BRIDGEWATER ADVISORS - Key Persons
A native of Milwaukee, Ann grew up in a single-parent household, where her mom inspired her to pursue things she loved. For Ann, that was music. After high school, she entered a professional music performance program with the Fine Arts Quartet at the University of Wisconsin.
Later, she chose ‘a more practical route' and transferred to the University of Chicago to study economics. That led to positions at Booz Allen, Citibank and U.S. Trust, before moving to Bridgewater in 2007. One more thing about Ann - she's crazy about Brahms, especially the violin sonatas.
Job Titles:
- Co - Chief Investment Officer
- Co - Chief Investment Officer, Senior Advisor, CFA, CFP®
Barb is a native of Auburn, Maine who loves the solitude and natural beauty of New England. She earned a BA in psychology from the University of Southern Maine and a PhD in philosophy from Stony Brook. Barb began her post-academic career as a credit counselor, where she gained valuable insights into people's relationships with their money.
Now she brings her rare blend of compassion and investment acumen to bear on behalf of Bridgewater clients. As chair of our investment committee, Barb challenges our thinking and masterminds our approach to portfolio management. Something else about Barb: she's been listening to The Supremes seemingly since birth. She remains a huge fan of classic soul to this day, from Motown through Stax, Fame and Atlantic.
Job Titles:
- Head Trader
- Head Trader, CFP®
Ben's from Nashville, the oldest of four kids. His father taught him to cook when he was a young child. Perhaps that's why as an adult his idea of fun is bringing in 320 pounds of live crawfish from Louisiana to host a 150-person crawfish boil. Ben graduated from Vassar with a BA in economics.
At Bridgewater, he works with clients and focuses on investment research. He's also carved out a path to become the firm's primary trader. An itinerant photographer, Ben's fascinated by people. On weekends, you might see him exploring the city by foot, camera in hand.
Elisa is a Queens native, and a liberal arts major from LaGuardia Community College. For over 30 years, she's been helping organizations of all sizes streamline their operations. Our clients know her as "the voice of Bridgewater," where her primary role is to keep the office humming smoothly.
A native of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, Ellen graduated from American University with a BA in economics. She is a CPA and worked in various accounting firms before settling in the New York area. She worked with another investment advisor for 11 years before joining Bridgewater in the operations department in 1998.
Ellen loves learning about other cultures, reading and traveling.
Job Titles:
- Senior Advisor
- Senior Advisor, Partner, CFP®
- Treasurer for the Pi Kappa Alpha NYC Alumni Association
Gabe was born and raised in The Woodlands, a suburb of Houston. His dad wanted him to understand the concept of money, so he included Gabe in discussions with his financial advisor at the dinner table. The exposure made an impression. From an early age, Gabe knew he wanted to help people manage their assets. He went to Texas Tech, where he graduated from the country's largest - and one of its best - personal financial planning programs. He soon outgrew Houston and came to New York to join the financial big leagues and help clients reap the long-term benefits of making good decisions.
Outside of the office, Gabe serves as Treasurer for the Pi Kappa Alpha NYC alumni association. He also coaches and is on the board of the Bloomfield Little League. On the weekends, he can be found exploring the outdoors in North East Pennsylvania.
Job Titles:
- Senior Associate
- Senior Associate, CFP®
Jacques was born and raised in Maryland. After graduating the University of Delaware, Lerner College of Business and Economics, Jacques worked with a Wilmington firm that provided bookkeeping and accounting services to clients in the world of entertainment and professional sports. He then joined one here in the City with similar clientele to sharpen his skills and expand his horizons.
Curious, hardworking and with an eye toward serving clients in a comprehensive fashion, he completed his CFP®. Jacques has now found a home with Bridgewater where he can apply his skills and knowledge to help clients work toward a broader set of financial goals every day.
Outside of the office, Jacques enjoys relaxing with his dog Kiki, or reading books with topics ranging from a fictional 1970s Kingston, Jamaica to dealing with the economic problems of today.
Job Titles:
- Senior Advisor
- Senior Advisor, Partner, CFP®
Jane spent most of her childhood in Ann Arbor, where music and art were a big part of her upbringing. She went on to pursue an art history major at Williams College, and earned a masters in art history from NYU's Institute of Fine Arts and a certificate in conservation from NYU's Conservation Center at the IFA. She worked as an art conservator, and as a Montessori teacher, before shifting gears and getting her MBA at Clark University.
After four years at Merrill Lynch, she realized she wanted to join a fee-only RIA and found a home at Bridgewater nearly 20 years ago. Jane's interests outside of work include sewing, gardening and running. She's also a dedicated advocate for those living with disabilities and devoted to The Center For Discovery where her son has lived since 2004.
Job Titles:
- Senior Advisor
- Senior Advisor, Partner, CFA, CFP
Josefine grew up in a small town in Sweden, in suburban Connecticut, and in Rock Hill, South Carolina. She graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a BA in anthropology. After discovering the then-emerging field of financial planning in 1999, she redirected her professional focus and started pursuing the CFP® certification. She never looked back.
At Bridgewater, she loves the team approach to helping clients define and realize their goals. Away from the office, Josefine spends most of her time with her husband and two young children. She also enjoys listening to podcasts on a variety of subjects on those train rides from Westchester.
Kevin was born and raised in Far Rockaway, NY. He graduated from the State University of New York at Old Westbury with a BA in Accounting and an MA in Taxation. He is also an Enrolled Agent. Kevin began his career working in public accounting, but as his experience and passion for tax grew, so did his interest in the broader role tax plays in all our lives. After 4 years, he switched gears and began work as a tax specialist in wealth management. Now with Bridgewater, Kevin's experience in tax and tax-planning is a welcome addition to our already deep bench.
Outside of the office, Kevin enjoys watching football and baseball, rooting for his favorite teams the New York Giants and the New York Yankees. He also enjoys indoor cycling at CycleBar, his local indoor cycling studio in Garden City, NY.
Job Titles:
- Advisor
- Advisor, CFP®, CSRIC®
Lane grew up in Columbia, South Carolina, where he enjoyed dancing, playing the piano, and drawing from an early age. He attended the South Carolina Governor's School for the Arts during high school and later graduated from Lander University with a BA in Painting and Printmaking. After several years in the city, Lane returned to school to pursue a music career and landed a management role on a production music library project for Sony/ATV.
During this period, Lane discovered that he and others in creative fields faced similar challenges in developing healthy spending plans and goals for themselves and their businesses. He partnered with these peers to help them establish long-term solutions, which led him to become a CFP® professional himself. Thirteen years on, Lane now holds a special designation in sustainable, responsible, and impact investing: the CSRIC®, or Chartered SRI CounselorSM.
In his free time, Lane enjoys running through the boroughs of NYC with the New York Road Runners, swimming in the ocean year-round with his husband as a Coney Island Polar Bear, and thrill-seeking across the USA as a member of the American Coaster Enthusiasts.
Job Titles:
- Founding Partner
- Contact Founder
- Founding Partner, CPA, CFA, CFP®
Our co-founder is an entrepreneur from a family of entrepreneurs. Since he was a kid working at his father's hardware store in Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania, Leo knew he wanted to be in business for himself. He attended the University of Scranton, earned his BS in accounting and began his professional career with Coopers & Lybrand.
Gradually, his focus narrowed to personal financial planning. When Leo couldn't find the right investment advisory firm to join, he started his own. That's when he and Milt Stern met and discovered they had similar visions. Leo and Milt agreed to team up for their next investment client and put their ideas into practice. The rest is Bridgewater.
Contact founder Leo Marzen at 212-221-5300 or email Leo.Marzen@bridgewateradv.com.
Job Titles:
- Co - Chief Investment Officer
- Co - Chief Investment Officer, Senior Advisor, Partner, CFP®
Matt has upstate roots, growing up in Herkimer, New York and earning a BS in business from the University of Buffalo. After college, Matt worked in media planning before discovering wealth management and enrolling in the CFP® certification program at Fordham University. He then found the perfect home at Bridgewater, where he combines his interests in helping people, collaborating with teammates, and investing.
As Co-CIO, Matt helps lead our investment committee, ensuring the firm's strategy and portfolio construction aligns with Bridgewater's investment philosophy. He treasures the many long-lasting partnerships formed with clients through his advisory work, and is grateful to serve as a mentor to colleagues at the firm, helping ensure their success.
Outside the office, Matt and his wife happily spend their time trying to keep up with their two young daughters' activities. He also enjoys traveling as a family, trying new wine with friends, and a challenging round of golf. And as a proud upstate New Yorker, you'll likely hear him exclaim "Go Bills!"
Mike grew up in Rockland County, New York, and earned his bachelor's degree in finance from Manhattan College. As a student at Manhattan, Mike was a member of the track and field team that won their NCAA Division I Conference Title in all four years of competition. Attention to detail, focus and drive all are part of Mike's MO, carrying him through his various positions in finance - most recently at Moodys, and now as a member of the team here at Bridgewater. Mike lives in Manhattan, and in his spare time enjoys running, watching the newest movies and TV shows, and loudly cheering for the local sports teams (particularly the Jets and Knicks).
Job Titles:
- Senior Operations Associate
- Senior Operations Associate, FPQP
Natasha earned her bachelor's in business management at Baruch College. She went on to work in operations at Lehman Brothers, State Street Wealth Management and a Dutch merchant bank. As an integral part of our operations team, Natasha works with each advisor and their clients. She learns the ins and outs of each relationship and provides major assistance in front of the curtain and behind the scenes. When you hear Natasha's voice on the phone, you know you're in good hands.
Natasha is a fan of The Economist, Sherlock Holmes and Asian culture.
Job Titles:
- Associate
- Associate, CFP®
A born and bred New Yorker, Ola began his college studies in chemistry at City College of New York, but realized as a student that he favored a more intimate setting working with people and graduated with a B.S. in psychology. His major has stood him in good stead. Following college, Ola trained as a missionary in New Hampshire with an organization where he eventually became a valued member of the staff.
Job Titles:
- Senior Associate
- Senior Associate, CFP®
Ryan grew up on Long Island, New York. He graduated from Saint Joseph's University in Philadelphia in 2020 with a BA in Finance. He then completed his MBA there in 2021 before returning to the New York area. Shortly thereafter, Ryan and Bridgewater found one another!
As a senior associate, Ryan is a dedicated student of the markets and of people. Eager to learn about what makes both tick, he has become a valuable member of our team. Outside of Bridgewater, Ryan loves to remain active. Basketball, weightlifting, and cycling (to name a few!) are some of his favorites. He is also an avid sports fan and travel enthusiast - dual passions that keep him on the move.
Job Titles:
- Director of Financial Planning, Partner, Advisor, CPA, CFP
Sara grew up in Smithtown, NY and studied theatre and film throughout her youth. At the University of Delaware she pivoted into other areas to earn her BS in accounting with a minor in management information systems. While a student, Sara interned during tax season with the Cover & Rossiter Accounting Firm and also studied abroad in Australia and New Zealand.
The arts were never far from her mind. After graduating, Sara spent 5 years in Los Angeles building a career in acting, cinematography, and writing. She eventually returned east to work for a wealth management firm on Long Island for 6 years, where she obtained her CFP® and honed her financial planning skills. Sara is thrilled to find herself at Bridgewater where the art and science of financial planning co-exist, and she delights in working with a group that shares her wide range of interests. When she is not in the office, Sara enjoys running, writing, film, and exploring New York City.
Job Titles:
- Senior Associate
- Senior Associate, CFP®
Thomas grew up in upstate New York's beautiful Hudson Valley and graduated from the State University of New York at New Paltz with a degree in Finance and Business. Over the course of the next decade, his desire to work with people and make a difference in their lives - coupled with his appreciation of the good that comes from a solid understanding of personal finance - led him to various positions in financial services. After receiving his CFP® in 2020, Thomas further dedicated himself to finding a firm where his values and outlook would make a difference. In 2022 he found Bridgewater, and we are delighted now to have him as a colleague.
Outside the office, Thomas enjoys spending time with family and friends, staying active, practicing martial arts, as well as reading on a wide range of topics including psychology, philosophy & entrepreneurship. Another fun fact: Thomas is a competitive pool-player, and occasionally competes in regional tournaments.
Thomas Smyth - Chief Compliance Officer, COO
Job Titles:
- Chief Compliance Officer
- Chief Operating Officer
- Partner
Tom Smyth was born in Manhattan and grew up on Long Island. He earned his undergraduate degree in international studies at Manhattan College in The Bronx, and his master's in information systems from the University of Phoenix. Fresh out of college, he worked for Covenant House - a New York-based charity that serves homeless youth. His time there included a two-year stint in Honduras, where he became fluent in Spanish.
After a career change, Tom worked for 19 years with an investment advisor before landing his dream job at Bridgewater. He's now our chief operating officer and chief compliance officer. Outside the office, Tom enjoys serving as a Trustee on his local school board.
Job Titles:
- Senior Operations Associate
- Senior Operations Associate, FPQP™
Timothy was born and raised in the lower Hudson Valley. After graduating Five Towns College with a business degree, Tim took his business on the road with a rock band playing shows all over the northeast. He eventually landed a gig in finance where he honed his operations skills for over 10 years. Tim realized he wanted to expand his repertoire and got a part in the greatest show of all, Bridgewater Advisors. On the weekend, you can find him hiking in the woods with his wife Belinda, son Liam, daughter Maisie, and their dog Monty.