MEET our TEAM
CONTACT USHow It All Started
Astute readers of the following bios will notice that our team members have known each other across many professional roles. This was not by accident, but by design and a desire to keep together the best of each team.
No, it is not by accident that we work together as a close team at Yousif Capital Management. We believe in one another, enjoy each other’s company, and count on each other to lift us up when one of us falls.
KEVIN K. YOUSIF, CFA*
As President, Kevin guides our firm towards our strategic goals, assists in creating new investment strategies and works closely with clients to meet their goals. Kevin’s driving belief is that clients can be served with strategies that meet their needs and at a reasonable cost.
Prior to starting Yousif Capital Management, Kevin started the Passive Management effort at LS Investment Advisors, a Registered Investment Advisor based in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. Before that, Kevin was the Director of Domestic Equities at World Asset Management, a Comerica company. Kevin started his career at Comerica Bank’s Trust department in 1997.
Kevin is committed to his community. He is a member of the Chaldean American Chamber of Commerce, CFA Society of Detroit and has written the book on Passive Management with the global CFA Institute. He is a Past President of the CFA Society of Detroit and was an adjunct professor at Davenport University. With a passion for education and an enthusiasm to help others, he shares his investment knowledge through research and opinion publications, speaking engagements and mentoring of young professionals.
ROSANNA (ROSE) BENNETT, IACCP®
As Chief Compliance Officer, Rose is responsible for maintaining the firm’s risk-based compliance program, including monitoring and testing the firm’s policies and procedures to ensure compliance with the Adviser’s Act as well as federal securities law.
Prior to joining Yousif Capital Management, Rose was a Business Unit Risk Manager at World Asset Management, Inc., a Comerica company and SEC registered investment adviser. At World Asset Management, Rose was responsible for the day-to-day compliance program and worked directly for the Chief Compliance Officer. Rose is an Investment Adviser Certified Compliance Professional (IACCP®). Prior to her compliance role, Rose was the Operations Manager responsible for back-office support and reconciliation at World Asset Management. Rose’s vast compliance and operational experience with World Asset Management and Comerica spans more than three decades.
Rose’s expertise is highly sought as she speaks on panels related to Adviser operating techniques and compliance practices. Rose is active in her parish where she volunteers as a Lector. She enjoys reading, cooking and travelling to Italy where she spends time visiting her family.
ED GOARD, CFA*
As Chief Investment Officer, Ed is responsible for our firms’ entire investment process which spans global equities and global bonds. His interest in research and market analytics helps clients get the best quality products.
Prior to starting at Yousif Capital Management, Ed worked as a Chief Investment Officer at INCORE Capital Management, which was previously Munder’s core fixed income team. Ed has 30 years of capital markets and portfolio management experience. Previously, he was a senior portfolio manager and head of interest rate and mortgage strategies at Barclays Global Investors (BGI). He helped develop and implement several multi-sector core and core-plus fixed income strategies and served as a member of the fixed income investment committee providing expertise in sector allocation, and mortgage and interest rate strategy.
When not working, Ed’s passions include traveling with family, as well as golf, and hunting. He is a CFA® charter holder and a member of the CFA Institute and CFA Society of Detroit.
GEOFFREY G. ROSSI
As Director of Operations, Geoff is responsible for overseeing the day-to-day operations of the firm.
Prior to joining Yousif Capital Management in 2022, Geoff enjoyed a 25-year career with Comerica Bank. In his last role, he served as Vice President for Comerica’s Institutional Trust, overseeing the business development and client administrative responsibilities for its Not For Profit and Insurance clients.
Away from the office, you can find Geoff and his wife, Jenny, watching their 3 kids playing soccer and baseball. Geoff is an avid reader and loves to travel. He has a B.S. in Finance from Michigan State University’s Eli Broad College of Business and an MBA from Wayne State University.
GARY BENDER
As the Director of Fixed Income, Gary leads and manages the fixed income portfolios that our clients entrust us with. With over three decades of investment experience, Gary brings a level of understanding of the factors that drive his portfolio and he utilizes that knowledge to help clients understand their exposures. Gary works closely with Kevin and Dave to create new investment strategies and he meets with clients to ensure their needs are met.
Prior to starting at Yousif Capital Management, Gary worked as a Portfolio Manager at LS Investment Advisors, a Registered Investment Advisor based in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. Before that, Gary was the Director of Fixed Income at World Asset Management, a Comerica company. Before that, Gary worked at Comerica Bank’s Trust department.
Gary’s passions are charitable and bring happiness to others. Gary supports various charitable food programs within his community and has been directly responsible for raising thousands of much needed funds for those charities. He is also a skilled guitarist that performs in small bands across the state of Michigan.
DAVE JONES
As the Director of Global Equities, Dave leads and manages the equity portfolios that our clients entrust us with. Dave’s passions are for the more complex taxable portfolios that we manage for our clients and his secondary passion is for Technology. Dave is a tinkerer that does not stop improving any process that comes before him and he is successful at turning complex processes into simple steps.
Prior to starting at Yousif Capital Management, Dave worked as a Portfolio Manager at LS Investment Advisors, a Registered Investment Advisor based in Bloomfield Hills, MI. Before that, Dave was a Senior Portfolio Manager at World Asset Management, a Comerica company. Before that, Dave worked at Munder Capital Management as an Equity Trader and Senior Business Analyst. Dave started his career with Comerica Bank.
Dave is a member of the CFA Institute and CFA Society of Detroit. Dave’s passions are for Dance and Golf. He has three little girls that are superstar dancers and have qualified for national events; his golf game however, is a work in progress.
ERIC LESSNAU
As the Senior Portfolio Manager, Eric is responsible for managing and monitoring domestic equity portfolios. In addition, other responsibilities include performance analysis for the domestic strategies and working on new product implementation. Areas of particular interest for Eric are creating and managing socially responsible and ESG portfolios.
Prior to starting at Yousif Capital Management, Eric worked as a Director of Domestic Equities at World Asset Management, Inc., a Comerica company, and SEC registered investment adviser based in Detroit, MI. Eric began his career with Comerica Bank in 2000 as an Investment Bank Analyst in Institutional Trust, working in both the Fund Accounting and Corporate Actions areas.
In his free time, Eric enjoys playing golf, but he especially enjoys spending time with his family and watching his sons play baseball and basketball.
JIM KELTS, CFA*
As a Senior Portfolio Manager, Jim is responsible for managing and monitoring fixed income portfolios. His proficiency extends across various types of actively managed fixed income portfolios, each with unique duration profiles, including international, government, aggregate, credit (both investment grade and high yield), and inflation-protected portfolios. Jim’s expertise delves deep into multiple sectors, with a primary focus on corporate bonds and commercial mortgage-backed securities.
Prior to joining Yousif Capital Management, Jim spent nearly two decades at INCORE Capital Management, formerly known as Munder Capital Management. During his tenure, he assumed multiple key roles, ranging from Senior Portfolio Manager to Head of Fixed Income Trading, and even Compliance Analyst. Jim’s journey in finance began at Comerica Bank, where he started as a Fund Accountant.
Jim is a member of the CFA Institute and the CFA Society of Detroit. Beyond the world of finance, Jim finds solace in supporting his family’s equestrian pursuits, frequently attending horse shows to cheer on his wife and children. Moreover, he channels his passion into coaching youth sports, where he has mentored teams in football and travel baseball for several years.
NICOLE RIVERA
As a Portfolio Manager, Nicole works closely with Dave to manage the equity portfolios that our clients entrust us with. Nicole manages these portfolios to ensure that they adhere to their stated desired outcomes and meet their performance expectations. Coupling her market knowledge and sophisticated understanding of portfolio management systems, she constantly enhances our portfolio construction and reporting processes.
Prior to starting at Yousif Capital Management, Nicole worked as a Portfolio Manager at LS Investment Advisors, a Registered Investment Advisor based in Bloomfield Hills, MI. Before that, Nicole was a Portfolio Administrator with Clarkston Partners, and at World Asset Management, a Comerica company prior to that. Nicole started her career with Comerica Bank.
Nicole is an expert user of the Advent Portfolio Exchange Accounting system and leads our GIPS® performance reporting efforts. Nicole has a passion for youth hockey and has raised two sons that play at a high level.
KEVIN FOLEY
As a Portfolio Manager, Kevin works closely with Dave to manage the international portfolios that our clients entrust to us. Kevin manages the portfolios to ensure our client’s performance and international exposure goals are accomplished. The international portfolios provide exposure to forty-six different countries in both developed and emerging markets.
Prior to starting at Yousif Capital Management, Kevin worked as a Portfolio Manager at World Asset Management, Inc., a Comerica company, and SEC registered investment adviser based in Detroit, MI. Kevin began his career in Comerica Bank’s Trust Department.
Kevin enjoys researching international corporate actions. Kevin has three children, two boys and one girl. Kevin enjoys coaching his son’s and daughter’s hockey teams, watching their football and lacrosse games and playing golf.
BRAD FILIPS
As an Associate Portfolio Manager, Brad is focused on fixed income portfolios and is responsible for the management, implementation, and continual enhancement of the credit research process.
Prior to starting at Yousif Capital Management, Brad was a Senior Credit Analyst at INCORE Capital Management, based in Birmingham, MI. His primary duties were performing modeling, credit analysis and security selection on corporate bond issuers, monitoring credits, and providing macro level analysis. Brad started his career as an Investment Research Analyst at Plante Moran Financial Advisors performing due diligence on investment managers, asset allocation, and analyzing investment strategies across asset classes. He has 15 years of investment industry experience.
Outside of the office, Brad enjoys spending time out on the open water or in the garden with his wife, daughter, and dogs. He is heavily involved in his community serving on multiple planning boards and volunteering whenever possible.
PAM IWASKO
As an Associate Portfolio Manager, Pam is responsible for portfolio construction and management of portfolio duration and yield curve exposure, day-to-day cash flow, and trading in separately managed accounts across an array of fixed-income strategies. Pam’s expertise in the detailed reporting needs for our captive and insurance clients ensures that performance and fund accounting reports always exceed our client’s expectations.
Prior to starting at Yousif Capital Management, Pam worked as a fixed income trader at INCORE Capital Management, and has been part of the Munder Capital Management legacy for 30 years in various fixed income related roles. Prior to joining Munder Capital, Pam began her career in finance with a Series 7 & 63 license with Prudential Securities in West Bloomfield, MI.
Outside of work, Pam enjoys spending time with her family, traveling, gardening, and reading.
KELLY FETTERMAN
As a Client Service Manager, Kelly works to ensure that our clients’ servicing needs are met. Our clients know that they can contact Kelly day or night and get the answer to the question they are asking. Kelly works tirelessly to ensure that the client experience meets the high standard that we have set. Kelly is also involved with maintenance of our GIPS compliant performance results, populating consultant databases, and the creation of new marketing material.
Prior to starting at Yousif Capital Management, Kelly worked as a Senior Client Account Manager at World Asset Management, Inc., a Comerica company, and SEC Registered Investment Adviser based in Detroit, MI.
Kelly’s passions are watching her daughter play volleyball and eating delicious meals made by her chef-in-training son. She is also an avid reader. She is not willing to swing a golf club, but is eager to drive a golf cart when the opportunity arises.
MICHELLE DUBEY
As a Senior Portfolio Administrator, Michelle is responsible for working with our outsourced data services teams to ensure that our client portfolios are always up to date with the latest information and reconciled to the custodian. Michelle is responsible for ensuring that our clients’ portfolio performance is accurately reflected on our internal systems. Michelle is also involved in the maintenance of our GIPS compliant performance results.
Prior to starting at Yousif Capital Management, Michelle worked as a Performance Measurement Specialist at World Asset Management, Inc., a Comerica company, and SEC registered investment adviser based in Detroit, MI. Before that, Michelle was a manager in the Trade Reconcilement area in Trust Operations at Comerica Bank. Her early career experience encompasses a 13 year period in which Michelle held several different positions in the branches at NBD Bank.
Michelle is an avid runner whose greatest athletic accomplishment is a half-marathon that crossed country lines from the United States and into Canada. During her time away from the office, Michelle can be found either hiking, camping with family or on a cruise ship laying back and resting from all of that hiking and camping.
KIRK YOUSIF
As the Systems Developer, Kirk works with the internal YCM teams and our vendors to ensure that our information systems are always accurate, efficient, and up to date. Kirk is also responsible for automating our portfolio management and reporting functions.
Before starting at Yousif Capital Management, Kirk held directorships at Oakwood Hospital System and two Michigan-based software companies. He recently received his MBA and is working on attaining his CFA designation.
Kirk’s community involvement goes back to the mid-nineties, having served on several community boards and commissions for his city. He also spent several years coaching youth soccer and was involved with the executive boards of both sports and arts organizations. Kirk enjoys cooking and international travel.
* CFA Institute is a global advocacy group dedicated to improving our investment markets and educating the financial community. CFA Institute is the sponsor of the CFA Charter and can be found at www.cfainstitute.org.
CONTACT THE YCM TEAM
Our experienced team is looking forward to meeting you and learning about your goals. Call us or complete the contact form and we will reach out to you shortly!
Bloomfield Hills, MI 48304