Investment Team
Scott Dooley, CFA, Managing Director & Portfolio Manager
Fusion Investment Group,LLC benefits from the perspective of our dynamic investment team lead by Managing Director, Scott Dooley, CFA. Scott oversees all portfolio management activities and investment research at Fusion Investment Group, LLC. Prior to co-founding Fusion in 2006, he served as Managing Partner and Chief Investment Officer for Blue Vase Capital Management. Recognized by Institutional Investor News as one of the '20 Rising Stars of Hedge Funds', Scott has a BS degree with Honors in Finance from Grove City College and an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. Scott has earned the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation and is a member of the CFA Institute and CFA Society of Pittsburgh.
Chris Romano, Director of Research & Trading
Mr. Romano is responsible for the research and design of quantitative models, along with the development and implementation of trading processes and systems for the firm's products. He obtained his Bachelor of Science degree in Information Science with a minor in Business from the University of Pittsburgh, where he graduated Magna Cum Laude. He joined Blue Vase Securities, LLC in 2002 as System Administrator and brokerage support. He was an integral part of every department within the firm; working with the trading desk, constructing a new commission system for the RIA Division, while overseeing the functionality of the computer systems. Mr. Romano joined ITS Asset Management's IT Department in 2004 and was responsible for overseeing that department even while his primary function at the firm was his position as a Member of ITS's Investment Advisory Committee providing insight and analytical information to be used for upcoming asset allocations. Mr. Romano is currently a candidate for the CFA Level III exam.
Management Team
Scott Umstead, President & CEO
Mr. Umstead is a highly experienced executive with a strong track record who has held senior management positions with large financial institutions. With his strategic creativity and ability to network with prominent industry players, he brings excitement, invigoration and well executed success to Fusion. Amongst Scott's previous appointments, he was President and Chief Executive Officer of the Registered Investment Advisory firm, Sweetwater Asset Management LLC in Pittsburgh, PA; Executive Vice President and National Sales Manager for First Allied Securities in San Diego; President for Wachovia Securities, LLC's Eastern Division Private Client Group out of Richmond, Virginia; Executive Vice President and Divisional Officer (Eastern Division) for Prudential Securities in New York City, NY; and First Vice President and Northeast District Director for Merrill Lynch in Pittsburgh, PA.
Michael J. Rice, Chief Marketing Officer
Mr. Rice is a Founding Partner and Managing Director of Track One Capital Services, a strategic advisory firm providing strategic guidance and tactical execution assistance to domestic and international companies across a broad spectrum of industries.
Prior to Track One Capital Services, Mr. Rice conceptualized and led the merger of Prudential Securities’ and Wachovia Corporation’s retail brokerage units in July 2003. As President of the combined Wachovia Securities’ Private Client Group in 2003, Mr. Rice also led the integration of 500 branches with 7,000 Financial Advisors throughout North and Latin Americas. Prior to the merger, Mr. Rice was President of the Private Client Group at Prudential Securities and a member of the Prudential Securities Group Inc. Board of Directors.
Mr. Rice was named to the “Top 10 People in the Industry to Watch” by Registered Rep magazine in 2003. Michael earned a BSBA from Georgetown University and an MBA from The Wharton Business School at the University of Pennsylvania.
W. Clifford McNary,Jr., Managing Director
Mr. McNary has over 20 years of operational, program and development experience. He has the key oversight of all non-investment activities. This includes complete fund administrative / operational responsibilities as well as all matters related to legal and compliance / regulatory issues.
His formal education consists of a BS degree from the Cox School of Business at Southern Methodist University and a diploma in Systematic Theology from Moody Bible Institute. In addition, he has received extensive continuing education through the Cannon Financial Institute, Investment Training Institute - Nash, Inc. and the CASE Summer Institute at Dartmouth College.
Lauren Biggs, Director of Marketing
Lauren Biggs brings more than 11 years of financial market and alternative investment experience to her role as Director of Marketing at Fusion Investment Group, LLC. She has the central responsibility of overseeing and corrdinating Fusion's marketing, business development and account relationship management activity. Prior to Fusion, Lauren held various investment, sales and marketing roles at Northern Trust Global Investments, Calamos Investments and American Funds.
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