Research Team

Our partnership with Commonwealth Financial Network®, a leading Registered Investment Adviser–broker/dealer, provides us access to a team of investment research specialists who assist us in our efforts to provide you with the best possible service. Each of the professionals on this team brings a breadth of experience in the industry and within his or her own specialization.

	Brad McMillan, CFA®, CAIA, MAI Managing Principal and Chief Investment Officer Chairs the Investment Committee and is the primary spokesperson for Commonwealth's investment divisions Shares his comments and thoughts on the economy in his blog, The Independent Market Observer Is a Chartered Financial Analyst® (CFA®) charter holder, holds the Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst (CAIA) designation, and is a member of the Appraisal Institute Earned a BA from Dartmouth College, an MS in real estate from MIT, and an MS in finance from Boston College Has prior experience as the founder of Dartmouth Realty Advisors
	Brian Price, CFA® Senior Vice President, Investment Management and Research Manages the Research team Oversees asset allocation, fund selection, and overall management of Commonwealth’s Preferred Portfolio Services® Select program Is a Chartered Financial Analyst® (CFA®) charter holder and holds the FINRA Series 7, 63, and 65 securities registrations Earned a BA from Georgetown University Has prior experience as a senior financial advisor associate at Bernstein Investment Research and Management
	Peter Essele, CFA®, CAIA, CFP® Vice President, Investment Management and Research Oversees asset allocation, fund selection, and overall management of Commonwealth’s discretionary platform, Preferred Portfolio Services® Select Holds the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional certification and the Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst (CAIA) designation, and is a Chartered Financial Analyst® (CFA®) charter holder and a member of the Boston Security Analysts Society Holds the FINRA Series 7, 24, 31, 53, and 66 securities registrations Earned a BS in industrial economics from Union College Has prior experience in positions at Albany International and Kestner Engineers
	Chad LaFauci, CFA®, CAIA Vice President, Alternative Investments Analyzes, approves, and monitors all alternative investments products (e.g., private equity, private credit, hedge funds, real estate, infrastructure, and commodities) Manages the Alternative Investments team, which assists advisors with portfolio construction, as well as individual investment research and analysis Is a Chartered Financial Analyst® (CFA®) charter holder and holds the Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst (CAIA) designation and the FINRA Series 7, 24, 63, and 65 securities registrations Earned a BS in economics from Bates College Has prior experience in a position at Investors Bank & Trust
	Jim McAllister, CFA® Director, Equity Research Oversees the Equity Research team, which assists advisors with ongoing due diligence and analysis of equity-based mutual funds, exchange-traded funds, separately managed accounts, and individual securities Manages the Preferred Portfolio Services® Select Equity Income SMA models Responds to advisor inquiries on equity portfolio construction, individual equity research, and equity portfolio reviews Is a Chartered Financial Analyst® (CFA®) charter holder Earned a BS in finance from Lehigh University Has prior experience as a research analyst at Loomis, Sayles & Co. and State Street Global Advisors in the U.S. quantitative group
	Brian McCormick, CIMA® Manager, Investment Management and Research Manages evaluation, selection, and dissemination of research in the small- and mid-cap asset classes Conducts research and due diligence on exchange-traded products Responds to advisor inquiries on various investment topics, including asset allocation, mutual funds, exchange-traded funds, and separate account managers Holds the Certified Investment Management Analyst® (CIMA®) designation and the FINRA Series 7, 24, and 63 securities registrations Earned a BS in management from Quinnipiac University Has more than 17 years of industry experience including at positions at Signator Investors and Putnam Investments
	Fred DeBaets Portfolio Manager, Investment Management and Research Manages Commonwealth’s Preferred Portfolio Services^® Select Fixed Income SMA strategies Assists with portfolio construction and ideas on fixed income market opportunities Earned a BS in financial management and economics and an MBA from Plymouth State University Has prior experience in fixed income positions at Morgan Stanley and Bear Stearns
	Chris Fasciano Portfolio Manager, Investment Management and Research Oversees Commonwealth’s Preferred Portfolio Services® Select program and the Commonwealth Model Portfolios Assists with asset allocation, security selection, and ongoing portfolio monitoring Responds to advisor inquiries about their own model portfolios Earned a BA in economics from Bates College and an MBA from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s Kenan-Flagler Business School Has more than 20 years of experience in small- and mid-cap stock research and managing small- and mid-cap value portfolios for institutional and high-net-worth clients
	Andrew Kitchings, CAIA, CMT, ERP, FRM Portfolio Manager, Investment Management and Research Helps oversee Commonwealth’s Preferred Portfolio Services® Select program and the Commonwealth Model Portfolios Assists with asset allocation, security selection, and ongoing portfolio monitoring Holds the Chartered Market Technician (CMT), Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst (CAIA), Energy Risk Professional (ERP), and Financial Risk Manager (FRM) designations and is a member of the Boston Security Analysts Society Holds the FINRA Series 7 and 66 securities registrations Earned dual degrees in economics and history with a concentration in East Asian studies from Emory University Has prior experience in positions at LPL Financial and Bank of America
	Anu Gaggar, CFA®, FRM® Senior Research Analyst, Equity Evaluates and selects managers and disseminates research in the international and emerging markets asset classes Responds to advisor inquiries on equity portfolio construction, individual equity research, and equity portfolio reviews Is a Chartered Financial Analyst® (CFA®) charter holder and holds the Financial Risk Manager (FRM®) designation and the FINRA Series 7 securities registration Earned an MS in finance from Boston College and an MBA in finance from NMIMS in India Taught master’s level finance course at Boston University and worked at Virtua Research and SBI Capital Markets in India
	Robert Kane, CAIA Senior Research Analyst, Alternatives Facilitates due diligence and research activities on products within alternative financial strategies (e.g., managed futures, hedge funds, private equity, structured products, mutual funds, and exchange traded funds) Holds the Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst (CAIA) designation and the FINRA Series 7, 63, and 66 securities registrations Earned a degree from the University of Massachusetts Amherst
	Nathan Parker, CFA®, CAIA Senior Research Analyst, Real Assets Facilitates due diligence and research activities on real asset-focused investments (commercial real estate, commodities, infrastructure, and natural resources) Is a Chartered Financial Analyst® (CFA®) charter holder and holds the Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst (CAIA) designation and the FINRA Series 7 and 63 securities registrations Earned a bachelor's in business administration from California State University, Chico, and a master's in finance from San Diego State University Has prior experience at LPL Financial
	Chris Stuart, CFA® Senior Research Analyst, Equity Evaluates and selects managers and disseminates research in the large-cap equity asset class Responds to advisor inquiries on equity portfolio construction, individual equity research, and equity portfolio reviews Holds the FINRA Series 7 and 66 securities registrations Earned a BA in finance from the University of Massachusetts Amherst Has prior experience in positions at Columbia Management, Bank of America-Merrill Lynch, and TheStreet.com
	Eduardo Ciuffo, CFA® Senior Research Analyst, Real Assets Facilitates due diligence and research activities on real asset-focused investments Is a Chartered Financial Analyst® (CFA®) charter holder and holds the FINRA Series 7 and 63 securities registrations Earned a master’s degree in finance from San Diego State University Has prior experience at LPL Financial, where he traded and re-balanced SMA platforms
	Sarah Hargreaves Analyst, Investment Management and Research Provides advanced technical, consultative, and platform-based support on a variety of topics to advisors and clients, particularly as it relates to Commonwealth’s Preferred Portfolio Services® (PPS) Select program. Identifies strategies to enhance model portfolio adoption and responds to advisor inquiries Holds the FINRA Series 7 and 66 securities registrations Earned a degree from Elon University
	Sam Millette Senior Investment Research Analyst, Fixed Income Analyzes individual fixed income securities, responds to advisor requests, and assists with market research and commentary Assists with trading and re-balancing of SMA portfolios Earned a BA in economics from Tufts University and is currently a Level II Chartered Financial Analyst® (CFA®) candidate
	Thomas Ryan Research Analyst, Equity Responds to advisor inquiries on equity portfolio construction, individual equity research, and equity portfolio reviews Evaluates and selects managers and disseminates research in the mid-cap equity asset class Chartered Financial Analyst® (CFA®) charter holder Holds the FINRA Series 65 securities registration Earned a BS in business management from the Isenberg School of Management at the University of Massachusetts Amherst
	Rob Swanke, CFA®, CAIA Research Analyst, Fixed Income Analyzes individual fixed income securities, responds to advisor requests, and assists with fixed income market research Is a Chartered Financial Analyst® (CFA®) charter holder and holds the Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst (CAIA) designation and the FINRA Series 65 securities registration Earned a BS in finance and accounting from Boston College
	Peter Roberto Research Analyst, Equity Supports analysts with due diligence and research activities on mutual funds, exchange traded-funds, and equities Evaluates and selects managers and disseminates research in the global and foreign SMID markets asset classes Assists the Investment Management team with calculating, analyzing, and updating both internal and external performance and attribution reports Earned a BS in management, with an emphasis in finance, from Worcester Polytechnic Institute and is currently a Level II Chartered Financial Analyst® (CFA®) candidate
	Tom Scarlata Research Associate, Investment Management and Research Supports analysts with due diligence and research activities in fixed income and alternative investments Assists the Investment Management team with aggregating and presenting daily, weekly, and monthly investment analysis and performance reporting Earned a BS in economics and finance from Bentley University