MEET OUR TEAM

Thomas Passios
PRESIDENT & CIO

THOMAS PASSIOS is President and Chief Investment Officer of Pinnacle Associates, Ltd. He formed Pinnacle in 1984 after seven years with investment counseling firm William D. Witter, Inc., where as a Co-founder, Director & Senior Portfolio Manager, contributed to the growth of the firm’s assets from $4 million to $600 million. Prior experience includes twenty-two years with the Grace National Bank of New York (acquired in 1965 by the Marine Midland Bank) first as an Investment Officer and then as a Group Vice President, specializing in individual & institutional portfolio management; also a senior member of the Stock Selection Committee with investment responsibility for the Bank’s Common Trust Fund. Tom is a graduate of the American Institute of Banking.

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Christine M. Ackert
VICE PRESIDENT & CLIENT SERVICE MANAGER

CHRISTINE M. ACKERT is Vice President and Client Service Manager for the firm. She has an M.B.A. in Finance from Hofstra University and is a graduate of Fairfield University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics. She assists in the management of portfolios and frequently meets with clients to review their accounts. Christine joined Pinnacle Associates in 1990. Christine was previously with Smith Barney, Harris Upham & Co. Inc. in New York where her duties included researching and analyzing stocks, bonds and options.

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Lilia Arceo
DIRECTOR OF ADMINISTRATION & ACCOUNTING

LILIA ARCEO joined Pinnacle in 1985 as the Director of Administration/Accounting. Prior to Pinnacle, Lilia was employed with the New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants. She earned her M.B.A. in Business Management at De La Salle University in the Philippines. Lilia is a Certified Notary Public-New York.

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Gurudutt Baliga
CHIEF INVESTMENT OFFICER, INTERNATIONAL DEPARTMENT

GURUDUTT BALIGA joined Pinnacle in 2005. Previously he was with Alliance Capital as a Senior Portfolio Manager from 1998 to 2004. He was a senior member of the team managing global large cap growth institutional assets since 2000. Guru also managed the International Premier Growth Fund since 2001 and was a senior member of the team managing US large cap growth institutional assets from 1998 through 2003. Key clients included government entities in the US, Middle East, Asia and Australia. Guru also previously worked at American Express Financial Advisors as a Senior Portfolio Manager- Head of Research-Based U.S. Equities group from 1993 to 1998 where he managed institutional assets and mutual funds. He built AUM from less than $500 million to more than $10 billion and supervised and managed relationships with institutional clients including pension plans, foundations and endowments. The investment universe was focused on large cap companies on a global basis. At American Express he was also a Research Analyst for Automotive, Food & Drug Retailing, and IT Services from 1991 to 1993, covering these primary sectors on a global basis. Guru also functioned as an Equity Research Analyst at McDonald & Co. (1989-1991), Roulston Research (1987-1989) and Ohio Company (1986-1987). He attended the Indian Institute of Technology receiving a BS in Chemical Engineering. He has an MBA and MS in Chemical Engineering from the University of Toledo and a Doctorate in Business Administration from Kent State University. He also holds the Certified Financial Analyst (CFA) designation.

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Edmund J. Blake, Jr.
PORTFOLIO MANAGER

EDMUND J. BLAKE, JR. is a consultant to the firm and Portfolio Manager who joined Pinnacle in 1987. Previous experience includes Booz, Allen & Hamilton, Inc. where he directed financial analysis consulting and headed numerous studies for Wall Street investment firms, banks and the Federal Government. Prior to Booz, Allen & Hamilton, Edmund served as Chairman of the Investment Committee and Executive Vice President of P.W. Brooks & Co., a member firm of the New York Stock Exchange specializing in small and medium sized company investment research, portfolio management and underwriting. Other credentials: Member of the New York Society of Security Analysts & the Financial Analysts Federation; Member of the Institute of Chartered Financial Analysts where he has been on the Board of Examiners for CFA examinations; Graduate of Boston Latin School, A.B. in Economics & Government from Harvard College; M.B.A. from Harvard Business School.

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Michele Buenerd
ASSISTANT VICE PRESIDENT & SENIOR TRADER

MICHELE BUENERD is Assistant Vice President and Senior Trader at Pinnacle and determines all execution and trading procedures for all securities. Michele joined Pinnacle in 1995. Previously, Michele worked for Warburg Pincus Asset Management as a Portfolio Assistant and Foreign Currency trader for Senior Management in the international equity and global fixed income divisions. Michele has a B.A. in Finance from the College of Staten Island, a Series 65 license, and is fluent in French.

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Carmine D'Avino
ASSOCIATE PORTFOLIO MANAGER

CARMINE D'AVINO joined Pinnacle as an Associate Portfolio Manager. Previously, while at Deutsche Bank, Carmine managed Research and Client Service teams dedicated to high profile institutional clients. He also supervised the development and implementation of technology projects resulting in portfolio management system enhancements. Carmine was also employed for two years with Bear Stearns in the trading department working with institutional and high net worth individual’s portfolios. Carmine, a Certified Financial Planner, graduated from Susquehanna University with a B.S. degree in Business Administration and an emphasis in Finance.

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Michael F. Delfino
SENIOR PORTFOLIO MANAGER & DIRECTOR OF TAFT HARTLEY SERVICES

Mr. Delfino joined Pinnacle Associates Ltd in January 2005 from his previous position as president and CEO of Furman Selz Capital Management, a division of ING. Mike had been the CEO of Regent Investor Services, a division of Alliance Capital Management, prior to joining Furman Selz. While with both Furman Selz and Regent, Mr. Delfino was responsible for the firms separate managed account business for high net worth investors and institutions. Prior to his position with Regent, Mr. Delfino served as Managing Director at Shields Asset Management, which he joined in 1982. Mr. Delfino also served as Chief Investment officer of The Bank of New York’s County Trust division before joining Shields. Over the course of his fifteen year career in Trust Investments, he also worked at Bankers Trust Co. and Chase NBW. Mr. Delfino earned an MBA degree from Fordham University, and a BA from Iona College. He holds certification in the Pension and Profit Sharing Institute at Purdue University and is a member of the New York Society of Security Analysts. Mr. Delfino was the 1980 recipient of the Harriman College Diplomat Award for investment work done in the Taft Hartley funds field, and is a former member of the Board of Governors of the Money Management Institute.

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David L. Dineen
VICE PRESIDENT & PORTFOLIO MANAGER

DAVID DINEEN joined Pinnacle in 2006. Previously, he worked at Morgan Stanley Investment Management from 1990-2005. He was a Vice President, Senior Portfolio Manager from 1998 to 2005 and was the primary portfolio manager of Morgan Stanley Select Dimensions Global Equity fund. Prior to managing international equity products, he was an equity analyst who covered emerging markets. David attended New York University, Leonard N. Stern School of Business and earned an MBA in Finance and International Business in 1995. He received a BS in Management, Magna Cum Laude from Binghamton University, School of Management. He earned the CFA designation charter in 2000 and is a member of CFA International and the New York Society of Security Analysts.

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James F. Ferrare
EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT & SENIOR PORTFOLIO MANAGER

JAMES F. FERRARE joined Pinnacle in February 1999 as a Senior Portfolio Manager and Vice President after five years with Manchester Capital Corporation, a registered investment advisor. For the period 1986 to 1994 Jim was a General Partner at Davidson, Weil Associates, an investment partnership specializing in asset allocation for high net worth individuals. Jim was also employed for three years at Oppenheim, Appel, Dixon & Co., a certified public accounting firm specializing in the securities industry. Jim is a graduate of Buffalo University, a Chartered Financial Analyst and Certified Public Accountant. He previously served as a member of the Estate Planning Committee of the New York State Society of Public Accountants and on the Charles Schwab & Co. Institutional Advisory Board.

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Ryan Fause
VICE PRESIDENT & ASSOCIATE PORTFOLIO MANAGER

RYAN FAUSE is Vice President and Associate Portfolio Manager. Mr. Fause joined Pinnacle as a research analyst after working two years as an investment specialist at Charles Schwab & Co. Prior to this, Mr. Fause was employed at Morgan Stanley and later First Union Bank, where he analyzed, created and managed portfolios for institutional and high net worth clients. Mr. Fause earned a Masters of Finance degree from The City University of New York, Baruch College, Zicklin School of Business. In addition, he earned his BS degree in Business Administration from Rowan University's School of Business. He also has his BCS designation from the Institute of Business and Finance. He holds the Series 65 and life insurance licenses.

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Steven Fortgang
VICE PRESIDENT & HEAD TRADER

STEVEN FORTGANG joined Pinnacle Associates Ltd. in June 1999. He is Vice President & Head Trader at Pinnacle and determines all execution and trading procedures for all securities. In addition, he maintains constant contact with numerous traders in order to keep the portfolio managers abreast of the daily market news. Previously, Steven was a buy-side trader with Roanoke Asset Management trading various products including a hedge fund and a mutual fund. Steven graduated from the University of Hartford in 1989 and has a Series 7 and Series 63 licenses.

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King H. Harris
SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT & PORTFOLIO MANAGER

KING H. HARRIS joined Pinnacle Associates Ltd. in June 1998 as a Senior Vice President and Portfolio Manager. For almost twenty years before coming to Pinnacle, Mr. Harris was a Managing Director with Laidlaw & Company where he managed assets for international and domestic high net-worth individuals and foreign institutions. Mr. Harris graduated from Schiller University in Paris, France with a degree in International Finance/Business Administration. He also attended the University of Madrid in Spain studying Spanish History and Philosophy.

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Charles E. Helme
VICE PRESIDENT & PORTFOLIO MANAGER

CHARLES E. HELME joined Pinnacle Associates Ltd. in 2002 as Vice President and Senior Portfolio Manager. For seven years prior to joining Pinnacle, Mr. Helme was Managing Director of Investments at Carret and Company LLC, Portfolio Manager to both institutions and high net worth individuals. From 1988 to 1995, Mr. Helme rose to Senior Investment Officer and Chairman of the Investment Policy Committee at Republic National Bank (now HSBC, USA). At the Bank, Mr. Helme was responsible for all trust and investment management portfolio investments for separate accounts. Previously, he was Vice President of Investments for Moran Asset Management, a leading investment counselor and mutual fund advisor. He began his career in 1980 at Ernst & Company, New York Stock Exchange and American Stock Exchange Specialists. Mr. Helme graduated from New York University Stern School of Business.

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Joel Heyman
SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS & PORTFOLIO ADMINISTRATION

JOEL HEYMAN is Senior Vice President, Director of Operations and Portfolio Administration for Pinnacle. He graduated from Brandeis University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English & Classics. He is a Certified Operations Specialist with a degree from Cannon Financial Institute. Joel leads the team of administrators who provide support to the portfolio managers and handle portfolio accounting. He joined Pinnacle in 1995. Previously, Joel worked for Putnam Trust Co. as manager of the domestic and global securities operations and has ten years of experience in operations.

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Monica Jalife
ASSOCIATE PORTFOLIO MANAGER

MONICA J. JALIFE is an Associate Portfolio Manager. Prior to joining Pinnacle in 2002, Ms. Jalife was employed at the Mexican Consulate in New York as a financial analyst.  She earned her BS in Industrial Engineering from Universidad Iberoamericana in MexicoCity where she graduated with honors. She earned her MBA from the Stern Business School at New York University, with concentrations in Finance and Global Business.  She also earned a Graduate Certificate in Portfolio Management at NYU.  She is fluent in Spanish and holds a Series 66 NASD License.

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Mark Krill
VICE PRESIDENT

MARK KRILL is Vice President. Mr. Krill joined Pinnacle in May 2004. Prior to joining Pinnacle, Mr. Krill was Vice President for Gibraltar Bank where he headed up the expansion of the bank's new marketplace office. He has been in the banking and investment world since 1993. He has also worked for Deutsche Bank and Citibank Private Bank where he handled development of high net worth individuals and institutional clients throughout the Southeast United States. In his duties he focused on investment management, investment finance, art advisory, and Trust and Estate services. He earned a BSBA from the University of Florida in Marketing in 1986.

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Gail C. Mannix
VICE PRESIDENT & CHIEF COMPLIANCE OFFICER

GAIL C. MANNIX is Vice President and Chief Compliance Officer who joined Pinnacle in 2001 after five years with the Securities and Exchange Commission, where she examined broker-dealers, investment advisers, investment companies, and business development companies to ensure compliance with applicable securities laws. Prior to joining Pinnacle, she was with NFP Securities, Inc. as a Compliance Analyst for both their broker-dealer and investment adviser in which capacity she, together with senior management, formulated and implemented risk management policies and internal controls. She earned a BBA in Banking and Finance from Hofstra University and graduated with Highest Honors.

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Jonathan Mark
PORTFOLIO MANAGER & SENIOR SECURITIES ANALYST

JONATHAN MARK has 11 years investment experience and has been with Pinnacle for 6 years. He heads the international research department and is a Portfolio Manager for our International Growth Portfolios. Jonathan focuses on company fundamentals of current and new investments through on-site company visits and extensive information networks. His investment experience includes working as a Senior Analyst for the J & W Seligman International Growth Fund focusing on European equities. Prior to joining the portfolio management area, he was part of the Far East Asian research team with Smith New Court, now a part of Merrill Lynch. Additionally, he worked on the Emerging Markets equity team at J.P. Morgan. Jonathan earned his MBA from Fordham University and a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance from the State University of New York at Buffalo. He holds a Series 65 and is fluent in Cantonese.

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Peter N. Marron
EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT & PORTFOLIO MANAGER

PETER N. MARRON, CFA is a Executive Vice President and Portfolio Manager who joined Pinnacle in 1993 after three years with Prudential Securities Investment Management as a Senior Portfolio Manager. Previous experience includes Bear Stearns Asset Management as Chief Investment Officer supervising $3.5 billion in assets; Bernstein Macaulay Inc. as Director of Research & Institutional Portfolio Manager; and Lexington Investors, a private investment partnership as an Analyst. Other credentials: Member of the New York Society of Security Analysts; B.A. in Economics from Brooklyn College; MBA in Finance from Pace University; Chartered Financial Analyst. Mr. Marron is a member of the Publication Committee of COMMENTARY Magazine. He is a member of the Investment Committee of the Brooklyn College Foundation and the Treasurer of the Alexander & Brenda Tanger Hillel at Brooklyn College.

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John T. Passios
EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT & SECURITIES ANALYST

JOHN T. PASSIOS is Executive Vice President and is a senior member of our domestic research team. John joined Pinnacle Associates Ltd. in 1986. He works closely with senior portfolio managers on equity portfolios. In this capacity he conducts primary and secondary research on new purchases and implements these ideas throughout the portfolios. Previously, John worked for Salomon Brothers Inc. in their fixed income department. He graduated from the University of Connecticut in 1985 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Finance.

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Kimon Passios
EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT & SECURITIES ANALYST

KIMON PASSIOS is Executive Vice President and Research Analyst for domestic equities. In addition to his contribution to the research process, Kimon monitors existing portfolio holdings on an ongoing basis. Prior to joining Pinnacle, he was with Chase Manhattan Bank providing performance appraisals and analysis of their Middle Market Banking, Private Banking and Foreign Exchange & Derivatives divisions to senior management. Kimon earned an M.B.A. in Finance from Fordham University and has a B.S. degree in Finance/Accounting from the University of Vermont.

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Bruce Pauls
VICE PRESIDENT & CONTROLLER

BRUCE PAULS joined Pinnacle in 2006 as Vice President and Controller. Prior to joining Pinnacle he was Controller and Treasurer at Philippe Investment Management, Inc. where he was responsible for accounting, administration and taxation for both institutions and high net worth individuals. Bruce was also employed in public accounting at Oppenheim, Appel, Dixon & Co. as well as KPMG specializing in financial services. He has an MBA in Accounting & Finance from Long Island University and a BA from Stockton College.

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Edgar Perez
ASSOCIATE PORTFOLIO MANAGER - FIXED INCOME

EDGAR PEREZ joined Pinnacle Associates as an Associate Portfolio Manager and Fixed Income specialist. He comes to us from David Lerner Associates, where he worked for 10 years specializing in training investment advisors on building fixed-income portfolios for individual investors. Edgar was also responsible for developing hedge strategies for the firm’s trading desk and underwriting over twenty new bond issues each year for various municipalities throughout the tri-state area. He is a graduate of East Stroudsburg University, with a Bachelor degree in Business Management and his licenses include the Series 7 & 63.

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Timothy J. Piacentini
SENIOR PORTFOLIO MANAGER

TIMOTHY J. PIACENTINI joined Pinnacle Associates as a Senior Portfolio Manager. Prior to joining Pinnacle, Tim was the President of his own investment firm where he managed accounts for high net worth clients. Tim earned an undergraduate degree from Georgetown University with concentrations in Economics and American Government. He earned a Masters of Business Administration from the University of Chicago with concentrations in Accounting and Finance. Additionally, he holds the Chartered Financial Analyst designation (CFA).

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Katherine M. Fishbein
ASSOCIATE PORTFOLIO MANAGER

KATHERINE M. FISHBEIN joined Pinnacle Associates in 2003. Prior to joining Pinnacle, Katherine worked for four Portfolio Managers at Alliance Capital Management LP. Katherine assists the Large Cap Equity portfolio team with their research, client service and new business situations. Katherine graduated cum laude with a B.A. from Connecticut College in economics and studied international business at the University of Auckland, New Zealand.

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Kenneth M. Sobolewski
SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT & DIRECTOR OF MARKETING

KENNETH M. SOBOLEWSKI is a Senior Vice President and Director of Marketing, who joined Pinnacle in 2002. Prior to joining Pinnacle, he was Senior Vice President with Zurich Scudder. Other previous experience includes Barclays Global Investors where he was responsible for opening and managing their Chicago Office, and ANB Investment Management Company, most recently as the National Sales Manager. Ken earned an M.B.A. in Marketing from DePaul University and has a B.B.A. in Marketing from the University of Notre Dame. He also has the series 65 license.

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Harold Stein
CHIEF INVESTMENT STRATEGIST (LARGE CAP) & SENIOR PORTFOLIO MANAGER

HAROLD STEIN joined Pinnacle Associates as the Chief Investment Officer and Senior Portfolio Manager of the Large Cap Core product. Prior to joining Pinnacle, Mr. Stein served as an Executive Vice President and Chairman of the Investment Strategy Committee for Regent Investor Services. He has over 31 years of portfolio management experience. Before joining Regent Investor Services, he was a Vice President and Senior Investment Trust Officer for the Chase/NBW Trust Department. Mr. Stein received his Bachelor of Arts from Hofstra University and his M.B.A. in finance, Magna Cum Laude from Fairleigh Dickinson University in New Jersey. He taught Securities Analysis at Pace University in New York and is a member of the New York Society of Securities Analysts.

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Nancy J. Vang
VICE PRESIDENT & PORTFOLIO MANAGER

NANCY J. VANG is a Vice President and Portfolio Manager who joined Pinnacle in 1998. Previous experience includes four years with Laidlaw Asset Management, Inc. as a Portfolio Manager and director of socially-responsible portfolios; and ten years with Estabrook Capital Management Inc. as a Principal and Portfolio Manager. Nancy specializes in portfolio structuring and management for individuals and ERISA plans. Other credentials: B.A. from St. Olaf College; M.M. from Northwestern University; and a Diploma from the Liszt Academy, Budapest.

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Donald M. Dowd III
VICE PRESIDENT

Donald M. Dowd III joined Pinnacle as a Vice President in 2006. Don began his career at Robb Peck & McCooey in 1988. From 1990 to 2000, he co-managed the Institutional Sales Desk and Proprietary Trading Unit of Oscars Gruss & Son. In 2000 he was recruited to Twin Capital Management as Senior Vice President and Head Trader for their Risk Arbitrage strategies. For three years prior to joining Pinnacle, Don worked for AXA-Financial advising domestic institutions and wealthy families. Don graduated from Kenyon College in 1998.

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Eric N. Freedgood
ASSOCIATE PORTFOLIO MANAGER

Eric N. Freedgood, CPA is an Associate Portfolio Manager. Prior to joining Pinnacle in 2006, Mr. Freedgood worked at Ernst and Young, LLP in the Financial Services Office. He earned his B.S. in Accounting from Binghamton University where he graduated with honors. Mr. Freedgood is a Certified Public Accountant, a member of the AICPA and is currently enrolled in the Chartered Financial Analyst program as a level three candidate.

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Gordon M. Sommer
VICE PRESIDENT

Gordon joined Pinnacle in March of 2008. He will focus on the Technology and Telecom sectors. Previously he was a Portfolio Manager and Technology/Telecom analyst at Mission Global Advisors, a long/short Hedge Fund from 2005 to 2008. Gordon developed risk systems and did fundamental research using his extensive Global contacts in Technology. Gordon was the head of Technology and Telecom products at JP Morgan from 2002 to 2005 where he developed the “Technology Food Chain” product, a comprehensive look at the Global Technology landscape. He also helped the firm manage risk in Technology stocks and derivatives. Gordon developed many corporate and industry contacts while at JPM through his frequent trips to Asia and Europe as well as hosting the annual JPM Technology conference held every year in San Francisco. He was also responsible for liaising with JP Morgan’s corporate IT department on Technology issues and strategies. Gordon was the Global Head of Technology at UBS from 1998 to 2002 with a team of 150 analysts and specialists in the US, Asia and Europe. He was responsible for coordinating Global Tech theme pieces and strategies. He also worked with the firm’s trading desk to manage risk and evaluate equity and derivative positions. Gordon started his career at Drexel Burnham in 1988 and also worked at Legg Mason. Gordon has a Bachelor of Science from University of Florida and attended George Washington School of Business.
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