THE FORESIGHT COMPANIES - Key Persons
Axel joined the Foresight team in February 2024 and is based out of Jupiter, Florida. As a Senior Financial Analyst, he is responsible for providing financial insights to our clients and offering guidance to support strategic decision making. He helps discover opportunities and explore businesses and their markets, using data-driven analysis and modeling techniques. He also assists in developing and implementing financial plans and strategies that align with the company's goals and vision.
He has a strong background in financial planning and analysis, having worked at SCI before joining Foresight. Axel also has experience in private equity and logistics, having participated in several deals and projects in these sectors. He holds a bachelor's degree in economics from Florida State University.
Axel is passionate about learning new things and expanding his horizons. In his free time, he enjoys watching standup comedy, going to the beach at night, and training Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. He is always up for a challenge and a good laugh.
Job Titles:
- Director of Administration
Catherine Belliveau is responsible for managing the Foresight office and ensuring that the team has the tools they need to provide our clients with customized financial and operational solutions. As Director of Administration, she engages in all aspects of the business, overseeing the daily operations, finances, technology, HR processes and workflow interactions between teams.
After completing a Bachelor of Science in Finance from the University of Connecticut, she spent much of her career working in the insurance industry focusing on developing retirement investment products before joining The Foresight Companies in 2014.
Over ten years ago, Catherine, left New England and uprooted her family to the Wild West. When not at the office Catherine enjoys hiking the desert trails, biking, playing golf and outdoor dining. In addition to spending time with her grown children, her passions include perusing farmers markets and bookstores, attending live theater and exploring museums.
Chris Cruger is seen as an innovator and thought leader in the funeral and cemetery industry. His great success is based on his exceptional ability to provide comprehensive solutions to intricate business challenges that leaders in our industry are faced with. Chris continues to successfully improve Foresight's operational and transactional services. Since joining Foresight, he has demonstrated his passion and ability to help our clients and implemented some key initiatives to further expand the company.
As one of the foremost authorities in the cemetery and funeral service industry, Chris has the knowledge to provide efficient solutions to businesses of all sizes in our profession. His passion and desire for the development of the funeral and cemetery profession come through in everything that he does.
Chris began his career in funeral service over 25 years ago as a financial analyst in corporate development for SCI, where he ultimately spent 13 years. Chris quickly rose through the ranks at SCI where he was Vice President of Business Development, responsible for Corporate Development, Real Estate, Construction and Affiliate Relationships.
Chris' experience in the funeral and cemetery industry spans throughout North America, across five continents and 25 countries. Over the past twenty years, Chris has analyzed several thousand funeral homes and cemeteries and has a unique depth of perspective in this industry. Chris has a demonstrated cross-dimensional experience in finance, sales, transactions, and operational management with both public and private companies and their Board of Directors.
Chris has led multiple engagements on Corporate Strategy to create the long-term corporate strategy for SCI, multiple regional consolidators, and independent operators in the funeral Industry. He has an extensive knowledge of business plan development, implantation, and turnaround management.
Chris regularly consults with members of the financial community on matters related to the funeral industry and has strong relationships in capital markets. He has hosted multiple webinars highlighting the key findings and insights from our Consumer Behavior Study and was interviewed by multiple news outlets and media channels. He has also been the guest panelist for various podcasts such as Elevating Funeral Service and Generation Bold.
Chris is a native New Englander who attended Lehigh University where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a focus on finance and accounting.
Chris is the father of two boys. His passions include golf, fitness, hunting, fishing, travel and being outdoors.
Job Titles:
- Director of Regulatory Compliance and Association Relations
2019 marks Curtis Rostad's 50th year in funeral service. He has been fortunate to see funeral service from many vantage points- employee, owner, corporate employee, trainer, consultant, and association executive.
His first funeral home job and internship was in Rapid City, SD and began immediately after graduating from high school. In 1972 he attended Dallas Institute of Mortuary Science and upon graduation returned to Rapid City and obtained his funeral service license. In 1984 he moved to Rawlins, Wyoming to become the owner of what would become Rostad Mortuary. He also became part-time Executive Director of the Wyoming Funeral Directors Association and later served in that capacity for the Colorado Funeral Directors Association.
In 1995 he sold the mortuary to the Loewen Group and continued to manage it until being asked to join Prime Succession as their Director of Education.
For 6 years he worked for the Foresight Companies and left to take the position of Executive Director of the Indiana Funeral Directors Association in 2005. He retired from IFDA at the end of 2016.
Along the way he has become a Certified Funeral Service Practitioner (CFSP); Certified Association Executive (CAE); Certified Forensics Examiner (FACFEI); received an honorary doctorate from The Dallas Institute of Funeral Service; and was awarded the Sagamore of The Wabash from the Governor of the State of Indiana. He is well known as an author and speaker within funeral service.
He and his wife, Jodie moved to Fountain Hills, Arizona in 2018 to escape cold winters and be closer to family.
He has now rejoined The Foresight Companies on a part-time basis to assist clients in the areas of human resources as well as OSHA and FTC compliance.
If he is not immediately available, he is probably outside enjoying the Arizona weather or is in Wyoming with his two daughters, son-in-law, and three grandchildren.
Job Titles:
- Consulting Staff Member
- Founder
The Foresight Companies provides the most comprehensive services to funeral service professionals nationwide. As a result, Dan Isard is nationally recognized as an authority in valuation, succession planning, business management, mergers and acquisitions, and preneed. He is frequently called upon as an expert witness in disputes arising within the funeral service industry. He and his staff have appraised over 2500 funeral homes, 800 cemeteries, and 300 cremation operators. They have coordinated hundreds of business transfers between every possible type of buyer and seller. The financial and business management consulting that they have provided over the years has enabled funeral service professionals and their families to reap well-deserved personal rewards while enhancing their ability to deliver quality services to their communities.
Active in the financial services industry since 1974, Daniel M. Isard specializes in advising owners of successful closely-held businesses. During the past three decades, he has developed close relationships with funeral directors, cemeterians, and combination operators across the United States, and has established his reputation as a trusted adviser to business owners and their families.
Dan Isard consults with clients on matters including feasibility studies, appraisals, mergers, acquisitions, business management assignments, family transfers, and securing financing. In addition, he continues to testify as an expert witness in litigation across the USA.
During his career, Dan has been privileged to present over 500 speeches to groups large and small, had more than 300 articles published in all major death care industry media, and has written two books. Since 2005, Dan has been a monthly columnist for the NFDA's The Director magazine, writing a column entitled, "Finance 101." He debuted the column "Finance 201" in 2021. His column stresses the business-like applications of finance and business management within an industry that does not usually employ business protocols. In 2016, Dan and his team started writing a new monthly column for the ICCFA Magazine called "Cemetery Impossible". The column, which focuses on cemeteries, highlights a problem and a corresponding fix. This is akin to the business fixing television shows where restaurant, hotels, and bars undergo reconstruction or implement new business practices.
In addition, Dan has been interviewed by and quoted in prestigious publications such as the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Newsweek, Forbes, Business Week, and Money Magazine. He has been interviewed for local TV and radio as well as CBS's 60 Minutes, American Greed and NPR's All Things Considered.
The Foresight Companies, LLC provide the most comprehensive services to funeral service professionals nationwide. As a result, Dan Isard is nationally recognized as an authority in valuation, succession planning, business management, mergers and acquisitions, and preneed. He is frequently called upon as an expert witness in disputes arising within the funeral service industry.
Job Titles:
- Accountant
- Financial Analyst
- Senior Financial Analyst
Dillon joined the Foresight team in February 2024 and is based out of Phoenix, Arizona. As a Senior Financial Analyst, Dillon provides financial insights to our clients and offering guidance for strategic decision making. Using data-driven analysis, he assists in developing and implementing financial plans and strategies that align with the company's goals and vision.
Dillon is an experienced Accountant and Financial Analyst with a demonstrated history of working in Financial Services and Insurances, Rental Services Industry, Manufacturing, and Medical Diagnostics. His skillset includes Statistical Data Analysis, Forecasting, Financial Analysis, Cost Analysis, Financial Reporting, and GAAP knowledge. He is a strong analytical professional with a Bachelor of Science focused in Finance and Financial Management Services from Ball State University - Miller College of Business.
When not in the office, he enjoys spending time with friends and family, playing sports (golf, baseball, softball, basketball), and working as a pitching coach for a 17u baseball team. He also likes exploring Arizona and surrounding states with his dog, trying new restaurants, cooking and creating new recipes.
Job Titles:
- Partner
- Carriage Services, Inc. As the Director of Development and Marketing
- the Doody Group As Executive Vice President
Doug Gober began his funeral service career thirty-nine years ago as a sales representative in the casket industry. He has earned numerous national awards from various organizations within the death care industry. Doug also served as a consultant on various marketing and merchandising projects conducted on an international scale.
In 1995, Doug joined The Doody Group as Executive Vice President working in the United Kingdom and France. Doug successfully directed the European operations for the company. He was instrumental in planning and implementing several innovative merchandising concepts and products created by The Doody Group, Matthews International and other leading manufacturers. Doug was a pioneer in developing the York Merchandising SystemsTM, which offered in more than 6,000 funeral homes in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. He also presented marketing and merchandising seminars to industry professionals worldwide.
In 2011, Doug joined Carriage Services, Inc. as the Director of Development and Marketing. Doug identified, developed and led the execution and implementation of Carriage's strategic planning initiatives. Doug and his staff developed internal and external training programs to improve the service and merchandise offerings of Carriage.
In 2012, Doug joined Live Oak Bank based in Wilmington, North Carolina. Live Oak Bank lends money to small businesses in select industries, one of which is death care management. As a result of his extensive experience in funeral service, accounting and finance, Doug served as an industry liaison and Senior Loan Officer, connecting those in death care management with the opportunity of financing.
In September 2014, Doug formed Gober Strategic Capital to broaden the range of counsel and resources he brings to death care businesses. In addition to helping arrange financing through Live Oak Bank, he helped business owners make the most of their strategic and market opportunities.
In his quest to provide funeral and cemetery owners successful business solutions, Doug has recently partnered with The Foresight Companies. Foresight enables Doug to expand his service offerings to include Accounting, Business Valuations, Human Resource Services, Strategic Business Analysis, Family Surveys, Accounts Receivable Management and Market Research as well as Financing.
A native of Birmingham, Alabama, Doug graduated from the University of Alabama in 1977, where he earned a Business Degree in Accounting. Subsequently, he became a Certified Public Accountant specializing in industrial audits and corporate taxes.
Doug is married to Victoria Amato and is based in New Orleans. He is the father of four children and has four grandchildren.
Job Titles:
- Director, Transaction & Advisory Services
Prior to joining The Foresight Companies in April 2020, Gabriel ("Gabe") spent over thirteen years with Carriage Services, Inc. leading various functions at an executive level including-Internal Audit, Operational Support & Administration, Human Resources, Payroll, Risk Management, IT, Operations, and Corporate Development-Mergers & Acquisitions. Immediately prior to his tenure at Carriage, he worked in consulting for various Accounting & Internal Controls advisory firms such as Manpower-Jefferson Wells and Sirius Solutions. Gabe also previously worked in Energy, Oil & Gas as well as Finance & Banking Operations.
A life-long learner who collaboratively works with and through people, Gabe has a proven record of being able to problem solve across multi-functional disciplines and achieving sustainable, high performance results through partnership and teamwork. When Gabe was Director of Business Development for our team here at Foresight, Gabe took ownership of and was responsible for expanding Foresight's client base and working with clients in achieving their objectives. Gabe's experience will span throughout all facets of the Foresight organization. His skills and experience allow him to continue building relationships and partnerships within the funeral, cemetery, and cremation service industry and sharing his knowledge in Strategic Business Analysis, Accounting, Finance, Business Valuations, Process Improvement, Human Resources & Payroll, and Leadership & People Development. Beginning in 2024, Gabe now leads his own transaction & advisory services business unit. He and his financial analyst work together in order to help our clients achieve their business goals.
Born in Saigon, Vietnam, Gabe and his family first immigrated to the United States in Wisconsin. His family permanently settled in Texas when he was three years old, and he grew up a Houstonian and a Texan. Gabe earned his juris doctorate from South Texas College of Law. However, he chose not to practice law in the traditional sense, rather utilizing his knowledge in law to enrich his skills and experience in business instead. Gabe also holds a double bachelor's in Business Management & Marketing from the University of Houston.
Job Titles:
- Senior Associate, Transaction & Advisory Services
Jared Tanke graduated Magna Cum Laude from Arizona State University with a B.S. in Finance. He joined Foresight as a Business Analyst in September 2019 after working for Hillandale Capital, a small investment firm in Scottsdale where he was involved in deal sourcing, due diligence and market research. In January 2022, Jared was promoted to one of Foresight's Senior Business Analysts. As of August 2022, Jared has transitioned over to one of Foresight's Senior M&A Analysts to support our mergers and acquisitions work. Beginning in 2024, Jared leads his own transaction & advisory services business unit. He and his financial analyst work together in order to help our clients achieve their business goals.
Jared has enjoyed his time as a leading member of the team where he has cultivated strong relationships with clients and helped them with transaction advisory, financial valuations, and operational analysis.
Jared is originally from Eastern Washington and lived in Arizona for over seven years. He enjoys being outside as much as he can through hiking, tennis, golf, and also going out with the newest addition to his family, a miniature goldendoodle named Milo.
Job Titles:
- Senior Associate, Transaction & Advisory Services
Graduating Magna Cum Laude from Arizona State University in 2018, Jarod received his B.S. degrees in both Finance and Economics while minoring in Mathematics. Upon graduating, Jarod came to work at Foresight as a Business Analyst for over a year.
After a brief stint of exploring the world of Venture Capital, Jarod rejoined the Foresight team in April 2020. In August 2022, Jarod was promoted to Senior M&A Analyst. As one of our Senior M&A Analysts, he enjoys helping facilitate business transactions by understanding the story behind the businesses he works with while taking pride in helping his clients achieve their wants and needs in every deal whether they are merging their business or acquiring a business. Beginning in 2024, Jarod leads his own transaction & advisory services business unit. He and his financial analyst work together in order to help our clients achieve their business goals.
Job Titles:
- Bookkeeper
- Contract Administrator
Kelly is the bookkeeper and contract administrator for The Foresight Companies. She handles the day-to-day accounting related tasks and reports company financials to the leadership team. As contract administrator, Kelly is the first point of contact for clients as they engage The Foresight Companies for various services.
She has a degree in Marketing from the Pamplin College of Business at Virginia Tech. Her career has spanned supporting roles in various industries including soft drinks, software, property management and construction.
Kelly and her husband moved west from her home state of Virginia in early 2019. The move was prompted by the warmer year-round climate. While she enjoys the warmer temperatures, she and her husband can typically be found indoors, engrossed in intellectual conversations, or enjoying the latest movies and documentaries.
Luke joined The Foresight Companies in May 2022 as a Financial Analysis Associate. Upon graduating in 2023, Luke relocated to Scottsdale and transitioned to a full-time Financial Analyst.
As a Financial Analyst, he facilitates data entry and analysis for our advisory clients' TPM and Valuation reports and presentations. His other duties include database work and creating status reports to show the operational strength and financial growth of our clients.
Luke was born and raised in Enid, Oklahoma. He is a graduate of the University of Arkansas with a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance with a focus on financial markets and investments.
Matthew graduated from Florida State University with a B.S in Finance. He joined Foresight in March 2024 and is based out of our Jupiter, FL office. As one of our Senior Financial Analyst's he is responsible for providing financial insights to our clients and offering guidance to support strategic decision making.
Prior to Foresight, Matthew worked as an analyst for a consulting firm, managing large-scale capital projects for clients in the pharmaceutical industry. Matthew's expertise lies in financial management, budgeting, forecasting, and change management. He takes pride in helping clients achieve their goals, whether it be on the transaction or advisory side.
Matthew grew up in south Florida and enjoys all it has to offer. In his spare time, he enjoys fishing, golf, and staying active.
Matthew joined Foresight in March 2024 and is based out of our Jupiter, FL office. As one of our Senior Financial Analyst's he is responsible for providing financial insights to our clients and offering guidance to support strategic decision making.
As Marketing Manager, Nicole is responsible for managing the day-to-day marketing activities of the organization as well as developing and implementing long-term marketing strategies. Her passion for marketing centers around brand building, brand awareness, and demand generation.
Nicole's experience with funeral service began when she received an opportunity to work as an Office Assistant at a local funeral home in her hometown.
After a brief tenure, Nicole transitioned to the corporate marketing world. Her combined marketing experience spans across various industries such as Nightlife and Entertainment, Hospitality, and Business Process Outsourcing.
Born and raised in New York City, Nicole relocated to Arizona at the end of 2019 to be closer to her family. She is a graduate of St. John's University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Communication Arts.
She loves to spend her time with friends and family as well as hiking, cooking, baking and doing Pilates. Nicole is an avid sports fan and loves New York Rangers hockey. She continues to show them support while living in Arizona especially attending their games when they are in town.
Job Titles:
- Director, Transaction & Advisory Services
Stephanie Ramsey decided to brave tornadoes when she graduated from a high school in Nevada to attend Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, OK. After completing a BS degree in Business with a specialty in International Management and a minor in economics, Stephanie was drawn to Arizona to attend The American Graduate School of International Business.
After graduating with a Master's degree in International Management in 1988, she began working at Capital Analyst, Inc. where she met Dan Isard. Within a year Stephanie began working with Foresight Analyst focused on HR issues including designing employee handbooks and writing blood borne pathogens policies for the Foresight clients. By December of 1990, Stephanie was a full-time Customer Service Representative doing M & A, valuations, business succession planning and business consulting in addition to the HR work.
In late 2002, Stephanie decided to step out from under Dan's wing to learn a new industry, Native American Gaming. For 12 years, she worked for various tribes either as an employee or as a consultant performing financial analysis, business management consulting and leadership, auditing and many other roles. She has served as the Tribal Administrator for an Oklahoma tribe managing a staff of over 200 employees.
In the summer of 2014, Stephanie returned to her business management consulting roots by rejoining The Foresight Companies. As Director of Business Analysis, she interpreted the needs of a client by studying and evaluating the financial and operating data of their company as well as handling HR challenges faced by our clients. Beginning in 2024, she now leads her own transaction & advisory services business unit. He and his financial analyst work together in order to help our clients achieve their business goals. She is a frequent speaker at national and state industry conventions and writes on HR issues for many of the funeral industry magazines. Currently she is working from Oklahoma.
Stephanie has a husband who she met at Oklahoma State University, a son who recently graduated from Oklahoma State and a daughter who is attending The University of Arkansas. She has a passion for horseback riding, hiking and reading.
Taylor joined The Foresight Companies in 2021 as a Financial Analysis Intern. In 2022 she transitioned to a full-time analyst upon graduating. As a Financial Analyst, she facilitates data entry for Foresight's TPM and Valuation reports and presentations. Her other duties include database work and creating status reports for our clients to show their operational strength and financial growth.
Taylor grew up in Wisconsin and moved to Tempe to attend Arizona State University. She graduated in May 2022 with a Bachelor of Science in Management, a minor in Spanish, and a certificate in International Business. Taylor finds herself thriving the most when working with numbers, analyzing data, and building relationships with others. Since receiving an award as a Global Scholar, Taylor has traveled to different countries to learn more about business operations in different cultures. She spent a semester working for a Virtual Reality technology company in Barcelona, Spain as a business development intern where she was able to use marketing analytics to help the company grow.
She has served two positions on the Executive Board of her sorority as Panhellenic Delegate and VP Secretary where she found a passion for leading and empowering young women through planning memorable events. Taylor comes from a big Italian family that loves food and watching the NFL Minnesota Vikings. When not in the office Taylor likes to take photos, cheer on the Phoenix Suns, try new restaurants, and travel.
Teresa joined The Foresight Companies in April 2023 as our Executive Assistant. She provides administrative support to our CEO, Partners, Directors, and various teams. Teresa has 15 years of C-suite experience ranging from infrastructure and engineering to pool supplies and water resources.
Teresa hails from Oklahoma, the Sooner State, but don't think she's a Sooner fan. She loves Oklahoma State University football. She is also an avid Arizona Cardinals and Phoenix Suns fan. Teresa has lived in Phoenix for over 20 years and enjoys being out of Oklahoma's Tornado Alley. When not rooting for her favorite teams, she and her husband enjoy their Shih Tzu pups, traveling and hiking around Arizona. They also don't mind hopping across the pond whenever they can.