Tiburon Fellows

Tiburon's core business is the delivery of research-based strategy consulting services. The firm also prides itself on helping its clients through the process of strategic implementation (e.g., identifying vendors, etc.). However, the firm recognizes that there comes a point where Tiburon's research and strategy skills are no longer the focus of its clients' needs and clients specifically need assistance in designing brochures, training financial advisors, installing technology choices, choosing money managers, recruiting executives, and/or executing transactions. In other words, Tiburon offers strategic help that often leads to its clients needing tactical help in implementing strategies.

Since Tiburon principals & consulting staff members speak at dozens of conferences every year, the firm is exposed to all types of other industry consultants, counselors, & advisors. Furthermore, the firm has worked with many in client engagements. As a result, to assist Tiburon clients, the firm has developed a network of consultants, counselors, & other advisors in the industry that it believes offer specific expertise to help its clients. Tiburon's Fellows Program includes experts in the areas of sales & marketing, operations & technology, human resources & recruiting, accounting & legal issues, investment consulting, and mergers & acquisitions.

Click the links below to read biographies and find contact information for Tiburon's fellows:

Tiburon's Fellows group meets twice per year in New York in April and in San Francisco in October. Feel free to contact Tiburon's Fellows directly or through Tiburon. Sarah Sage will be happy to help you (SSage@TiburonAdvisors.Com or 415-789-2540).

Past & current Tiburon Fellows Kevin Malone, Peter Shannahan, Julie Allecta, Lori Medlen, Bob Padgette, David Smith, Barry Mendelson, Jim Atkinson, Mitch Vigeveno, Tim Armour, Scott MacKillop, Ron LoVetri, & Larry Cohen pose with Tiburon Managing Principal Chip Roame at Tiburon CEO Summit VIII

Jim Abbott is a partner at Seward & Kissel, a leading US law firm focused on corporate and litigation work for clients seeking legal expertise in the financial services, corporate finance, & capital markets areas. The firm is particularly well known for its representation of investment advisors and related investment funds (including mutual funds, private equity, & hedge funds), major commercial and investment banks, broker-dealers, & institutional investors. Mr. Abbott is co-leader of the firm’s Business Transactions Group, which handles mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, private equity, debt, and venture capital transactions. The S&K Business Transactions Group was named 2008 Middle-Market M&A Law Firm of the Year by the M&A Advisor and has particularly extensive experience advising on transactions involving investment management firms and other financial services businesses (which transactions it covers in its IM Deals blog at www.IMDealsBlog.Com).

Prior to joining Seward & Kissel, Mr. Abbott was a partner and co-chair of the Corporate Department at Wall Street law firm Carter, Ledyard, & Milburn. During his 25+ years as a deal lawyer, Mr. Abbott has developed a reputation as a trusted business counselor who efficiently completes transactions.

Mr. Abbott joined Tiburon's Fellows program in 2010. Jim resides in Summit, NJ and can be reached directly at AbbottJ@SewKis.Com or 212- 574-1226.

Jim Atkinson is the principal of Orbis Marketing in Los Angeles, CA. Orbis Marketing provides marketing advice and media buying services. A regular speaker at industry conferences, Mr. Atkinson has made numerous television appearances both in the US and abroad.

Mr. Atkinson is in his thirtieth year in the financial services industry, including 23 years in the mutual funds industry. As a senior mutual funds industry executive, he has had experience at small and large investment management firms as well as experience in both the direct and financial advisor channels. Jim has been with two mutual fund start-ups and has contributed to the product engineering, launch, & marketing of over 20 mutual funds. Included in this history are both load and no-load funds, domestic and offshore funds, and a closed-end fund. In addition to his hands-on experience in the mutual funds industry, Mr. Atkinson has also served as the president of an award winning internet company that provides original content to assist investors in managing their mutual fund portfolios. Mr. Atkinson has been involved with the design, launch, & marketing of a number of mutual fund industry innovations, including the first non-US dollar money market fund, the first mainland China fund, the first wireless fund, & the first closed-end fund to feature an automatic conversion to an open-end fund. Mr. Atkinson has developed a number of marketing principles; foremost among them is a strong belief that mutual fund companies must integrate their investment management processes & philosophy and their corporate personality with their marketing efforts. That is, marketing is not a veneer overlaid onto an investment management effort but rather the two must be intertwined.

Mr. Atkinson joined Tiburon's Fellows program in 2001. Jim resides in Los Angeles, CA and can be reached directly at JimA@OrbisMarketing.Com or 818-716-2739.

Jenn Connelly is the president of JCPR, which has created innovative and effective national media campaigns for companies including Broadridge Financial Solutions, American Beacon Advisors, Aston Asset Management, Direxion Funds, Clearbrook Financial, Market Counsel, SPARX Asia Funds, ETF Trends, & the Retirement Learning Center. She currently sits on the board of directors for Alternative Investment Partners. In addition, Jenn is a member of the operations board of Easter Seals New York, a nonprofit organization devoted to helping individuals with disabilities. She provides pro-bono public relations services to Easter Seals and Presents for Purpose. Jenn is routinely featured in publications such as Financial Advisor Magazine, Investment Advisor Magazine, and Investment News. She is a frequent speaker at industry conferences & trade shows throughout the year and is also a contributor to a wide range of industry publications.

Prior to launching JCPR in 2003, Jenn worked at several national advertising and public relations agencies, including MWW Group, Berger Brown Communications, and PR21 in New York, a company of Edelman Worldwide Public Relations.

Ms. Connelly joined Tiburon's Fellows program in 2008. Jenn resides in Rockaway Township, NJ and can be reached directly at Jenn@JCPublicRelations.Com or 973-732-3521.

Ben Cukier is partner at FTV Capital, a boutique venture capital firm offering multi-stage growth equity and venture capital investments to fund rapid organic growth, recapitalize to optimize capital structure, and/or meet shareholder liquidity needs, pursue acquisition strategies, & spin-off operations from parent companies. Mr. Cukier leads investments in asset management, lending, & banking.

Mr. Cukier was previously with the telecommunications & media team at Madison Dearborn Partners in Chicago. Prior to joining Madison Dearborn Partners, Mr. Cukier was with McKinsey & Company in New York, where he consulted to clients in the telecommunications, internet, & healthcare industries. Mr. Cukier received his BS and BA from the University of Pennsylvania and an MBA from Stanford University.

Mr. Cukier joined Tiburon's Fellows program in 2009. Ben resides in New York, NY and can be reached directly at BCukier@FTVCapital.Com or 212-682-4846.

Randy Moore is a partner in the financial services & products group at Alston + Bird, a law firm with more than 900 attorneys providing a full range of services to domestic & international clients which conduct business worldwide. The firm's focus has developed from what was initially a local context to regional, then national, & now a global economic environment. Alston + Bird has overlaid its broad range of legal skills & business knowledge with a commitment to innovation and technology. Mr. Moore's practice focuses on the areas of mergers & acquisitions, securities compliance, and banking regulation, along with corporate governance matters.

Most recently, as a member of the Financial Markets Crisis Task Force, Mr. Moore has been advising clients on the various emergency economic initiatives undertaken by the federal government to address the current economic crisis, including advising financial institutions on their participation in & exit from the TARP Capital Purchase Program implemented by the US Department of the Treasury along with the recently announced Financial Regulatory Reform Proposal. Randy served as an adjunct professor at the Emory University School of Law from 2002 to 2005, where he taught a course on mergers & acquisitions.

Mr. Moore joined Tiburon's Fellows program in 2009. Randy resides in Atlanta, GA and can be reached directly at Randy.Moore@Alston.Com or 404-881-7794.

Liz Nesvold is the managing partner of Silver Lane Advisors, a mergers & acquisitions advisory firm based in New York, NY and specializing in the investment and wealth management industries. Ms. Nesvold is also a frequent speaker at industry conferences and seminars, and has authored several articles, including How to Make Money in Wealth Management and How to Sell the Family Business without Losing Your Sanity.

Prior to founding Silver Lane Advisors, Ms. Nesvold was a partner at Cambridge International Partners and, prior to that, a partner at Berkshire Capital. At both firms, she founded and led the respective firms’ wealth management practices. During her 17 year career, Ms. Nesvold has advised on approximately 125 completed merger, acquisition, valuation, and strategic advisory assignments for a variety of clients including national and local trust companies, multi-family offices, investment counselors, institutional, & alternative managers.

Ms. Nesvold joined Tiburon's Fellows program in 2007. Liz resides in New York, NY and can be reached directly at ENesvold@SilverLane.Com or 212-883-9401.

Marie Swift is president of Impact Communications, a full-service public relations & marketing communications firm serving a select group of independent financial advisors and allied institutions. Impact Communications has two service lines - one for independent financial advisors and one for the institutions that support them. Clients include Portfolio Solutions, Smart 401K, Securities America, American Financial Network, Iron Point Capital, Focus Point Solutions, Wealth Counsel, Advisor Impact, Lee Eisenberg, Mark Magnacca, Sudden Money Institute, Garrett Planning Network, Kinder Institute of Life Planning, Purposeful Planning, FinaMetrica, Money Coaching Institute, The Enrichment Group, and many more. Marie also serves as a coach for Source Media’s Advisor Max and is frequently quoted in or published by industry magazines such as Financial Planning, Research, Financial Advisor, Investment Advisor, Transitions, Advisor Today, & Morningstar Advisor. Ms. Swift is a popular speaker at industry events, including multiple appearances at FPA national and regional events, NAPFA, Lockwood University, and the NFL Players Association (Financial Advisor Program). Marie is the co-author of Just Give Me the Answer$: Expert Advisors Address Your Most Pressing Financial Questions and contributed the marketing chapter to Garrett’s Guide to Financial Planning.

Prior to establishing her own firm in 1993, Marie served as director of corporate communications for Worldwide Investment Network in Irvine, California, where she helped FNIC’s then top producer attain & maintain that title for five consecutive years. She managed a staff of twenty that supported two dozen successful registered representatives, estate planners, & wealth managers.

Ms. Swift joined Tiburon's Fellows program in 2007. Marie resides in Leawood, KS and can be reached directly at MarieSwift@ImpactCommunications.Org or 800-974-7753.

Mitch Vigeveno is the CEO of Turning Point, based in Clearwater, FL, which was founded in 1994 to provide recruiting, executive search, & consulting services to the financial services industry. Turning Point specializes in two areas: helping financial services firms find the best executive & management personnel to support their client bases and helping brokers & financial planners find the best broker/dealers for their needs. Turning Point works on a national basis and specializes in placing high quality professionals with broker/dealers, insurance companies, banks, & registered investment advisory firms. Previous assignments have included CEOs, chief operations officers, chief marketing officers, regional sales directors, chief compliance officers, actuaries, wholesalers, & a variety of customer service management personnel. Mr. Vigeveno worked collaboratively with Tiburon on a competitive analysis research project regarding the offerings of independent broker/dealers. He has written for, and been quoted in, several industry publications including Financial Planning Magazine, Ticker, Registered Representative, Investment Advisor Magazine, Investment News, and On Wall Street. Mr. Vigeveno has also been a speaker at several FPA and IMCA conferences. In addition, Mr. Vigeveno has been active as an officer, director, & member of the Tampa Bay Chapter of the Financial Planning Association since 1984. Turning Point is a member of the National Association of Personnel Services (NAPS), The National Banking & Financial Services Network, and the Top Echelon Recruiting Network.

Mr. Vigeveno has over 25 years of experience in financial services on both the insurance and securities sides of the business.

Mr. Vigeveno joined Tiburon's Fellows program in 2001. Mitch resides in Clearwater, FL and can be reached directly at Mitch@TPISearch.Com or 727-725-8876.

Jamie Ziegler is a partner at AUM Partners, a Chicago-based management consulting firm that helps investment leaders & teams maximize their human capital.

Prior to founding AUM Partners in 2009, Ms. Ziegler worked with Focus Consulting Group for five years, serving investment firms in North America, Europe, & Asia. Previously, Ms. Ziegler served for ten years as senior vice president of global marketing for Northern Trust Global Investments, overseeing a growth in assets under management from $80 billion to $600 billion. She began her career as a mutual funds analyst. Ms. Ziegler has co-authored two books - High Performance Investment Teams; and Investment Management: Meeting the Noble Challenges of Funding Pensions, Deficits, & Growth - and is a member of the CFA Retained Speakers Program and the International Enneagram Institute.

Ms. Ziegler joined Tiburon's Fellows program in 2009. Jamie resides in Wilmette, IL and can be reached directly at JZiegler@AUMPartnersLLC.Com or 847-853-8251.

The Tiburon Fellows program is Tiburon's effort at bringing the resources of other industry resources to bear for Tiburon clients and prospects. Feel free to contact any of the Fellows directly or request that Tiburon include them in any existing Tiburon project. To read about other Tiburon executive programs, please see the pages for CEOs-in-Residence and Financial Advisor Roundtable.