Speakers
Anurag Gupta, Ph.D., Professor of Banking and Finance, Weatherhead School of Management, Case Western Reserve University
Anurag Gupta is a professor of banking and finance at the Weatherhead School of Management, Case Western Reserve University, with expertise in risk management, banking, derivatives, fixed income markets, credit modeling, and artificial intelligence / machine learning.
He has published extensively in top finance journals, presented his research at prestigious institutions and conferences around the world, and led a major research grant from the US Department of Energy to help early stage energy companies raise capital. He has long executive teaching and consulting experience with various financial and other companies around the world. His work has been featured in national and global media including the Wall Street Journal, NPR and CNBC Squawk Box.
He was the founding Director of Weatherhead’s Master of Finance program in Shanghai, China for nearly 15 years and has held various leadership positions at the Weatherhead School, including Department Chairman, Associate Dean for Global Initiatives and Vice Dean. He has a Ph.D. in Finance from NYU-Stern School of Business, MBA from IIM Calcutta and BS (Chem Engg.) from IIT Delhi prior to that.
Bradley H. Simanek, FSA, MAAA, Griffith, Ballard & Company
Brad is Vice President and partner with Griffith, Ballard & Company, an actuarial consulting firm established in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, in 1916. He has been with the firm since 1995 and assumed an ownership role in 2010. Brad is a Member in Good Standing with Society of Actuaries (Fellow, 2002) and the American Academy of Actuaries (Member, 2001). Along with his partner, Steve Griffith, and staff, he provides regular actuarial services to over two dozen life insurance companies and fraternal benefit societies.
Brad received his undergraduate degree (A.B., 1993) cum laude from Dartmouth College in Hanover, NH, with majors in mathematics and English. He also holds an M.B.A. (1995) with concentrations in finance and marketing from The University of Chicago Booth School of Business.
Brad is an active member at St. Jude Catholic Church, including co-chairing the finance committee for the parish’s annual Sweet Corn Festival. He also volunteers as a member of the Cedar Rapids Kernels Foundation Board of Directors, and he and his family enjoy caroling while ringing the kettle bell for the Salvation Army each Christmas season.
Brian M. Brennan, National Head – Fixed Income, Derivatives & Foreign Exchange Trading
Brian Brennan is the Managing Director and National Head of Fixed Income and Derivatives. The KBCM Fixed Income team is located in Cleveland, Chicago, Atlanta, New York City, Boston and San Francisco, and is focused on the distribution and trading of taxable and tax-exempt securities.
The division includes 120 professionals with the primary focus of distributing and trading primary and secondary Fixed Income securities of many types including treasuries, agencies, IG and HY credit, mortgage-backed, municipal and asset backed securities. Brian is Chairman of the internal KBCM Credit Committee, a member of the Market Risk Management Committee and the Municipal Underwriting Committee. He is also active in an advisory capacity for the dealer community as a former member of FINRA’s Fixed Income Committee and a board member for the Bond Dealers of America.
Brian joined KeyBank in 1995 from Donaldson Lufkin and Jenrette Securities. Prior to that, Brian played 9 years in the NFL for the Cleveland Browns, Cincinnati Bengals, and San Diego Chargers.
Brian holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Finance from Boston College, and has series 7, 9, 10, 24, 53 and 63 securities licenses
Chris Conklin, FSA, Principal, Consulting Actuary, Miller & Newberg
Chris Conklin is a Fellow of the Society of Actuaries. At Miller & Newberg, he and his team support a wide variety of fraternal benefit societies and insurance companies. He has over 30 years of insurance experience, both as an actuary and as an agency owner.
Before joining Miller & Newberg, Chris led product development at F&G (a top 10 writer of fixed and indexed annuities), National Life (the #1 writer of indexed universal life), and Genworth (then a top 10 writer of life insurance). Then, at The Standard (a top 50 writer of fixed annuities), he was head of an annuity business with over $5 billion in assets.
An experienced leader, Chris helps his client companies to grow their sales and profits, whether it’s a troubled company looking to engineer a turnaround or a healthy company looking to reach the next level of success.
Melissa (Mel) A. Wilson, Marketing Officer, The Method Marketing
Mel is an integrated marketing expert that helps businesses create a marketing
strategy, collaborate with business development, and achieve growth. Mel is bold and known
for her ability to scale marketing plans and simplify the agency-client relationship.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissaannawilson/
www.TheMethodMarketing.com
Derek R. Wilson, Controller, The Method Marketing
Derek is a business development expert and business growth strategist. Considered a
practical and logical thinker, Derek is reknown for his ability to solve problems with realistic
solutions.
http://www.linkedin.com/in/derekrichardwilson
www.TheMethodMarketing.com
David Manser, President, BLC Companies
David Manser has over 23 years of commercial real estate lending experience and has developed a unique background that blends significant experience in the areas of credit as well as business development. His experience ranges from being a senior underwriter for a high volume SB 504 & 7a lender to acting as the managing partner for a consulting firm that provided SBA program consulting for small community banks. David has been with BLC since 2012, where he is the President and Chief Lending Officer, and has helped the company to achieve originations in excess of $500 Million.
David has analyzed and underwritten a broad spectrum of commercial transactions. His extensive knowledge of credit and business development skills has enabled him to understand the needs of clients.
David is a graduate of the University of California San Diego, with a degree in Economics and Management Science.
Larry White, Managing Director, AQS Asset Management, LLC
Larry started his career as an engineer in project planning and engineering at Conoco, Inc. Financial modeling piqued his interest in finance and in 1986, he began a career in investment banking. During this transition, developments in computing power changed his focus to mathematical models, portfolio construction and optimization.
Around this time, actuaries were achieving similar gains in risk modeling and Asset Liability Management became the “New Thing” for life insurers. This “ALM thing” held promise for the advances Larry and brother, Byron, had made in financial modeling. Years of beta testing and a big break later, the AQS PALM system and AQS Asset Management were born.
Larry has a BS in Mechanical Engineering from Rice University in Houston.
Kevin Hanrahan, First Vice President - Marketing, FHLB Cincinnati
Kevin Hanrahan has been serving the Federal Home Loan Bank of Cincinnati in various capacities since 2013. In his current role as First Vice President, Marketing, Kevin leads FHLB’s marketing department which includes oversight of member relationships throughout the Ohio, Kentucky and Tennessee, corporate events and member facing analytics.
Prior to his current position, Kevin worked as both an analyst and relationship manager in the marketing department and as an analyst in the enterprise risk management department for the bank. Before joining the FHLB, Kevin also held roles at various commercial banks. This background has allowed him to understand member needs from multiple perspectives.
Kevin received his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a focus in Marketing from Miami University and his Master of Business Administration with a focus in Finance from John Carroll University.
Alan (Al) Fairbanks, AVP, Member Strategies and Solutions, FHLB Cincinnati
Al joined the Federal Home Loan Bank of Cincinnati in 2021. In his current role, Al is the relationship manager for the large bank and insurance members of FHLB Cincinnati throughout Ohio, Kentucky and Tennessee.
Prior to joining FHLB Cincinnati, Al worked several in both commercial banking and insurance, focused in the areas of Mortgage Finance & Secondary Markets, Corporate Finance, Funding, Asset/Liability Management, and Liquidity Risk.
Al received his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a focus in Accounting from Rochester Institute of Technology and his Master of Business Administration with a focus in Finance and Organizations & Markets from University of Rochester’s William E, Simon School.
Robert Dennison, FSA, MAAA, Consulting Actuary, Bruce and Bruce
Robert Dennison is a Consulting Actuary with Bruce & Bruce. He has 20 years experience working on life and annuity products, both with direct writers and in consulting. His expertise includes asset adequacy analysis, investment strategy, risk management, valuation, reinsurance and M&A analysis. His experience extends beyond traditional life and annuity products to advising on non-traditional products, such as mutual funds and ancillary health products.
Tim Holmes, Practice Director, Robert Half
Originally from the UK, Tim Holmes is a Practice Director with Robert Half in Cleveland, the world’s first and largest specialized talent solutions firm. He has been with the company for 9 years in our Management Resources group. Tim provides companies and organizations with guidance and solutions for accounting, finance, compliance, M&A, organizational transformation, and ERP improvements. In addition, he has participated and led hundreds of employee interviews and feedback debriefs for accounting professionals and employees, giving him a wide-ranging perspective on employer requirements and career opportunities within the accounting & finance space across Northeast Ohio.
Before this, he lived in Beirut, Lebanon for a year volunteering as a teacher. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts and followed with a Master of Arts in International Development from the University of Liverpool. Tim also has an accounting-focused MBA from Warwick Business School that he gained before moving to Northeast Ohio. Tim has a passion for travel, Arabic culture, and English soccer. He is married with two creative and highly energetic young daughters.
Alan Reisinger, Director of Permanent Placement Services, Robert Half
Alan Reisinger is the Director of Permanent Placement Services at Robert Half, the world’s and largest specialized talent solutions firm. In this role, he matches finance and accounting professionals in permanent roles with companies in the Greater Cleveland area.
Alan is a seasoned professional in the staffing industry and has over 20 years of experience with Robert Half. He started his career with Robert Half in 2002 as a staffing manager, then was promoted to practice director and branch director. Alan’s extensive tenure in the industry equips him with valuable insights and skills to effectively assist job seekers, executives, business owners, and other clients seeking staffing solutions in the Cleveland area. Alan has a Bachelor of Arts degree in accounting from the University of Notre Dame in Indiana.
Stephen Gonzalez, CFA, CPA, Portfolio Manager, AQS Asset Management, LLC
Stephen Gonzalez, CFA, CPA is a Portfolio Manager with AQS Asset Management in Austin, Texas. A graduate of Rice University, Stephen has worked in the insurance industry his entire career. Beginning as a salesman out of college, his path has led him to asset management for insurance company portfolios.
In addition to portfolio management, Stephen has spearheaded AQS’ commercial mortgage lending program and is responsible for client STAT and GAAP accounting and associated statement reporting. He has spoken on investment related topics at numerous industry conferences.
Stephen lives in Austin, Texas with his wife, Chelsea and his 4-year-old daughter Sloane and 18-month-old twins Felix and Owen.