AISOURCE - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- VICE PRESIDENT / RESEARCH & INVESTMENTS
Craig Maccagno joined the aiSource team in 2011 and runs the Tampa, FL branch office. With over 15 years of experience as a proprietary trader, his understanding of the different strategies and methodologies employed by the vast array of CTA's has proven to be a valuable asset to the firm. He plays an integral role in the discovery and vetting process of any new program the firm may consider offering . His philosophy with CTAs and clients alike is that integrity, trust, communication, and transparency are the keys to building strong relationships as everyone works together towards long term success.
His lifelong interest in the markets and longtime trading background offer him a unique perspective which his clients appreciate. Craig prefers to take a top down approach, which begins with risk management specific to each clients individual parameters.
Job Titles:
- MANAGED FUTURES SPECIALIST
Garret Brown joined aiSource in October 2016. He grew up on a family farm in Bathgate, ND where his family raises wheat, edible beans, soybeans, and sugar beets. He graduated from North Dakota State University with a degree in Agribusiness. After graduation, he spent 3 years in originating grain for a commercial grain handling cooperative before merchandising the inputs and products of an ethanol plant. Now, Garret's focus is on developing unique risk management strategies for clients' cash marketing programs and also helping those same clients diversify their investment portfolios within managed futures. Garret and his wife Erin, reside in Valley City, ND and he enjoys hunting and fishing, skiing, farming, and following the NDSU Bison on the turf and on the court.
Job Titles:
- RESEARCH ANALYST
- in 2022 As a Research Analyst
Jack Finfer joined aiSource in 2022 as a Research Analyst. Originally from the north suburbs of Chicago, Jack developed his interest in financial markets at Illinois Wesleyan University where he studied Entrepreneurship with an Engineering focus. During his time at Illinois Wesleyan, Jack played 4 years on the football team, starting three years on the offensive line. Along with many other opportunities, Jack was a property analyst with a real estate development firm and also managed an Airbnb. Jack plans to implement some of the strategies he's learned and further develop aiSource's infrastructure in order to better assist clients and CTAs. Jack's responsibilities include client relations, CTA research, database management, and helping the partners with their day-to-day activities.
Apart from work, Jack enjoys spending time with family, fishing, and watching sports. He is an avid sports fan with his favorite teams being the Chicago Bears and the Chicago White Sox.
Job Titles:
- MANAGED FUTURES SPECIALIST
Jay has 20 years of experience helping individual investors, family offices, and financial professionals achieve broader portfolio diversification using alternative investments. In the course of his financial services industry career, he has served in multiple capacities, including financial planning, wealth and investment management, manager due diligence for traditional and alternative investments, and portfolio construction.
Previously, Jay was Vice President and Branch Manager of Price Asset Management in their La Jolla, California office, where he was responsible for compliance, alternative investment research, and business development. Before that, Jay spent 5 years as an Alternative Investment Advisor in the Private Client Group at Altegris Investments (formerly the Managed Investments Division of Man Financial, a subsidiary of the Man Group), where he gained extensive experience in custom hedge fund and managed futures portfolio construction.
Earlier in his career, Jay worked as a private money manager implementing systematic option trading strategies for equity portfolios. Jay also worked as a financial manager with Merrill Lynch in San Diego, where he focused on hedged equity strategies.
Jay graduated from Point Loma Nazarene University with a B.A. in Business Administration with a concentration in Finance.
Job Titles:
- CFP
- MANAGED FUTURES SPECIALIST
Jeff was born and raised in New Jersey but decided to go out of state for college which eventually landed him in Texas. He worked in public accounting and for high net worth family-owned companies with a focus on the oil and gas industry in the Houston and Dallas areas before starting Nashional Financial, a comprehensive financial services firm, with his wife, Whitney. Jeff helps his clients create tax-efficient and asset class-diversified planning strategies so that they may realize a secure financial future. Jeff has a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of Oklahoma and a Master of Taxation from Mississippi State University. As a Branch Office Manager with aiSource, Jeff is able to offer additional investment and risk management diversification solutions.
Jeff enjoys spending time with Whitney and their son, playing fetch with their dogs, working out, trying new restaurants, watching football and basketball and traveling to visit family, friends and find a relaxing beach - Aruba is on the top of the list!
Job Titles:
- Founding Partner
- PRESIDENT
Jon Marcus began his career in the futures and options industry in 1996 with a small futures brokerage firm in Chicago. After gaining extensive experience at the company, Jon co-founded Lakefront Futures & Options, LLC in 1997. Jon's ambition to launch aiSource came after many years of personally investing in managed futures. His honest and caring personality is the reason why many aiSource clients value his opinions when it comes to their investment decisions. Jon's ambition is to meet each and every client face-to-face, regardless of their geographical location.
Jon's role is to build a strong relationship with the commodity trading advisors that aiSource recommends to its clients. He graduated from the University of Wisconsin with a degree in Sociology. Jon relishes the opportunity to try new restaurants and cuisines, and enjoys taking family vacations. He resides in the northern suburbs of Chicago with his wife, and two sons.
Job Titles:
- Founding Partner
- PRESIDENT
Nick Leblebijian began his career in the futures and options industry on the trading floor of the Chicago Board of Trade in 1986, and by 1991, Nick had become a member of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) as an independent trader. After gaining extensive trading experience on the floor of the exchange, he co-founded Lakefront Futures & Options, LLC in February 1997 and went on to help establish its managed futures division, aiSource. Nick brings the largest amount of experience to the firm, having been involved in almost every facet of the industry, and prides himself on being an option specialist.
Over the years, more and more clients have continued to rely on Nick's market analysis and suggestions, which has helped build Lakefront Futures and its division, aiSource, into a multimillion dollar investment advisory firm. In his personal time, Nick enjoys boating, playing golf and spending valuable time with his wife and two children.
Paul Kokuzian's first encounter with the commodity markets came as a High School intern at Lakefront Futures & Options, LLC. While simultaneously working part-time at Lakefront, Paul obtained a BSC from DePaul University in Finance and Economics, graduating with Cum Laude honors. Offered a full-time position at Lakefront after graduation, Paul's primary role was to oversee a large family office with their managed futures investments. Seeing strong growth in alternative investments and the managed futures space, Paul along with the other partners, decided to launch aiSource. Paul's mission was to take the expertise he gained from managing the family office and use it to help pave the way for other investors.
Helping develop many of the proprietary technology used in the firm today, Paul is entrusted with making client reporting more transparent and easy to understand. He prides himself as being a reliable and dependable resource, helping monitor client portfolios on a day to day basis. In his personal time, Paul coaches a youth hockey team and is an active volunteer in his various church organizations. He also enjoys spending time with his wife and two kids.
Job Titles:
- MANAGED FUTURES SPECIALIST
Richard Singer is a distinguished veteran of the alternative investment industry, with 40+ years of experience as a broker, trader, and consultant. A former Commodity Trading Advisor (CTA), Richard specializes in alternative investment strategies.
Richard began his career in 1971 as an account executive with Bache and Company, where he discovered his passion for the futures industry. His next position was with Conti Commodity Service, a division of Continental Grain Company. After 4 years getting an extensive education on commodity markets, trading techniques, and futures exchanges, Richard joined Loeb, Rhodes, Hornblower & Shearson to broker and run their commodities investing division in Beverly Hills.
From 1979 to 1996, Richard worked as a futures trader and consultant. This period included a 12-year stint managing the Talisman Fund in Century City, California and the Lancelot Futures Fund in Zurich, Switzerland. In 1996, Richard joined the Private Client Group of Altegris Investments (formerly the Managed Investments Division of Man Financial, a subsidiary of the Man Group) in La Jolla, California, as an Alternative Investment Advisor. Richard left Altegris in 2006 to join Price Asset Management as Senior Vice President.
Rishab Sharma helped found and establish aiSource along with Jon, Nick and Paul. Rishab's goal has always been to make the managed futures investment process easy and simple for new investors to grasp, and he is willing to take the time to educate each and every investor. Existing aiSource clients value Rishab's expertise and insight when evaluating modifications to their portfolios. Rishab thinks the best way to gain a client's trust is by placing himself in the "client's shoes" prior to giving any thoughts, advice, or recommendations. He continues to live by the motto of "under promise and over-deliver."
Mr. Sharma graduated Cum Laude with a dual degree in Finance and Economics from DePaul University. In his personal time, Rishab enjoys spending time with family, skiing, cooking (occasionally), traveling, and is an avid supporter of the major Chicago sports teams.