Sage Professionals
Lasting Partnerships Start Here: Our firm of skilled professionals has decades of collective experience. Not only are they experts in their field, they’re genuinely dedicated to the clients that they serve. This commitment shows in every interaction, every day.
Sage Investment Professionals
Robert G. Smith
AIF®, CIMC | President & Chief Investment Officer, Managing Partner
Robert C. Peck
Managing Partner, Investment Strategy
Robert D. Williams
CFA | Managing Partner, Director of Research
Thomas H. Urano
CFA | Managing Partner, Portfolio Management
Jeffery S. Timlin
CFA, CMT | Managing Partner, Portfolio Management
Komson Silapachai
CFA | Partner, Research & Portfolio Strategy
Sage Business Development & Client Service Professionals
Gregory J. Figaro
AIF® | Managing Partner
Michael D. Walton
AIF® | Managing Partner, Consultant & Client Relations
Lily Tu
Vice President, Business Development & Consultant Relations
Gregory J. Figaro
AIF® | Managing Partner
Greg is a Managing Partner of the firm and serves as the head of Client Services. He began his career in New York City as a Certified Public Accountant with KPMG and later worked as CFO for Morgens, Waterfall, and Vintiadis & Co. Before joining Sage in 2001, Greg was the Executive Vice President of Operations for Tejas Securities Group. He received his MBA in Finance from Monmouth University and his B.S. degree from St. Joseph’s College. Greg is an Accredited Investment Fiduciary (AIF) and is also a member of the American Institute of CPAs (AICPA).
Robert G. Smith
AIF®, CIMC | President & Chief Investment Officer, Managing Partner
Bob co-founded Sage in 1996 and serves as the firm’s President and Chief Investment Officer, and he leads the Investment Committee. He began his career in 1970 at Moody's Investors Services as a member of the Corporate Bond Rating Committee; he then went on to Loeb, Rhoades & Co. to cover the insurance industry in the Institutional Equity Research Department. He later worked at Merrill Lynch & Co. for 13 years in a variety of institutional research, trading and portfolio management roles in New York and London. During this period, he was assigned to the Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency as a Resident Financial Advisor in Riyadh responsible for managing the foreign reserves of the Central Bank. Bob Smith received his MBA in Finance from New York University Stern School of Business, and he is an Accredited Investment Fiduciary (AIF®) and Certified Investment Management Consultant (CIMC).
Michael D. Walton
AIF® | Managing Partner, Consultant & Client Relations
Michael is a Managing Partner of the firm and leads the Business Development Team. He began his career in 1996 with Invesco AIM Investments in a variety of senior marketing and supervisory roles within the organization’s marketing and financial advisor sales group. Later, he worked with U.S. Fiduciary, LLC (USF) in Houston, Texas, as the Director of Wealth Management Services. Michael received his B.A. degree from Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas. Michael is an Accredited Investment Fiduciary (AIF) and has a strong background in wealth management services as well as institutional distribution system design and management.
Robert C. Peck
Managing Partner, Investment Strategy
Bob is a Managing Partner of the firm and a senior member of the Investment Committee. He began his career in 1969 at Merrill Lynch Asset Management in New York, where he served as a portfolio manager and investment strategist. He then took the position of Senior Vice President and Manager of Fixed Income at Manufacturers Hanover Investment Corporation in New York. After his time in New York, Bob became the CIO and Executive Vice President of Fixed Income at Van Kampen American Capital in Houston. Adding to his investment experience, Bob then became CIO and Managing Director of Fixed Income Mutual Funds at Scudder Kemper Investments in Chicago. He received his M.B.A. in Economics from New York University Stern School of Business and his B.S. in Finance from Syracuse University. Beyond this, Bob is an adjunct member of LeTourneau University.
Lily Tu
Vice President, Business Development & Consultant Relations
Lily serves as the Vice President of Institutional Business Development and Consultant Relations. Lily began her career in 2005 with Goldman Sachs Wealth Management. Later, she worked for the top woman producer team ranked by Forbes and Barron's at Morgan Stanley Wealth Management and J.P. Morgan Securities. She successfully managed a client focused service team responsible for investment portfolio construction, asset allocation, and market research communications. Lily received her B.S. in Management Science and Information Systems as Valedictorian of her major from Rutgers University.
Dustin Finley
Partner, Consultant & Client Relations
Dustin is a Partner and a member of the Consultant and Client Relations team at Sage. Dustin began his career in 1998 as an Operations Manager with Bank of America’s housing services division. Later, he worked as a Senior Consultant at Consulting Services Group, LLC (CSG) in Memphis, TN, where he worked extensively with foundation and endowment clients, family offices and public corporate pension plans. Dustin received both his M.B.A and B.A. degrees in Marketing from Delta State University in Cleveland, MS.
Sean C. Krasan
Managing Partner, Consultant & Client Relations
Sean is a Managing Partner of the firm and serves on the Consultant and Client Relations team. Prior to this role, Sean served as the Head of Systems and Operations since the inception of the firm in 1996. Sean began his investment career in 1989. Prior to Sage, Sean was a Trader & Account Executive at Smith Affiliated Capital. He received his M.B.A. in Finance from St. Edward’s University and his B.A. from the State University of New York.
John R. Slais
Managing Partner, Chief Financial Officer
John is a Managing Partner and serves as Chief Financial Officer at Sage. He began his career as a Certified Public Accountant at Ernst & Young, and later he served as CFO and CCO of Capitol Securities Group in Austin, Texas, where he initiated and structured the company’s successful merger with Raymond James. Before joining Sage as Chief Compliance Officer in 2011, John served as CFO and CCO for various regulated entities including a boutique asset-backed securitization firm and several non-profit organizations. John received his B.S. degree in Business Administration and Accounting from Harding University and is currently a voting member of the American Institute of CPAs (AICPA).
Robert D. Williams
CFA | Managing Partner, Director of Research
Rob is a Managing Partner and Director of Research, as well as a member of the Investment Committee. Rob began his investment career in 1997 at Merrill Lynch & Co. where he served as a Research Analyst. Later, he joined Mutual of New York as a Director of Asset Allocation Policy. He then took the position of Senior Fixed Income Strategist for UBS in New York. Rob received his B.A. in Management from the University of Colorado. He is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) and a member of the CFA Institute.
Sean F. McShea
Executive Vice President
Sean serves as Executive Vice President and Director of Institutional Business. In his role, Sean works with Sage investment professionals to provide investment management and liability advisory services. Sean has more than 25 years of demonstrated success and a broad-based leadership background that encompasses portfolio management, business development, and quantitative research. He began his career in 1987 as a Management Consultant at Accenture in their financial services practice. In 1993 he joined Ryan Labs, where he eventually served as the company’s President. He earned his master’s degree in Business Administration from Columbia Business School with concentrations in finance and accounting, as well as a B.S. degree with Distinction in Industrial Engineering from Worcester Polytechnic Institute.
Allison C. Hartman
Partner, Director of Operations
Allison is a Partner and Director of Operations at Sage. She is also the firm’s Senior Investment Performance Analyst, and she is a member of the firm’s Operating Committee. Allison began her career with Sage in 2009 as a member of the Portfolio Management and Accounting team. Previously, she was employed with BNY Mellon in Houston as a Client Relationship Manager and Administrator for asset backed and CDO portfolios. Allison received her B.A. degree with honors in Mathematics from the University of Texas at Austin.
Thomas H. Urano
CFA | Managing Partner, Portfolio Management
Thomas is a Managing Partner of the firm and a member of the Investment Committee. He leads the portfolio management team overseeing Sage’s fixed income and equity strategies. Prior to joining Sage, Thomas worked at Credit Suisse Asset Management in New York trading fixed income assets and implementing investment strategy on behalf of the firm's institutional clients. Thomas began his career in 1996 as a fixed income portfolio analyst with Morgan Keegan. Thomas received his B.A. in Economics from The University of Texas at Austin and is a CFA charter holder and a member of the CFA Institute.
Bob Moser
CIMA®, CFIP®, CRPC® | Managing Partner, National Sales Director
Bob serves as a Managing Partner and National Sales Director at Sage. Bob began his investment career in 2000 as a Regional Sales Director at The Hartford. Later, he served as a Senior Advisor Consultant and Vice President at OppenheimerFunds. Bob received a B.S. degree in Marketing from Arizona State University. He holds the CIMA designation bestowed by the Investment Management Consultants Association for his study at the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania. In addition, he holds the Certified Retirement Planning Consultant designation from the College for Financial Planning as well as the Certified Fixed Income Practitioner (CFIP) designation from the Fixed Income Academy.
Jeffery S. Timlin
CFA, CMT | Managing Partner, Portfolio Management
Jeff is a Managing Partner of the firm and a member of the Investment Committee. He serves as a Portfolio Manager for the tax-exempt fixed income strategies. Prior to joining Sage, he worked with MFS Investment Management in Boston as a Fixed Income Associate Trader. He began his career in 1997 as a Client Account Manager with Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. Jeff received his B.S. degree in Business Administration from Villanova University. He is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) and member of the CFA Institute, and is a Chartered Market Technician (CMT). He is also a member of the Market Technicians Association, the National Federation of Municipal Analysts, and the Southern Municipal Finance Society.
Wade T. Uloth
IACCP | Partner, Chief Compliance Officer
Wade is a Partner and Chief Compliance Officer at Sage. Wade joined Sage’s compliance department in 2013 and was promoted to Chief Compliance Officer in 2020. Prior to joining Sage, Wade served as the Chief Compliance Officer of Veritrust Financial, LLC, a dually registered firm based in Austin, Texas. Wade received his B.A. degree in Finance from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. Additionally, Wade has received his Investment Adviser Certified Compliance Professional (IACCP®) designation, is a member of the National Society of Compliance Professionals (NSCP), and is an active member of the Austin Compliance Roundtable.
Komson Silapachai
CFA | Partner, Research & Portfolio Strategy
Komson is a Partner of the firm and a member of the Investment Committee. He began his investment career in 2008 with the Teacher Retirement System of Texas where he served in a variety of asset allocation, portfolio management, and trading roles. He received his B.B.A. in Finance from Texas A&M University and is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) and member of the CFA Institute. Komson was recognized by Chief Investment Officer Magazine in its “Forty Under Forty” list in 2015.
Arthur L. Cherches
Vice President, National Accounts
Arthur serves as Vice President of National Accounts for Sage. He began his investment career in 2003 with Invesco AIM Investments where he worked in various relationship management and client servicing roles. Upon joining Sage, Arthur served as a Regional Director for the Northeast region. He received his B.A. degree in Finance from the University of Houston.
Kimberly F. Sowers
CIMA® | Regional Director - Southern
Kim serves as a Regional Director for the South representing Sage’s fixed income and ETF investment management services. Kim began her career in 1999 as a Financial Advisor at UBS, formerly Paine Webber. She then went on to work as a Financial Advisor at Advest Bank & Trust. Later, Kim worked as a Consultant with Independent Portfolio Consultants. She received her B.A. degree in Finance from the University of Florida and received the CIMA® designation bestowed by the Investment Management Consultants Association® for her study at the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania.
Zachary T. Sooter
Regional Director - Central
Zac serves as a Regional Director for the Central region representing Sage’s fixed income and ETF investment management services. Zac began his career in 2006 in a Financial Advisory role at Harris Bank. He then worked as an Internal Consultant with Genworth Financial Wealth Management. He received his B.A. degree from Northeastern State University.
Brian C. Larson
CFIP® | Regional Director - Northeast
Brian serves as a Regional Director for the Northeast, representing Sage’s fixed income and ETF investment management services. Brian began his career in 1996 as a Financial Advisor, first at Gruntal and Co. and then at Morgan Stanley. He went on to work at Prudential Investments and AXA Advisors as a Divisional Director for their advisory platforms. Later, Brian served as Senior Vice President and Partner with Boyd Watterson, where he covered the Advisory Channel, RIA Family Offices and Investment Consultants. Brian earned his B.S. degree in Communications from St. John’s University, and he holds the Certified Fixed Income Practitioner (CFIP) designation from the Fixed Income Academy.
Gregory H. Cobb
Vice President, Investment Strategy
Greg serves as Vice President of Investment Strategy at Sage with a focus on portfolio strategies and bespoke solutions for the insurance industry. Greg began his career in 1987 as a Fixed Income Portfolio Manager for Barnett Banks of Florida. Later, he served as Senior Portfolio Manager for the Institutional Asset Management arms of both SunTrust and Bank of America with a specialization in Insurance Company Portfolio Management. From there, he served as Managing Director and Chief Investment Officer for Sovereign Advisers and most recently as Director of Fixed Income and Lead Strategist for Boyd Watterson Asset Management. Greg earned his B.S. degree in Economics from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Thomas J. Bourg
Regional Director - Mid Atlantic
Tom serves as a Regional Director for the Mid Atlantic region representing Sage’s fixed income and ETF investment management services. Tom began his career in 2001 at MetLife in Chicago, Illinois. He then went on to join Van Kampen Investments, which was later acquired by Invesco, and worked as Regional Vice President in the Mid Atlantic region. Tom attended Illinois State University, where he earned his degree in Business Administration.
Andrew K. Demand
CFA | Partner, Portfolio Management
Andrew is a Partner of the firm and a member of the Portfolio Management team at Sage. He began his career in 2006 at the International Bank of Commerce First Equity, where he worked in mortgage accounting. Andrew received both his M.B.A. and B.A. degrees from Texas State University in San Marcos, Texas. He is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) and member of the CFA Institute. Andrew is an active volunteer for The Foundation for Prader-Willi Research and a member of their Leadership Circle.
Nicholas C. Erickson
CFA | Vice President, Portfolio Management
Nick serves as a Vice President of Portfolio Management at Sage. Nick began his investment career in 2004 as an Analyst with GMAC. Nick received his M.B.A. from Webster University in Missouri and a B.A. degree in Economics from Grinnell College in Iowa. Nick is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) and a member of the CFA Institute.
Seth B. Henry
CFA | Partner, Portfolio Management
Seth is a Partner of the firm and a member of the Portfolio Management team at Sage. He joined Sage in 2006, and his responsibilities include portfolio management, credit analysis, and trading. Seth received a B.A. degree in Finance from Hillsdale College in Michigan and is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) and member of the CFA Institute.
Ryan C. O'Malley
CFA | Fixed Income Portfolio Strategist
Ryan O’Malley serves as Fixed Income Portfolio Strategist at Sage. Ryan began his investment career in 2004 as a Senior Equity Analyst at Origin Capital Management. He then worked as an Equity Analyst at Tidal Creek Capital Management, LLC. Later he worked as a Corporate Credit Analyst at Payden & Rygel. He received his M.B.A. from the Anderson School of Management from the University of California Los Angeles and his B.A. degree in Economics from Columbia University in New York City. Ryan is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) and member of the CFA Institute.
Jessica A. McHugh
Director of Marketing Communications
Jessica serves as the Director of Marketing Communications, responsible for shaping the overall marketing, branding, and collateral efforts of the firm. Jessica began her career in financial communications in 2010, serving as managing editor at The Wall Street Transcript. Following stints as a business journalist at The New York Times’ DealBook and the Financial Times-owned Mergermarket, Jessica spent four years as an equity research analyst at the Minneapolis-based investment bank Dougherty & Company. Jessica earned her M.A. degree in Business Journalism from New York University and her B.A. degree from the University of Florida.
Vincent M. Aquino
Associate, Portfolio Management
Vinny serves as an Associate of Portfolio Management at Sage. His responsibilities include portfolio management, trading and credit analysis. Prior to joining Sage, Vinny worked in the Investment Management Division of Goldman Sachs. He received a degree in Economics from The University of Texas at Austin.
Ashley R. Potts
Regional Consultant – South/Midwest
Ashley serves as the Regional Consultant for the South and Midwest regions. She began her investment career in 2009 with RiverStone Wealth Management in Austin, Texas. Ashley was a Registered Client Associate and then became RiverStone’s Compliance Administrator for their three Texas branches. In 2013 Ashley joined Raymond James & Associates, where she worked as a Senior Registered Sales Associate while also personally managing a small book of business at the firm. She organized performance reviews, conducted extensive research and account analysis, as well as maintained various client relationships and account service requests. At Sage, Ashley works closely with Kimberly Sowers and Zachary Sooter to cover the Southern and Midwest regions of the United States.
David L. Luria
CFA | Vice President, Portfolio Management
David serves as a Vice President of Portfolio Management at Sage. David began his career in 2013 at Franklin Templeton Investments, where he worked within Franklin’s Fixed Income Portfolio Management Group. His previous responsibilities included portfolio construction, corporate credit research, quantitative analysis, and credit derivative trading. He received his master’s degree in the Science of Finance as well as his B.A. degree in Economics & Finance from Florida State University. David is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) and member of the CFA Institute.
Christina R. Criswell
Associate, Portfolio Management
Christina serves as an Associate Portfolio Manager at Sage. Before Sage, Christina served as a credit analyst and fixed income trader at TD Ameritrade and Aviva Investors America, LLC in Chicago. She started her career in 2015 as a trade assistant at Janus Henderson Investors, notably placing CDX trades for Bill Gross. She received her B.S. in Business Administration from the University of Colorado at Boulder with an emphasis in Finance and a certificate in Entrepreneurship.
Jae Y. Song
ASA | Vice President, Senior Research Analyst
Jae serves as the Senior Research Analyst in Sage’s Quantitative Strategies Group. Jae began his professional career in 2013 at Nova 401 (k) Associates, where he spent four years working with pension plans as an Actuarial Analyst. In his role as an Actuarial Analyst, he gained knowledge and experience in aspects of pension and cash balance plan administration. Jae received his B.S. in Mathematics from the University of Texas at Austin. He has his actuarial designation (ASA) from the Society of Actuaries.
Andrew R. Hinnant
Regional Consultant - Southeast & Northeast
Andy serves as the Regional Consultant for the Southeast and Northeast. He began his career in 2015 as an Analyst/Underwriter at First National Bank in their Small Business Administration group in Charlotte, NC. He later joined UBS Financial Services in Austin, Texas, where he worked as a licensed Wealth Planning Associate. Andy received his B.A. degree in Economics from the College of William & Mary and holds the Accredited Wealth Management Advisor designation from the College for Financial Planning. At Sage, Andy works closely with Brian Larson and Dale Korman to cover the Southeast and Northeastern regions of the United States.
Douglas A. Benning
Research Analyst
Doug serves as a Research Analyst in the Quantitative Strategies Group with a focus on insurance solutions. His investment career began in 1999 at the Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas, where he processed swap contracts and reconciled accounts. In 2005, Doug joined Sage’s account reconciliation and client services department before transitioning to the liability driven investing and asset/liability management side of the business. His current responsibilities include research and insurance reporting, VBA programming, and ESG data analysis. Doug holds a B.A. degree in Political Science and English from Purdue University, where he graduated as a member of the Phi Beta Kappa honor society.
Emma L. Harper
Vice President, Senior Research Analyst
Emma serves as the Senior Research Analyst for the ESG Risk Management team. She began her career in 2013 focusing on Retail Management and Product Administration followed by work in Private Wealth Management. She received her M.B.A. in Finance as a Forte Fellow from the Cox School of Business of Southern Methodist University and received her B.S. from the University of Texas at Austin.
Amy C. Swearingen
Senior Regional Consultant - West & Mid Atlantic
Amy serves as the Senior Regional Consultant for the Pacific Northwest, West, and Mid Atlantic regions. Prior to joining Sage, she served as a Senior Internal Sales professional with Resolute Investment Managers and American Beacon Advisors, Inc., where she was responsible for developing and supporting independent and brokerage firm Financial Advisors. Prior to this role, Amy worked with Invesco Aim Distributors, Inc. as a Business Development Manager. Amy attended Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas. At Sage, Amy works closely with Bob Moser and Tom Bourg to cover the Western and Mid Atlantic regions of the United States.
John R. Sama
Research Analyst
John serves as a Research Analyst with a focus on portfolio strategies and solutions for the insurance industry. John began his career in 2008 as an Infantry Officer in the United States Marine Corps, where he held various platoon commander roles and was deployed to Helmand Province, Afghanistan, in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. After his service, John worked as an underwriter at Zurich North America and CNA Insurance, where he focused on Directors and Officers, Errors and Omission, and Employment Practices liabilities. John holds a B.S. degree in economics from Clemson University and an MBA in finance from the Cox School of Business at Southern Methodist University.
Andrew S. Poreda
Vice President, Senior Research Analyst
Andrew serves as the Senior Research Analyst in Sage’s ESG and Quantitative Strategy Groups. He began his career in 2006 as a Naval Aviator in the United States Navy, where he completed four deployments to the Middle East and Western Pacific while performing a variety of leadership roles during his 13 years of active-duty service. He presently serves as a Commander in the United States Naval Reserves. Andrew holds an MBA with Distinction from the Naval Postgraduate School and a B.A. degree in Economics from Rice University. He is a Fundamentals of Sustainability Accounting (FSA) Credential holder.
Sara B. Rodriguez
ESG Research Analyst
Sara serves as a Research Analyst for the ESG Risk Management team. She began her career with Sage in 2019, and her current responsibilities include analyzing holdings from an ESG perspective and creating marketing materials to present to clients. Sara holds a B.A. degree with Honors in Sustainability Studies from The University of Texas at Austin. Sara is currently in the process of attaining the Fundamentals of Sustainability Accounting (FSA) and Series 65 credentials.