CutterCast: Supporting Portfolio Construction and Optimization

Elizabeth “Beth” LaGambina joined Cutter Associates in 2001 and now leads the firm’s membership services efforts and is a familiar face to our many members. Beth has over 20 years investment management industry experience and leads Cutter Associates’ client relationship efforts among our large member consortia. In addition, she looks after the member firms of our more specialized networks, such as the Executive Roundtables and the BlackRock Aladdin Peer Network, as well as our benchmarking clients. Prior to joining Cutter Associates, Beth served as shareholder communications manager at John Hancock Mutual Funds, where she was responsible for the development, print and production of shareholder communications for approximately one million mutual fund shareholders. She was also an instrumental member of the committee that developed the industry’s first plain-English prospectus. Beth attended Northeastern University.

Arnie Wachs, Head of Consulting at Cutter Associates, brings extensive business and technical knowledge to the role, with over 30 years of investment management industry experience. Arnie advises clients on their strategic technology direction, data governance practices, trading platforms and practices, portfolio management tools, and operational organization, as well as data management architecture, tools, and practices. He has extensive experience working for investment management firms, financial software vendors, and consulting firms, in roles that included business analyst, developer, system architect, development management, project management, product management, sales, and executive positions. He has a deep understanding of investment management system use and design. He also leads the firm’s Technology and Architecture practice.

Prior to joining Cutter, Arnie worked for ITG, where he led the product management efforts for the development of the next-generation OEMS platform. Prior roles include Head of Equity Systems at BlackRock Solutions, Senior Product Manager at Charles River Development, and Vice President at Fidelity Investments, where he designed and developed the firm’s global trading platforms. Arnie also led efforts at State Street Global Advisors to create an enterprise-wide, cross-asset class security and benchmark master. He holds a Bachelor of Science in physics from Clarkson University.

Manish Ghayalod is Managing Director of the Investments Technology organization supporting the Portfolio Management, Trading, Investment, and Credit Risk teams at Charles Schwab Investment Management. In this role, he manages the firm’s software development life cycle including coordination, prioritization, and communication across business product areas. Manish joined Schwab in April 2016 from JPMorgan Chase Asset Management, where he was Global Head of Portfolio Management Technology in Multi-Asset Solutions from 2012 to 2016. Prior to JPMorgan, Manish was at Goldman Sachs for six years where he held various positions, most recently Vice President managing Credit Risk and Compliance Technology. Prior to that, he worked as an architect for the Securities Industry Automation Corporation, a subsidiary of the New York Stock Exchange. Manish earned a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Bombay in India, and a Master’s degree in Computer Science from the University of Florida. He is also a CFA Charterholder.