Our partnership with Commonwealth Financial Network®, a leading Registered Investment Adviser–broker/dealer, provides us access to a team of investment research specialists who assist us in our efforts to provide you with the best possible service. Each of the professionals on this team brings a breadth of experience in the industry and within his or her own specialization.
Brad McMillan, CFA®, CAIA, MAI
Managing Principal and Chief Investment Officer
- Chairs the Investment Committee and is the primary spokesperson for Commonwealth's investment divisions
- Shares his comments and thoughts on the economy in his blog, The Independent Market Observer
- Is a Chartered Financial Analyst® (CFA®) charterholder, holds the Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst (CAIA) designation, and is a member of the Appraisal Institute
- Earned a BA from Dartmouth College, an MS in real estate from MIT, and an MS in finance from Boston College
- Has prior experience as the founder of Dartmouth Realty Advisors
Brian Price, CFA®
Senior Vice President, Investment Management and Research
- Manages the Research team
- Oversees asset allocation, fund selection, and overall management of Commonwealth’s Preferred Portfolio Services® Select program
- Is a Chartered Financial Analyst® (CFA®) charterholder and holds the FINRA Series 7, 63, and 65 securities registrations
- Earned a BA from Georgetown University
- Has prior experience as a senior financial advisor associate at Bernstein Investment Research and Management
Peter Essele, CFA®, CAIA, CFP®
Vice President, Investment Management and Research
- Oversees asset allocation, fund selection, and overall management of Commonwealth’s discretionary platform, Preferred Portfolio Services® Select
- Holds the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional certification and the Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst (CAIA) designation, and is a Chartered Financial Analyst® (CFA®) charterholder and a member of the Boston Security Analysts Society
- Holds the FINRA Series 7, 24, 31, 53, and 66 securities registrations
- Earned a BS in industrial economics from Union College
- Has prior experience in positions at Albany International and Kestner Engineers
Chad LaFauci, CFA®, CAIA
Vice President, Alternative Investments
- Analyzes, approves, and monitors all alternative investments products (e.g., private equity, private credit, hedge funds, real estate, infrastructure, and commodities)
- Manages the Alternative Investments team, which assists advisors with portfolio construction, as well as individual investment research and analysis
- Is a Chartered Financial Analyst® (CFA®) charterholder and holds the Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst (CAIA) designation and the FINRA Series 7, 24, 63, and 65 securities registrations
- Earned a BS in economics from Bates College
- Has prior experience in a position at Investors Bank & Trust
Jim McAllister, CFA®
Director, Equity Research
- Oversees the Equity Research team, which assists advisors with ongoing due diligence and analysis of equity-based mutual funds, exchange-traded funds, separately managed accounts, and individual securities
- Manages the Preferred Portfolio Services® Select Equity Income SMA models
- Responds to advisor inquiries on equity portfolio construction, individual equity research, and equity portfolio reviews
- Is a Chartered Financial Analyst® (CFA®) charterholder
- Earned a BS in finance from Lehigh University
- Has prior experience as a research analyst at Loomis, Sayles & Co. and State Street Global Advisors in the U.S. quantitative group
Nicholas Follett
Manager, Fixed Income
- Analyzes fixed income funds and ETFs, responds to advisor requests, and assists with fixed income market research
- Evaluates and selects managers and disseminates research in the international and emerging markets asset classes
- Responds to advisor inquiries on fixed income portfolio construction, fund research, and equity portfolio reviews
- Holds the FINRA Series 7 securities registration
- Earned a BFA in jazz performance from the New School for Social Research and an MBA in finance from San Francisco State University
Brian McCormick, CIMA®
Manager, Investment Management and Research
- Manages evaluation, selection, and dissemination of research in the small- and mid-cap asset classes
- Conducts research and due diligence on exchange-traded products
- Responds to advisor inquiries on various investment topics, including asset allocation, mutual funds, exchange-traded funds, and separate account managers
- Holds the Certified Investment Management Analyst® (CIMA®) designation and the FINRA Series 7, 24, and 63 securities registrations
- Earned a BS in management from Quinnipiac University
- Has more than 17 years of industry experience including at positions at Signator Investors and Putnam Investments
Fred DeBaets
Portfolio Manager, Investment Management and Research
- Manages Commonwealth’s Preferred Portfolio Services® Select Fixed Income SMA strategies
- Assists with portfolio construction and ideas on fixed income market opportunities
- Earned a BS in financial management and economics and an MBA from Plymouth State University
- Has prior experience in fixed income positions at Morgan Stanley and Bear Stearns
Chris Fasciano
Portfolio Manager, Investment Management and Research
- Oversees Commonwealth’s Preferred Portfolio Services® Select program and the Commonwealth Model Portfolios
- Assists with asset allocation, security selection, and ongoing portfolio monitoring
- Responds to advisor inquiries about their own model portfolios
- Earned a BA in economics from Bates College and an MBA from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s Kenan-Flagler Business School
- Has more than 20 years of experience in small- and mid-cap stock research and managing small- and mid-cap value portfolios for institutional and high-net-worth clients
Andrew Kitchings, CAIA, ERP
Portfolio Manager, Investment Management and Research
- Helps oversee Commonwealth’s Preferred Portfolio Services® Select program and the Commonwealth Model Portfolios
- Assists with asset allocation, security selection, and ongoing portfolio monitoring
- Holds the Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst (CAIA) and Energy Risk Professional (ERP) designations and is a member of the Boston Security Analysts Society
- Holds the FINRA Series 7 and 66 securities registrations
- Earned dual degrees in economics and history with a concentration in East Asian studies from Emory University
- Has prior experience in positions at LPL Financial and Bank of America
Anu Gaggar, CFA®, FRM®
Senior Investment Research Analyst, Equity
- Evaluates and selects managers and disseminates research in the international and emerging markets asset classes
- Responds to advisor inquiries on equity portfolio construction, individual equity research, and equity portfolio reviews
- Is a Chartered Financial Analyst® (CFA®) charterholder and holds the Financial Risk Manager (FRM®) designation and the FINRA Series 7 securities registration
- Earned an MS in finance from Boston College and an MBA in finance from NMIMS in India
- Taught master’s level finance course at Boston University and worked at Virtua Research and SBI Capital Markets in India
Robert Kane, CAIA
Senior Research Analyst, Alternatives
- Facilitates due diligence and research activities on products within alternative financial strategies (e.g., managed futures, hedge funds, private equity, structured products, mutual funds, and exchange traded funds)
- Holds the Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst (CAIA) designation and the FINRA Series 7, 63, and 66 securities registrations
- Earned a degree from the University of Massachusetts Amherst
Nathan Parker, CFA®, CAIA
Senior Research Analyst, Real Assets
- Facilitates due diligence and research activities on real asset-focused investments (commercial real estate, commodities, infrastructure, and natural resources)
- Is a Chartered Financial Analyst® (CFA®) charterholder and holds the Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst (CAIA) designation and the FINRA Series 7 and 63 securities registrations
- Earned a bachelor's in business administration from California State University, Chico, and a master's in finance from San Diego State University
- Has prior experience at LPL Financial
Chris Stuart, CFA®
Senior Research Analyst, Equity
- Evaluates and selects managers and disseminates research in the large-cap equity asset class
- Responds to advisor inquiries on equity portfolio construction, individual equity research, and equity portfolio reviews
- Holds the FINRA Series 7 and 66 securities registrations
- Earned a BA in finance from the University of Massachusetts Amherst
- Has prior experience in positions at Columbia Management, Bank of America-Merrill Lynch, and TheStreet.com
Eduardo Ciuffo, CFA®
Research Analyst, Real Assets
- Facilitates due diligence and research activities on real asset-focused investments
- Is a Chartered Financial Analyst® (CFA®) charterholder and holds the FINRA Series 7 and 63 securities registrations
- Earned a master’s degree in finance from San Diego State University
- Has prior experience at LPL Financial, where he traded and rebalanced SMA platforms
Sam Millette
Research Analyst, Fixed Income
- Analyzes individual fixed income securities, responds to advisor requests, and assists with market research and commentary
- Assists with trading and rebalancing of SMA portfolios
- Earned a BA in economics from Tufts University and is currently a Level II Chartered Financial Analyst® (CFA®) candidate
Thomas Ryan
Research Analyst, Equity
- Responds to advisor inquiries on equity portfolio construction, individual equity research, and equity portfolio reviews
- Evaluates and selects managers and disseminates research in the mid-cap equity asset class
- Holds the FINRA Series 65 securities registration
- Earned a BS in business management from the Isenberg School of Management at the University of Massachusetts Amherst
Rob Swanke, CFA®, CAIA
Research Analyst, Fixed Income
- Analyzes individual fixed income securities, responds to advisor requests, and assists with fixed income market research
- Is a Chartered Financial Analyst® (CFA®) charterholder and holds the Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst (CAIA) designation and the FINRA Series 65 securities registration
- Earned a BS in finance and accounting from Boston College
Peter Roberto
Research Associate, Equity
- Supports analysts with due diligence and research activities on mutual funds, exchange traded-funds, and equities
- Evaluates and selects managers and disseminates research in the global and foreign SMID markets asset classes
- Assists the Investment Management team with calculating, analyzing, and updating both internal and external performance and attribution reports
- Earned a BS in management, with an emphasis in finance, from Worcester Polytechnic Institute and is currently a Level II Chartered Financial Analyst® (CFA®) candidate
Tom Scarlata
Research Associate, Investment Management and Research
- Supports analysts with due diligence and research activities in fixed income and alternative investments
- Assists the Investment Management team with aggregating and presenting daily, weekly, and monthly investment analysis and performance reporting
- Earned a BS in economics and finance from Bentley University
Sarah Hargreaves
Analyst, Investment Management and Research
- Provides advanced technical, consultative, and platform-based support on a variety of topics to advisors and clients.
- Designs solutions to address complex business issues as it relates to model-based platforms.
- Holds FINRA Series 7 and 66 securities registrations. Earned a degree in marketing from Elon University.