Ken serves as Piedmont’s Director of Research and helps manage the firm’s investment research efforts in support of Piedmont’s family of equity and fixed income products.

Before joining Piedmont, Ken served as Director, Investment Management at EARNEST Partners, LLC in Atlanta, GA. While at EARNEST Partners, Ken was a member of the equity investment team responsible for stock research and portfolio management. Ken also worked at Merrill Lynch & Co. as an associate in their Telecommunications and Technology Investment Banking Group. Ken spent a significant part of his earlier career in the telecommunications industry as a wireless network design engineer and business development manager.

Ken graduated magna cum laude from Morehouse College, where he received his BS in Physics and was elected to the Phi Beta Kappa Society. Ken holds his MS in Electrical Engineering from Boston University and his MBA from Harvard University.

Amit is responsible for covering the Capital Expenditures and Commodities macro sectors including the Technology, Industrials, Energy and Materials sub sectors.

Amit previously served as a senior technical specialist at a major automobile manufacturer, developing engine control systems and algorithms to optimize performance, emissions and fuel economy in several vehicle lines. He has extensive data analyses and controls modeling experience using advanced simulation techniques. He holds multiple patents in the engine control systems area. Amit has completed all three levels of the CFA Exam and has extensive working knowledge of the transportation industry.

Amit received his MBA from Oakland University, a MS in Mechanical Engineering from Clemson University and a BE in Mechanical Engineering from Jadavpur University, India.

Claire is responsible for covering the Consumer and Rate Sensitive macro sectors including Retail, Healthcare, Consumer Products, Banks and Diversified Financials.

Prior to joining Piedmont, Claire studied finance and quantitative methods. While completing her undergraduate work, she utilized a microstructure analysis of ex-dividend day pricing to evaluate the implications of 2003 tax cut on tax capitalization theory. Claire also interned with the Insurance and Risk Management professor and worked to analyze data used to support expert witness testimony in insurance related litigation.

Claire is a graduate of Vanderbilt’s Owen Graduate School of Management, where she received a Masters Degree in Quantitative Finance. She earned her Bachelors Degree in Finance and Economics from West Virginia University with Summa Cum Laude honors, and was recognized for induction to Beta Gamma Sigma at both business schools. She is currently a CFA Level III candidate.

Marcus is responsible for covering Telecom Services, Utilities, Capital Markets, Insurance, REITs, and Software.

Marcus previously served as an Equity Research Associate with Banc of America Securities covering US Wireline & Wireless Telecom Services. During his tenure, Mr. Shaw’s team was consistently ranked by the Institutional Investor “All-America Research Team” survey. He has extensive experience in financial modeling, valuation, and utilizing qualitative and quantitative analytical methods to evaluate the operational and financial condition of firms. Prior to Banc of America he served as an IT Specialist with the IBM Corporation where he led the design and implementation of LAN/WAN systems.

Marcus received his MBA in Finance from The Fuqua School of Business at Duke University. He has a BS in Electrical Engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology and a BS in Mathematics from Morehouse College.

James provides analytic and quantitative support to the firm’s investment process. His responsibilities include the construction and performance of quantitative models and the evaluation, simulation, and implementation of return-predicting ideas to support existing and new product development.

James previously worked at a leading multi-strategy equity hedge fund. He has extensive experience in developing equity products and associated quantitative models including valuation, price and earnings momentum, forecast diffusions, quality, etc. He also has experience supporting and developing production processes related to market data acquisition, variance-covariance matrix generation, portfolio optimization, portfolio rebalancing, OMS and trade reconciliation.

James received his MS in Financial Engineering, Columbia University in New York, MEng in Telecommunication, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore and a BS in Electrical & Electronic Engineering, Tianjin University, China.

Spencer is responsible for organizing and maintaining internal and external research materials. Spencer supports with research initiatives for all equity products. In addition, he monitors internal research databases and coordinates the investment meeting documentation.

Spencer previously served as a financial analyst for Duke University Health System, preparing and distributing financial reports and assisting with the analysis of capital projects. He also assisted with ad-hoc reporting for departmental directors and supported with the preparation of operational budgets. Prior to joining Duke University Health System, he spent a semester abroad in London and interned with Keefe, Bruyette & Woods Limited.

Spencer received his Bachelors of Science degree from Guilford College in Accounting with a Minor in Economics.

Ed leads the team of analysts responsible for the valuation of financial institutions included in the mandate from the U.S. Treasury.

Prior to joining Piedmont, Ed worked for Four Corners Capital Management, LLC as a Senior Vice President where he managed a portfolio of ABS, CMBS, and CLOs. Before that, Ed was a Senior Investment Analyst at The Blackstone Group, analyzing fixed income investments in the banking, financial and insurance sectors. Ed has over 12 years of investment management and capital markets experience.

Ed received his BS in Economics from Shepherd University and his Masters in Business Administration from Wake Forest University.

Paul is a member of the Piedmont analyst team responsible for the valuation of financial institutions included in the mandate from the U.S. Treasury.

Paul has extensive experience as a research analyst covering banks and health care facilities. Prior to joining Piedmont, Paul worked as an Equity Research Analyst at Morgan Stanley, where he published written research discussing investment ideas and industry insights on U.S. banks with market values of $3-$23 billion. He also has experience developing financial and quantitative models.

Paul received his BCom in Finance and Accounting and BA in History from the University of Auckland, New Zealand, and his Masters in Business Administration from Columbia Business School. Paul is also a member of the New Zealand Institute of Chartered Accountants.

Neil is a member of the team of analysts at Piedmont who are responsible for the valuation of financial institutions included in the mandate from the U.S. Treasury.

Neil previously interned at a leading hedge fund and worked for a top benefits consultant. While working as a healthcare actuary, he developed underwriting and reserving models for Fortune 1000 companies. He also has an extensive background in reviewing costs and utilization information to identify opportunities in new market practices and emerging benefit trends.

Neil received his BS in Applied Mathematics and Statistics from John Hopkins University and his MBA in Investment Management from University of North Carolina's Kenan-Flagler Business School. He is an Associate of the Society of Actuaries and a CFA Level III candidate.

Virginia is a member of the team of analysts at Piedmont who are responsible for the valuation of financial institutions included in the mandate from the U.S. Treasury.

Virginia previously worked at BMO Capital Markets, where she was an Associate for the Banks Group in their Equity Research Department. Virginia has extensive experience in financial modeling, valuation, and industry analysis of the banking sector, as well as the fixed income, CMBS, and real estate markets. Before joining BMO Capital Markets, Virginia held analyst positions at ING Clarion Capital and CRA RogersCasey, providing analysis of clients’ portfolio performance and investment strategies. Virginia also interned at PSP Icon, LLP in Cape Town, South Africa, as an MBA Associate.

Virginia graduated from Brown University with a BA in Business Economics. She received her MBA from the J. Mack Robinson College of Business at Georgia State University and an MA in International Management from l’Institut d’Administration des Entreprises de Paris (I.A.E.) at the Sorbonne, Paris, France.