served as the Vice President of his Fraternity.
Markus earned a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration from the University of Colorado at Boulder with a dual emphasis in finance and accounting as well as a certificate in quantitative finance. Originally from Centennial, Colorado, Markus spends his free time following financial markets, skiing, golfing, playing tennis, reading, and backpacking around the world. He also enjoys scuba diving and is Advanced Open Water certified.
Why did you join Smith Capital Investors?
“I was immediately drawn to the incredible sense of community and trust among everyone on the team. I knew that I would be surrounded by intelligent and hard-working people who would push me to become a better version of myself every day, both personally and professionally. It was a unique opportunity to join a family committed to investing excellence while upholding the highest levels of honor and integrity.”
Favorite book, quote, thought, inspiration, lesson.
“Opportunity is a haughty goddess who wastes no time with those who are unprepared.”
― George S. Clason
Jake Jones is an Investor at Smith Capital Investors. He joined the team as an intern while finishing up his degree at the University of Colorado at Boulder and assumed a full-time position with the firm in January 2023. Jake’s focus on the team is credit and valuation analysis.
Prior to joining the Smith Capital team, Jake completed several internships, including Middle Market Banking Intern at KeyBank, Investment Banking Intern at Quadriga Partners, and Business Development Intern at Envision Radiology. In addition, Jake served as an equity analyst on the student-led investment team under the Leeds Investment and Trading Group, which manages a portion of the school’s endowment.
Jake earned a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration from the University of Colorado at Boulder with a dual emphasis in finance and accounting. Originally from Colorado Springs, Colorado, Jake spends his free time following financial markets, reading, golfing, snowboarding, skiing, hiking 14ners, and hanging with his dog, Summit.
Why did you join Smith Capital Investors?
“Following the era of online school, I had a desire to join a tight-knit team, working together to achieve a common goal, yet centered around the relationships and people that make the goal worth striving for. Redefining workplace culture is at display in Smith Capital Investors people-centric atmosphere which creates an opportunity for me to surround myself with people that propel me in the direction of excellence while encouraging me to express my own perspectives and ideas.”
Favorite book, quote, thought, inspiration, lesson.
“Our entire life is a sum total of the decisions we make and with every action you are choosing a direction”
― Craig Groeschel
Palmer is a Software Engineer at Smith Capital Investors. He joined in June of 2024 after completing an additional Bachelor of Science in Computer Science at the University of Colorado, Boulder. Nate’s area of focus is developing software for improving efficiency.
Before joining Smith Capital Investors, Nate had attended the University of Colorado, Boulder for a degree in Political Science and Arabic before graduating in 2020. Nate had a career working in sales in the technology industry assisting different businesses and educational institutions to find software solutions. This is where Nate discovered a passion for developing software, which inspired him to return to school to further his education and make a career shift into Software Engineering. Having a background in sales accompanied by a strong technical background, he was passionate about finding a place to leverage both skill sets.
In his free time, Nate spends most of his time in the outdoors of Colorado. His favorite activities are climbing, fishing, hiking, and most other recreational outdoor activities. Nate also enjoys building new software to improve personal efficiency.
Why did you join Smith Capital Investors?
“I joined Smith Capital Investors to work with amazing people who share a common work ethic and passion for building a positive environment. I wanted to work in an environment that encourages creativity and diligence.”
Favorite book, quote, thought, inspiration, lesson.
“Computers are incredibly fast, accurate, and stupid. Human beings are incredibly slow, inaccurate, and brilliant. Together they are powerful beyond imagination.” – Albert Einstein
Founder of Smith Capital Investors
Gibson has more than 30 years of investment experience. He previously served as Chief Investment Officer, Fixed Income of Janus Capital Management LLC, a position he held from January 2006 through March 2016. In that position, Gibson was also a member of the Janus Executive Committee, sat on the Perkins Investment Management Board, and was the Portfolio Manager on Janus Fixed Income strategies.
As Chief Investment Officer, Gibson was responsible for Janus’ investment process within the firm’s fixed-income division and served as Portfolio Manager on most of Janus’ fixed-income strategies and funds. He has been credited with building the firm’s fundamental fixed-income business.
Two of the funds he managed became the largest strategies at Janus before his departure – the Janus Balanced Fund and the Janus Flexible Bond Fund. Gibson joined Janus in 2001 after spending the first 10 years of his career at Morgan Stanley in Manhattan and San Francisco.
He is actively engaged with the University of Colorado at Boulder (’91 Economics). Additionally, he sits on The Leeds School of Business Alumni and Friends Board and the University of Colorado Foundation Trustee Board. He previously served on the board of the Country Club of the Rockies (President) and is currently on the Board of Colorado Golf Club.
Why did you join Smith Capital Investors?
“I founded Smith Capital Investors with three primary focuses – Investing, People, and Culture. Every decision we make, every action we take, and everything we aspire to do is centered around these three components of our firm. Wrapped around these three focuses is a desire to serve: our employees, our partners, our clients, and our community. I am a strong believer that bringing great people together with a relentless commitment to a strong values-based culture can have an incredible impact.”
Favorite book, quote, thought, inspiration, lesson.
“What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
“Surround yourself with great people and you will be great. Be very conscious of the company you keep as they will reflect your character.” – Jane Ross Smith.
Ryan Duffy is a senior member of Smith Capital Investors’ business development team, a position he has held since August 2020. Before joining the team, Ryan served 12 years at Principal Global Investors (PGI), with his most recent role as a Senior Market Director in Intermediary Sales covering Wire House, IBD, and RIF channels in the New England market. During his tenure at PGI, he earned several accolades for sales performance excellence. In total, Ryan has 19 years of industry experience.
Ryan earned a Bachelor of Arts in religious studies from St. Lawrence University. Additionally, he holds a Certified Investment Management Analyst (CIMA) designation. Ryan enjoys spending time with his wife, three children, and their dog. He is passionate about coaching his kid’s sports teams, health & fitness, and golf.
Why did you join Smith Capital Investors?
“I joined Smith Capital Investors because of the firm’s enduring commitment to people and service.”
Favorite book, quote, thought, inspiration, lesson.
“Focus on the process, and results will follow.”
Will McCurdy is an Investor at Smith Capital Investors. He joined the team as an intern during his junior year at the University of Colorado at Boulder and assumed a full-time position with the firm in June 2019. Will’s focus on the team is credit analysis and enhancing analytics.
During his time at the University of Colorado, Will held a position at the Burridge Center for Finance at the Leeds School of Business, where he was part of a team that helped students gear up to find a job in finance. At the Burridge Center, he participated in planning and organizing company visits for students at financial service companies in New York, Chicago, Denver, and other cities across the country. Additionally, he interned at Wind Ridge Capital, where he assisted the managing director with deal sourcing in the private equity space, reaching out to develop relationships with new clients at private equity firms and family offices. Will experience includes developing new websites using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript code.
Will earned a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration from the University of Colorado at Boulder with a minor in computer science. Originally from Broomfield, Colorado, Will spends his free time golfing, playing basketball, snowboarding, hiking 14ers, and playing the guitar. He also spends his time following financial markets, coding in C++ and Python, and developing simple programs, primarily to analyze sets of financial data.
Brinton Johns is a Consulting Analyst at Smith Capital Investors. He brings several decades of industry experience to this role. He is a co-founder of NZS Capital, a Denver, Colorado based investment company focused on adaptable, innovative businesses that work toward maximizing non-zero-sum (NZS, or win-win) outcomes.
Before co-founding NZS, he spent 17 years at Janus Capital Group where he served as an analyst, portfolios manager, and Technology team leader.
Brinton earned a Bachelor of Arts in business administration from the University of Texas at Arlington and a Master of Arts in biblical/Christian studies from the Denver Seminary.
Zach Tucker is an Investor at Smith Capital Investors, a position he has held since 2018. Before joining the team, he served as a Director at Cantor Fitzgerald in New York. In that position, Mr. Tucker traded both municipal and taxable fixed income products.
In previous roles, Zach served in various fixed income research and trading roles at global banks and brokerages, as well as being Chief Financial Officer of an electronic bond trading platform. Notably, he managed a municipal products business at Credit Suisse where he started a trading desk and was the lead decision maker writing over $2 billion in letters of credit to closed-end bond trusts. He started his career as a distressed debt analyst at Citigroup.
Zach earned a Bachelor of Science degree in management science & engineering from Stanford University, with a concentration in financial & decision engineering. He brings more than 18 years of financial industry experience to this role. Zach strongly believes in education and his community, working with the Young Americans Center for Financial Education, Rose Community Foundation, and Colorado Academy.
Why did you join Smith Capital Investors?
“I found a great opportunity to join a team of experienced and principled investors at Smith Capital. I was drawn to their strong background in fixed income markets and the team’s entrepreneurial mindset. Learning that Smith Capital Investors invests first in people, I knew I had found a home.”
Favorite book, quote, thought, inspiration, lesson.
“Do right and fear no man.” – English proverb.
Roberta Tucker is an Investor at Smith Capital Investors, a position she has held since the firm’s inception. Additionally, she serves as the firm’s Chief Compliance Officer. Before joining the firm, Ms. Tucker was a Global Client Portfolio Manager for the fixed income team at Janus Capital Management LLC. In this role, she was a liaison between the investment team and the firm’s fixed income clients. Her responsibilities included relaying the team’s current market thoughts and portfolio positioning to clients as well as collaborating with them to identify investment solutions for their portfolios.
She has spent more than 30 years managing fixed income portfolios and working with clients to deliver investment solutions. During her career, Roberta has managed fixed income portfolios for mutual funds, public and corporate pension plans, insurance companies, corporate cash accounts, and individuals. In addition to her portfolio management expertise, she successfully built and managed fixed income teams for several institutions. Her training expertise has helped educate sales teams and clients on the fixed income markets.
Roberta has been frequently quoted in numerous business publications, including the Wall Street Journal and Barron’s, on current events in the fixed income markets. Additionally, she has been a frequent speaker and panelist at industry events.
Roberta earned a Bachelor of Science degree in finance from Bemidji State University. She is a member of the CFA Institute and CFA Society of Colorado. Roberta has held many volunteer board positions, most recently serving on the Board of Trustees of the YMCA of Metropolitan Denver.
Why did you join Smith Capital Investors?
“I joined Smith Capital Investors because I wanted to be in an organization that provides meaningful work and would allow me to develop meaningful relationships with people of high character.”
Favorite book, quote, thought, inspiration, lesson.
“Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher, Vanity of vanities! All is vanity. What does man gain by all the toil at which he toils under the sun?” – Ecclesiastes
Michael Scherer is head of business development at Smith Capital Investors, a position he has held since April 2019. Before joining the team, he served as a Field Sales Director at Janus Capital Group. In that position, Mr. Scherer was instrumental in building one of the top sales territories for the firm and was a member of the Janus Director Advisory Committee.
During his tenure at Janus Capital Group, Mike received awards for both sales achievement and leadership in 2006, 2013, 2014, 2015, and 2017. He has extensive knowledge of the Intermediary Advisor channel, and his expertise is in working closely with financial advisors.
Mike earned a Bachelor of Arts in communications from Muhlenberg College. Additionally, he earned a Master of Arts in psychology from the University of Denver. Mike enjoys spending time with his family. He is an avid football, basketball, and baseball fan, and enjoys running, golfing, and playing the electric guitar very poorly!
Why did you join Smith Capital Investors?
“I joined Smith Capital because I wanted to be a part of something special. This is a group with a track record of tremendous past success. Those individuals came together as a team to perform a necessary service combining integrity and excellence.”
Favorite book, quote, thought, inspiration, lesson.
“We all are learning, modifying, or destroying ideas all the time. Rapid destruction of your ideas when the time is right is one of the most valuable qualities you can acquire. You must force yourself to consider arguments on the other side.”
― Charles T. Munger.
Garrett Olson is an Investor at Smith Capital Investors, a position he has held since April 2020. Before joining the team, he served as a Vice President, Opportunistic Credit Analyst at Shenkman Capital Management. In that position, Mr. Olson was responsible for analyzing and executing stressed distressed and catalyst-driven credit investment opportunities.
During his time at Shenkman Garrett held several roles of increasing responsibility with a focus on investment research and modeling across a range of industries and the generation of trade ideas for leveraged loan and high yield bond portfolios.
Garrett earned a Bachelor of Business Administration degree Summa Cum Laude from the Southern Methodist University Cox Business School and a Bachelor of Science degree Summa Cum Laude in economics from the Southern Methodist University Dedman College. He holds the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation. He has a passion for investing, skiing, golfing, reading, and traveling.
Why did you join Smith Capital Investors?
“I joined Smith Capital due to its deep commitment to Investing, People, and Culture. I saw an opportunity to work with a talented, high-character team that emphasizes intellectual honesty, hard work, and continuous learning in order to better serve its clients. ”
Favorite book, quote, thought, inspiration, lesson.
“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.”
Dustin Groesbeck is an Investor at Smith Capital Investors. She joined the team in August 2021. Dustin started her career in a credit analyst program at Bank of America and served as a Portfolio Monitoring Officer managing Middle Market credits. Later she worked at HSBC as an Associate covering both investment grade and high-yield large corporate credits within Global Banking and Markets.
Dustin graduated from Indiana University, earning a degree in finance and international business at the Kelley School of Business. During her time there, she gained experience interning at Redwood Trust and abroad at the Bank of Ireland. She was actively involved in several organizations, including Women in Business, and participated in Indiana University’s annual Little 500 bike race. Originally from California, Dustin has a passion for credit analysis and research, international travel, yoga, and reading classic novels.
Why did you join Smith Capital Investors?
“I joined Smith Capital Investors because of the limitless opportunities to grow both individually and as a team. Every team member brings a unique set of skills and experiences to the table, and the company’s commitment to cultivating a best-in-class culture is unmatched.”
Favorite book, quote, thought, inspiration, lesson.
“Real change, enduring change, happens one step at a time.” – Ruth Bader Ginsburg
Wade Clouse is an Investor at Smith Capital Investors, a position he has held since August 2021. Before joining the firm, Mr. Clouse served as Senior Vice President of Operations and was the Chief Compliance Officer for 361 Capital, a boutique asset manager. His responsibilities included oversight of the information technology department, fund and company operations, and overall firm compliance.
Wade has been in the financial services industry for several decades. He also worked at ALPS Fund Services and served in a variety of roles, including Vice President of alternative investments services, and was responsible for helping clients set up fund structures and overseeing the fund administration department of alternative investment funds. While at ALPS he held several board and officer positions across different mutual funds and also oversaw and managed the daily operations for a variety of fund families. He was the primary point of contact between fund management and third-party service providers.
Wade earned a Bachelor of Science degree in finance from the University of Colorado at Boulder and received his MBA with honors in finance and accounting from Regis University.
Why did you join Smith Capital Investors?
“I joined Smith Capital Investors to work, learn and establish relationships with great people who have a passion for investing as well as supporting each other and a commitment to clients. I firmly believe in the three primary focuses of Smith Capital Investors which are Investing, People and Culture.”
Favorite book, quote, thought, inspiration, lesson.
“Be less impressed and more involved.” Mathew McConaughey
Drew Casner is a Technical Investor with the team. In his role, Mr. Casner bridges the gap between finance and technology within the firm. He is able to combine his technical background and experience, with the knowledge of the team around him, to build cutting edge tools that increase the efficiency and decision-making ability of the firm.
Before joining the team, he served as the Chief Technical Officer for Give and Go Film, a sports technology startup he co-founded during his time at CU Boulder. In that position, Drew built an automated video editing solution for college basketball coaches, co-authored a technical patent, secured venture funding for the company, and worked with top tier Division 1 College Basketball teams to refine the product. Before he co-founded Give and Go, he worked as an intern at Raytheon, improving satellite ground stations for various classified programs.
Drew graduated from the University of Colorado at Boulder in May of 2019, with a degree in computer science, a minor in economics, and a minor in business with an emphasis in Entrepreneurship. He served on the leadership team for the student group HackCU for all four years of his education at CU Boulder. Drew earned the designation of Eagle Scout with Boy Scouts of America. In his free time, he is an avid sports fan and coaches his church’s softball team. He is passionate about entrepreneurship and technology, especially how the synthesis of those two fields can positively impact society.
Why did you join Smith Capital Investors?
“Smith Capital Investors presented an amazing opportunity to work with passionate and talented individuals who collectively aspire to build a company that matters.”
Favorite book, quote, thought, inspiration, lesson.
“Make sure the thing you are working on is something you love.” – Brad Feld.
Kevin Branan is an Operations Specialist with Smith Capital Investors, a position he has held since the firm’s inception. Before joining the team, Mr. Branan spent over 20 years in the technology industry focusing on high-impact customer initiatives and utilizing the latest in technology to enhance the efficiency of an organization. He has experience in driving vision through and measuring success to support the delivery of new services.
As a Director of Business Development, Kevin has also worked with numerous Fortune 500 clients and small- to medium-sized businesses to create and execute numerous strategic sales growth models based on data and statistics and has worked with their sales and operations teams through adoption. Throughout his career, Kevin has focused on gaining process efficiencies through operational analysis procedures to solve quality problems and has been involved in multiple quality improvement projects.
Kevin earned his Bachelor of Science degree in marketing from the University of Colorado at Boulder and spends his time traveling, hiking, and enjoying time with friends. He has a passion for food and wine.
Why did you join Smith Capital Investors?
“I joined Smith Capital Investors for the opportunity to work with a group of individuals focused on building a company that creates positive results for our clients.”
Favorite book, quote, thought, inspiration, lesson.
“We must have the courage to do what we know is morally right.” – Ronald Reagan.
Lindsay Bernum is an Investor at Smith Capital Investors, a position she has held since the firm’s inception. In her role, Ms. Bernum complements and leverages the strength of each team member to focus on capital preservation and produce risk-adjusted returns for our clients.
Before joining the firm, Lindsay was a Global Macro Analyst for the fixed-income team at Janus Capital Management LLC. As the leader of the macro team, she was responsible for combining top-down economic analysis with real-time, individual company data points to produce macroeconomic forecasts across the US and G7 economies. The forecasts were used within the portfolio construction process to help drive decision-making around sector exposure and overall portfolio duration, and curve positioning. This unique view of the global economic world, combined with bottom-up fundamental analysis, was an extremely powerful alpha generation tool.
Lindsay individually and as part of a team published monthly and quarterly thought-leadership commentary around her unique macro view, as well as special topics including rising rates, inflation, and demographics; disseminated publicly across all major client distribution channels. She led monthly “Market Perspective” internal calls, providing fixed-income macro views as well as portfolio positioning for the sales, distribution, and marketing teams. Additionally, she was a frequent investment panel participant, presented to the board of directors, and contributed to marketing and asset growth.
Why did you join Smith Capital Investors?
“I joined Smith Capital Investors because there is no better way to channel my passion and energy than surrounding myself with a team of people with the highest character for a common good all while helping others.”
Favorite book, quote, thought, inspiration, lesson.
“Do things for people not because of who they are or what they do in return, but because of who you are.” – Mother Teresa.
Jonathan Aal is an Investor at Smith Capital Investors, a position he has held since 2018. Before joining the team, he served as a Global Fixed Income Research Analyst at Janus Henderson Group. In that position, Mr. Aal was a lead financial sector analyst for both investment grade and high-yield investments.
Previous to this role, Jonathan served in the United States Military, where during his service and multitude of deployments, he received numerous awards, including for combat valor.
Jonathan earned a Bachelor of Science degree with distinction in business administration with a concentration in finance and accounting. He brings more than 10 years of financial industry experience to this role. He has a passion for investing, outdoor adventure, and spending time with his family. Jonathan supports and is an advocate for childhood adoption.
Why did you join Smith Capital Investors?
“Only so many times in life do we ever come across something that is truly unique—I believe Smith Capital Investors is one of these instances. Specifically, Smith Capital Investors, at its core, embodies a relentless client commitment—unique not in its words but in its actions.”
Favorite book, quote, thought, inspiration, lesson.
When it comes to the internal combat waged within every man and woman it should go without saying that extraordinary character is not absent extraordinary actions; where such actions are not unknowing of adulterated provocation, rather they are the produce of persevering principles and beliefs that in and of themselves are scarred and marred but ultimately victorious. Put simply, extraordinary actions and therefore extraordinary character is fought for…every single day.
Eric Bernum is an investor at Smith Capital Investors, a position he has held since May 2018. Before joining the team, he served as Executive Director and Senior Portfolio Manager at J.P. Morgan Asset Management. In that position, Mr. Bernum was a part of the Portfolio Management team, managing assets across various fixed income institutional portfolios and mutual funds.
Before his time at J.P. Morgan Asset Management, Eric was at Janus Capital Management LLC in a multitude of roles across the trading, fundamental analysis, and portfolio management functions—culminating in Eric’s role as the Co-Head of Fixed Income Trading and Assistant Portfolio Manager. In these roles, Eric managed a global team of 7 traders and contributed to portfolio management decisions across all major fixed income strategies ranging from Intermediate/Core, High Yield, Credit only, Money Markets, Limited Duration, and Liability Driven/Long Duration strategies. Eric was also active in asset raising, client servicing, and compliance and systems build out and function across the fixed income platform.
Eric earned his Bachelor of Science degree in finance from Colorado State University, earned the Distinguished Scholar Award, and attended the University of South Australia. He earned the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation and is a member of the CFA Society of Colorado. He has 19 years of financial industry experience.
Eric earned the designation of Eagle Scout with Boy Scouts of America. With his family, Eric participates in several charities in the Denver metro area. He enjoys skiing and traveling the world with his family and has a special place in his heart for Central Ohio sports teams and their supporters.
Why did you join Smith Capital Investors?
“Smith Capital Investors gives me the chance to work with a small group of committed investors who share a common philosophy and outlook on life, character, and investing. I believe alignment of character across team members limits the distractions within the investing process. In addition, the intense focus on clients’ needs, limits on bureaucracy, cohesive teamwork and the nimbleness of the firm allows for a much more tailored and comprehensive client experience. I believe this is a unique environment in the broader asset management world for both investors and clients.”
Favorite book, quote, thought, inspiration, lesson.
“Sweep the sheds – Never be too big to do the small things that need to be done” – James Kerr, Principles from the New Zealand All Blacks national rugby union team.
Retired Senior Vice President of Clinic Services Corporation and formerly President & General Manager of Seven-Up Bottling Company of Denver, John brings 48 years of business experience to this consulting role.
He has participated on national advisory boards providing brand and marketing strategies for the Seven-Up Company, The Canada Dry Corporation, The Squirt Company, and Hawaiian Punch (RJR).
Colleen Denzler is an Investor at Smith Capital Investors, a position she has held since March 2019. Before joining the team, she served as Founder and Lead Consultant at Colleen Denzler Strategy Partners. As an entrepreneur, Ms. Denzler dedicated herself to helping the best and most ethical asset managers define and communicate their investment process to potential and existing clients.
Colleen also served as Chief Investment Officer (designee), First Affirmative Financial Network, a $1 billion RIA, as well as President of the SRI Conference. Prior to that Colleen was with Janus Capital Management LLC as the Global Head of Fixed Income Strategy. In this role, she created and led the business strategy of Janus Fixed Income, in conjunction with the Chief Investment Officer. She delivered market insight, investment process, and performance to clients all over the world. During her tenure at Janus, Colleen wrote a suite of client focused thought leadership. Colleen has spent over 15 years as a Fixed Income Portfolio Manager and led a team of Portfolio Managers, overseeing $6 billion in assets. Additionally, she has experience managing assets utilizing ESG methodology.
Colleen earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance from Radford University. She earned the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation and is a member of the CFA Society of Colorado. Colleen volunteers her time to the University of Colorado, Boulder, Leeds School of Business to help current and prospective female students learn more about career opportunities in finance. She also gives her time to Community Food Share, which helps people in need of food in Boulder and Broomfield County.
Why did you join Smith Capital Investors?
“I joined Smith Capital Investors because working with people that share a common goal of integrity with each other and service to clients, inspires my excitement and allows for the ultimate expression of helping people realize their dreams.”
Favorite book, quote, thought, inspiration, lesson.
Coming from a family where the thought of having $10,000 was out of reach, I have learned first-hand, what helping people grow their money can do for their lives and their families. Holding that sacred duty in the highest regard and cherishing the opportunity to work for clients, motivates me every day.
Retired Senior Vice President of Clinic Services Corporation and formerly President & General Manager of Seven-Up Bottling Company of Denver, John brings 48 years of business experience to this consulting role.
He has participated on national advisory boards providing brand and marketing strategies for the Seven-Up Company, The Canada Dry Corporation, The Squirt Company, and Hawaiian Punch (RJR).
John has enjoyed leadership positions with the Rotary Club of Denver, the Denver Zoological Foundation, The Mountain States Employers Council and his college fraternity Phi Gamma Delta.
Executive Director / Burridge Center for Finance / University of Colorado
Prior to joining Colorado University, Roberto was a managing director in the New York office of Goldman Sachs, where he spent fourteen years: twelve years as a strategist (focusing on commodity and credit derivatives), and then two years as risk manager for the global trading areas of the firm, creating and leading the counterparty risk management team.
Prior to that, Roberto spent two years at McKinsey & Co Italy as a business analyst, where he consulted for clients in the energy and banking sector.
Education:
MBA, MIT-Sloan, with a certificate in Financial Engineering
Ph.D., Electrical Engineering, University of Rome “La Sapienza”
Laurea, Electrical Engineering, University of Rome “La Sapienza”
Brinton Johns is a Consulting Analyst at Smith Capital Investors. He brings more than 19 years of industry experience to his role. Prior to joining the team, he spent 17 years at Janus Capital group where he served as an analyst, portfolio manager, and Technology team leader.
Brinton earned a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration from the University of Texas and a Master of Arts from the Denver Seminary. He brings more than 19 years of financial industry experience to his role.
Steve is joining Smith Capital Investors as an Investor. Steve brings more than 25 years of industry experience to his role with Smith Capital Investors.
Prior to joining us, he spent 10 years at Morgan Stanley where he served as Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer of the Fixed Income Division. Prior to joining Morgan Stanley, Steve was a Managing Director at Pequot Capital Management and portfolio manager of the firm’s credit strategies. Steve joined Pequot in 2003 and in his tenure at Pequot ran both long/short and short-dedicated credit portfolios. Before joining Pequot, Steve was Managing Director and an Institutional Investor #1 ranked credit strategist for Morgan Stanley. Prior to his work as a strategist, he was a credit analyst at Morgan Stanley and worked in a similar capacity at Fidelity Investments in Boston.
Education:
M.B.A. University of Chicago
B.S. Accounting Oregon State
Executive Director / Burridge Center for Finance / University of Colorado
Prior to joining Colorado University, Roberto was a managing director in the New York office of Goldman Sachs, where he spent fourteen years: twelve years as a strategist (focusing on commodity and credit derivatives), and then two years as risk manager for the global trading areas of the firm, creating and leading the counterparty risk management team.
Prior to that, Roberto spent two years at McKinsey & Co Italy as a business analyst, where he consulted for clients in the energy and banking sector.
Education:
MBA, MIT-Sloan, with a certificate in Financial Engineering
Ph.D., Electrical Engineering, University of Rome “La Sapienza”
Laurea, Electrical Engineering, University of Rome “La Sapienza”
