Sam Pfister
Sam Pfister
PARTNER / DIRECTOR OF ANALYSIS
As Director of Analysis, Sam develops and maintains proprietary statistical software systems to enable efficient, accurate and customizable portfolio construction. Sam’s extensive experience at NASA and Cal Tech anchors the foundation of CCA’s technology platform.
Prior to joining Checchi Capital Advisers, Sam was a postdoctoral researcher at the California Institute of Technology and a technical lead in the government-sponsored DARPA Grand Challenge autonomous vehicle competition. He was a doctoral student at Caltech, earning his Ph.D. for development of algorithms to enable robust statistical sensor processing in robotic applications. Sam also worked on the Mars Exploration Rover mission run by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. During operations, he developed tools and techniques to model uncertainty and reduce risk and improve overall Rover operational efficiency.
Sam received a Bachelor of Science degree from Harvard University, and a Master of Science and Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from the California Institute of Technology. Sam is married with one child.
Lawrence Walter
Lawrence Walter
SENIOR DEVELOPER / DATA
As a Senior Developer with primary responsibilities over CCA’s databases, Larry focuses on the design and maintenance of the firm’s data and software systems. He manages all aspects of CCA’s data requirements and is an architect of the firm’s proprietary order management and trading system. Larry’s experience in technology companies both as a consultant and entrepreneur drives CCA’s innovative data management process.
Before joining Checchi Capital Advisers, Larry was a Senior Engineer at Technical Systems and consultant to Vivendi Universal Net, where he provided lead technical and logistical services. Prior to his work at Technical Systems, Larry was a key consultant and engineer at Little Consulting, a boutique consultancy. During his career, he has built complex transactional systems, complete web-based products and destinations, resilient, enterprise-grade databases and complete IT infrastructures. Prior to Little Consulting, Larry acted as an Engineer for General Facilities, where his responsibilities included creating and checking detailed engineering plans and support of general technical infrastructure.
Larry holds a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science and Computer Engineering from the University of Southern California. He is a Los Angeles resident.
Gregoire Lepoutre
Gregoire Lepoutre
DIRECTOR OF PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT
Gregoire is Director of Product Development at CCA, responsible for the product life-cycle, from investment research to industrialization and beyond.
Prior to joining CCA, Gregoire was a Researcher at Bridgewater Associates, in Westport, CT. where he was responsible for producing the research and analytics supporting Bridgewater’s flagship publication, the Daily Observations©. Gregoire worked in Bridgewater’s research department for five years, specializing in data, systematic investing, and engineering. Gregoire started his career at Schlumberger, as a Drilling Engineer in Siberia and the Middle East.
Gregoire is originally from France, and holds a Master’s in Electric and Computer Engineering from Ecole Superieure d’Electricite (Supelec), and a Master of Arts in Mathematics of Finance from Columbia University. He lives in Santa Monica with his wife and sons.
Ian Swanson
Ian Swanson
DIRECTOR OF RESEARCH
As Director of Research, Ian investigates and develops novel investment strategies, along with the tools needed to build a detailed understanding of the fundamental economic drivers behind market phenomena. Ian brings extensive experience in the discovery of quantitative investment ideas, along with the design and management of diversifying portfolios, for both institutional and high-net-worth clients. Prior to joining Checchi Capital, he spent over a decade as a Director and Portfolio Manager at First Quadrant, an investment manager based in Pasadena, CA, where he specialized in systematic macro, covering currency, equity, fixed income, and commodities.
Ian’s interest in quantitative investing began with a Master of Financial Engineering degree from UC Berkeley. Prior to his career in finance, Ian held postdoctoral fellowships in theoretical physics at the Institute for Advanced Study and MIT, where he published extensively on topics in string theory, gravitation, and cosmology. He received his PhD in physics from Caltech under Prof. John Schwarz.
Ian lives in La Canada with his wife and two children.
Sukaya Nawpar
Sukaya Nawpar
DATABASE ENGINEER
Sukaya Nawpar is a Database Engineer at CCA, where he responsible for database architecture and reporting.
Sukaya has over 10 years of experience teaching database development and over 20 years of experience as a software developer, database administrator, database architecture and quantitative developer. Prior to CCA, Sukaya worked at Wilshire Associates, specifically working with the manager research teams and fund management teams to develop and design databases, data warehousing, reporting, and quantitative modules. Over his career, Sukaya has also worked with other well-known financial and insurance companies including Answer Financial and A-Mark Precious Metals.
Sukaya earned his B.Sc. (Hons) and M.Sc. in Mathematics from the Rangoon University in Burma.
Michael Samuels
Michael Samuels
DATA SCIENTIST
Mike is a Senior Data Scientist at CCA, responsible for conducting investment research, developing and refining research tools and methodology, and systematizing CCA’s investment tools and processes.
Mike spent the first few years of his career as an analyst at the J.P. Morgan Private Bank in San Francisco, where he helped some of the bank’s wealthiest clients with their banking, investing, credit, and estate planning needs. He partnered with the banking and investing teams on a variety of tasks including client performance reviews, investment implementation plans, charitable giving solutions, as well as bespoke analyses and ad hoc client requests. He collaborated with Michael Cembalest, J.P. Morgan Asset Management’s Chairman of Market and Investment Strategy, and his team on a white paper on the risks associated with concentrated stock ownership.
After leaving J.P. Morgan, Mike worked as a data analyst and consultant, first spending time analyzing the volatility markets and later helping a newly formed credit hedge fund with their data needs. He moved back home to Los Angeles a few years ago to work at AdColony, where he worked under the CFO as a senior financial planning and analysis manager, helping AdColony with their forecasting, budgeting, planning, and strategy.
Mike studied Math and Economics at Stanford University, where he also earned his Master’s in Management Science and Engineering and was the Stanford Tree from 2011-2012.
Joshua Swanson
Joshua Swanson
SOFTWARE DEVELOPER
Josh is a Software Developer on the Engineering team at CCA, where he is responsible for developing proprietary software for handling calculations required in financial modeling as well as for parsing and processing data.
Prior to joining CCA, Josh worked as a Forensic Financial Analyst at VWM Analytics in Downtown Los Angeles, where he used information sourced from various legal and financial documents along with proprietary statistical models to calculate damages in a variety of lawsuits including medical malpractice, wrongful death, wrongful termination, among others. After working in forensic finance Josh decided to change course and go into financial engineering, and towards that end earned two Master of Science degrees in Mathematics and Financial Engineering from Claremont Graduate University. Josh received his BA in Mathematics from the University of Chicago.
Josh is originally from Beverly Hills, and in fact grew up on an adjacent block to the CCA office. Outside of the office Josh has several hobbies, including playing electric guitar and bass, building RC cars, and piloting FPV quadcopters.
Terry Burnham
Terry Burnham
ADVISORY ECONOMIST
Terry is an Associate Professor at Chapman University in Orange, CA. Before joining the faculty at Chapman, Terry was a professor at Harvard’s Kennedy School, the University of Michigan, and the Harvard Business School.
From 2005-2011, Terry was the Director of Economics, and Director, Portfolio Management at Acadian Asset Management, a Boston-based institutional equity manager. While Terry was at Acadian he oversaw portfolios with over $90 Billion in assets under management. Terry has worked, or consulted, for a variety of other firms including Goldman, Sachs & Co., and Deutsche Bank.
Terry was the President and Chief Financial Officer of Progenics Pharmaceuticals, Inc., then a start-up biotech company. While CFO, Terry raised the several early rounds of private financing for Progenics, which is now publicly traded (symbol PGNX).
Terry is the co-author of Mean Genes, and the author of Mean Markets and Lizard Brains: How to Profit From the Science of Irrationality. He writes regularly for the PBS Making Sen$e page, and has appeared on CNBC, The Lehrer NewsHour, and Bloomberg TV.