Our Board

Women Investment Professionals Board Bios

Anne Girton Senior Relationship Manager – Databases, Morningstar, Inc.

Anne Girton is a relationship manager for Morningstar’s data services business unit, responsible for helping companies meet their business objectives using Morningstar data solutions.

Before joining Morningstar in 2005, Girton was a relationship management associate at Deutsche Asset Management and Zurich Investments. She also worked with closed-end fund, institutional money market, and open-end fund shareholders in investor relations roles at Scudder, Stevens & Clark. She holds a bachelor’s degree in American Studies from Smith College, MA. Anne heads Women Investment Professionals' Communications Committee.

Joanne Hickman Managing Director, Head of Consultant Relationships, UBS Global Asset Management

Joanne Hickman directs and manages interaction with the institutional investment consultant community in North America. Her primary focus is institutional consultant relationships, concentrating on the firm's capabilities in equities, fixed income, alternatives, asset allocation, risk management and structured products in the context of a global framework. Prior to joining the firm in 2003, Joanne served as managing director for State Street Research & Management, where she was head of the consultant relations effort. Previously, she was a managing director at Zurich Investment Management, where she was responsible for consultant marketing. In addition, Joanne spent nearly 10 years in investment consulting with Ennis, Knupp & Associates, where she was a principal and consulting manager to several of the firm's institutional clients. Joanne has a BS from Elmhurst College and a MBA from Loyola University of Chicago. Joanne is a board member of the Association of Investment Management Sales Executives (AIMSE). Joanne was a founding member of Women Investment Professionals in 1996. Today she serves on the Sponsorship Committee.

Valerie King Director of Marketing, Holland Capital Management

Valerie is primarily responsible for the marketing of Holland Capital's investment services on a national basis, with a focus on public plan sponsors. She has 13 years investment experience. Prior to joining Holland Capital in 2001, Valerie served as Vice President of Investment Services and the Fixed Income Marketing Manager at T. Rowe Price Associates in the retail division, primarily responsible for defining, developing, and managing tactical and strategic marketing communications programs for the conservative mutual fund investor. Additional responsibilities included serving as the product knowledge specialist and business liaison for the affiliated T. Rowe Price Savings Bank. Valerie's past professional experience also includes a marketing manager position with American Express in the consumer Lending Credit Card group in New York. Valerie holds an M.B.A. with honors from Clark Atlanta University Graduate School of Business with a marketing concentration and a B.A. in architecture from the Illinois Institute of Technology. Valerie serves as Co-Chair of Women Investment Professionals Community Outreach Committee.

Marla Kreindler Partner, Winston & Strawn LLP

Marla is a partner in Winston & Strawn's corporate department and is also a member of the firm's employee benefits and executive compensation department. She concentrates her practice on tax qualified retirement plans and the management and investment of employee benefit plan assets. Marla is well-versed in the application of ERISA's fiduciary standards and prohibited transaction rules, and related banking, securities, and state insurance law requirements. She has substantial experience counseling clients on their qualified retirement plans, including 401(k) and defined benefit plans. Marla represents a wide range of publicly traded and privately held corporations, as well as major banks, investment advisory and financial services firms, insurance companies, broker-dealers, and private and governmental pension funds. Marla received a B.A. from the University of Michigan in 1984 and a J.D. from the University of Michigan Law School in 1987. She also attended the London School of Economics and Political Science in 1982. Marla currently serves on the Events Committee.

Cheri Kuick Senior Vice President, Neuberger Berman, A Lehman Brothers Company

Cheri is the National Director of Client Services whose initial responsibilities included the development of a firm-wide Best Practices Approach & Measurement System to client service and asset retention for Institutional Sales. Cheri was also responsible for developing a competitive analysis program used to position products across distribution channels. More recently, Cheri's responsibilities involve specializing and speaking on value-added topics such as, "Targeting Affluent Women: How to Build Sales by Tapping the Economic Power of Women" and "Relationship Builder: Building the Trust-Based Client Relationship." Previously, Cheri was the Regional Vice President for Neuberger Berman's Midwestern territory where she led new business development for financial intermediaries. She worked with 401(k) providers, insurance companies, banks, broker/dealers, and financial advisors in the Midwest. Cheri joined Neuberger Berman in 1993. Prior to joining Neuberger Berman, she was tax consultant with Arthur Andersen & Co. Cheri is a CPA and received her BA in Accounting from Illinois Wesleyan University where she graduated cum laude. Cheri currently serves on the Sponsorship Committee.

Shauna Lambright Chief Executive Officer, Lambright Financial Solutions (LFS)

Founded in 2004 in Chicago, LFS specializes in transition management services and institutional equity sales and trading. Before starting LFS, Shauna was Senior Vice President of the Plan Sponsor Sales Division at BNY Brokerage specializing in corporate buy back, commission recapture and transition management services. Shauna joined BNY after the sale of Capital Resource Financial Services (CRFS), a CRA RogersCasey's affiliated brokerage firm. As the President of CRFS, she restructured the brokerage services division, while maintaining responsibility for day-to-day operations, direct client oversight and compliance of the firm. In 1999 she successfully started CRFS' first transition management product to service over 125 existing clients of the firm. Shauna started at Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette where she spent five years assisting in the creation of DLJ Consults serving their high net worth client base. Shauna heads Women Investment Professionals' Community Outreach Committee.

Silvija Martincevic Director of Index Management and Investor Services, Attucks Asset Management, LLC

Silvija is responsible for index asset management, as well as business development and client service at Attucks Asset Management. Prior to joining Attucks, Silvija co-founded and headed Zenna Financial Services, a Chicago-based investment firm specializing in equity index management for institutional investors. Previously, Silvija worked at the Rock Island Company of Chicago as the Director of Economic Policy and Research. Silvija began her career as a Research Analyst at the American Enterprise Institute in Washington, D.C., where she worked on energy policy issues. Silvija graduated summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa with BA degrees in Economics, International Relations and German from Beloit College. Silvija is the Treasurer of the Rivendell Theater in Chicago and an honorary member of the Green Lake Rotary Club. Silvija currently heads Women Investment Professionals' Events Committee

Patricia McKinell Director, Investment Consulting, Rogerscasey

Patricia is an investment consultant at Rogerscasey, working with institutional clients in the design and analysis of investment structures through asset allocation modeling, investment structure development, investment manager selection, and other portfolio analysis. Patricia also serves as the firm's Chairman of the Monday Review Meeting (MRM), which meets weekly to oversee the clients' investment programs, to discuss research trends and manager updates, and to present strategic business initiatives. Prior to joining the firm in 2002, Patricia was a financial advisor at Morgan Stanley and an instructor and administrator at Holy Cross College. Patricia graduated from the University of Notre Dame with a B.A., cum laude, in Government and International Studies with a second major in Music. She also holds an M.A. in Politics from The Catholic University of America. Patricia serves on Women Investment Professionals' Communications Committee.

Treasa Moran Consultant Relations Associate, UBS Global Asset Management

Treasa is responsible for servicing investment consultants, concentrating on the firm's capabilities in equities, fixed income, alternatives, asset allocation, risk management and structured products in the context of a global framework. Previously, Treasa served as an Institutional Client Service Representative for Deutsche Asset Management, where she worked with corporate, foundation and endowment clients. Her prior experience includes project manager in operations and client services at The Vanguard Group. She has a BA in Economics from Fairfield University and an MBA from Drexel University. Treasa has successfully completed the CFA Level II examination and is a member and committee volunteer of the CFA Society of Chicago. Treasa currently heads Women Investment Professionals' Sponsorship Committee.

Ellen Ogan Consultant and Director of Traditional Manager Research, Ellwood Associates

Ellen works with several of Ellwood's foundations/endowments clients in addition to corporate pension and hospital and healthcare clients. Ellen is also the Director of Traditional Manager Research. In this role she is responsible for managing the process of identifying new and monitoring current managers. Prior to joining Ellwood in 2000, Ellen worked as a high-yield fixed income securities analyst at Lincoln Capital Management, a Chicago-based investment firm. She received her BS from Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska. Ellen has fulfilled several roles on Women Investment Professionals' Board; she has served as co-chair of Membership and Treasurer.

Nichole Roman Managing Associate, Marquette Associates

Nichole serves as a consultant on several of the firm's relationships and is responsible for client analysis and reporting. Nichole's primary client focus is Eleemosynary and Corporate Plans. In addition, Nichole coordinates oversight of investment-related education of socially responsible investments, cash flow analysis, and other related topics. Nichole also coordinates defined contribution and mutual fund research as well as reviews international investment management firms. Nichole was formerly a Credit Manager at Norwest Financial. Education: B.S. Finance, Michigan State University. Nichole has previously headed Women Investment Professionals' Events Committee; currently she is Vice President – Strategy Development.

Kelli Schrade Vice President and Director of Manager Research, Marquette Associates

Kelli serves as the director of the firm's manager research, with primary oversight of the domestic equity managers. In addition, she oversees the other asset classes as Chair of the Investment Manager Search Committee. Before joining Marquette, Kelli was an investment advisor with Christian Brothers Investment Services. She also served as a managing editor and fund analyst at Morningstar, Inc. for seven years, specializing in domestic-equity funds. Kelli has been quoted as an expert on the mutual fund industry throughout the national media, including Barron's and The Wall Street Journal. Education: A.B. English, Kenyon College. Kelli is also a member of the CFA Institute, the CFA Society of Chicago. Kelli co-chairs Women Investment Professionals' Membership Committee.

Katherine Spinato Deputy Executive Director, Illinois State Board of Investment (ISBI)

Kathy is the Deputy Executive Director of the Illinois State Board of Investment, whose assets total over $12 billion. At ISBI, she is responsible for oversight of the State Employees Deferred Compensation Plan and the investment and accounting of the Board. Prior to serving in her current position, Ms. Spinato has held various positions within the Illinois State Board of Investment and her career in the investment industry has been with ISBI since the early 1970's. Kathy currently serves as Treasurer of Women Investment Professionals.

Charlotte Walsh CFA, Managing Director, National Consultant Relations, Allegiant Asset Management

Charlotte is the Director of Consultant Relations for Allegiant Asset Management, focusing on working with institutional investment consultants to expand and deepen Allegiant's presence with the consultant community. Before joining Allegiant, Charlotte was a Director of Consultant Relations for Oppenheimer Capital. She also brings experience from her work with Banc One Investment Advisors/JPMorgan Asset Management, Stratford Advisory Group, and Mercer Investment Consulting. Charlotte is a CFA charterholder and majored in Economics and Psychology at Northwestern University. Charlotte currently serves as co-chair of Women Investment Professionals' Membership Committee.

Jane Western Director – Risk Management, The Boeing Company

Jane is a member of Boeing’s Trust Investments Group, which is responsible for the company’s $72 billion in retirement assets. Jane has held a number of positions in the institutional investment business since 1979 – plan sponsor, client servicing and marketing, and consulting – working with corporate pension and endowment/foundation assets. She has worked at Household International, Wilshire Associates, Fidelity Investments, and Ameritech Corporation. She has BA in Mathematics from St. Olaf College and an MBA from the Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University. Jane has recently completed a two-year term as chair of the Endowment Committee of the First Presbyterian Church of Wilmette. Jane has served as Treasurer of Women Investment Professionals and currently is President.

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