2025 Elite Private Wealth CIOs Part 1

Alex Shahidi is a Managing Partner and Co-Chief Investment Officer of Evoke Advisors. Shahidi has over 25 years of experience as an investment consultant managing multibillion-dollar portfolios. He began his career at Merrill Lynch, where he led one of the firm’s largest institutional consulting groups, advising more than $10 billion in assets. In 2014, Shahidi co-founded ARIS, where he, along with co-founder Damien Bisserier, oversaw the firm’s research and client service efforts. In 2019, they launched the RPAR Risk Parity ETF, which quickly became one of the largest Alternative ETFs in the country. ARIS merged with Evoke Advisors in 2020. Shahidi is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA®), a Certified Investment Management Analyst (CIMA®), a Certified Financial Planner (CFP®), a Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU®), and a Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC®). Shahidi graduated cum laude from University of California, Santa Barbara, with degrees in business economics and law. He earned a JD from the University of California, Hastings Law School, and is a licensed attorney in California. Shahidi is a prolific writer. His first book, titled “Balanced Asset Allocation: How to Profit in Any Economic Climate,” was released in late 2014. The article introducing the premise of the book was recognized with the IMCA 2012 Stephen L. Kessler Writing Award as well as in the Wall Street Journal, Market Watch, Money News, Fidelity.com, and Wall Street Daily. In 2021, he launched his second book titled “Risk Parity: How to Invest for All Market Environments.” Shahidi has been interviewed on Bloomberg Television and Radio, BBC World News, and Yahoo Finance and for articles in the Wall Street Journal, Barron’s, and other major publications. He has also been featured in numerous podcasts including “Capital Allocators,” “The Investor’s Podcast,” and “Seeking Alpha.” Shahidi is also a member of the Forbes Finance Council and regularly contributes content for Forbes.com. Shahidi is the host of “The Insightful Investor Podcast,” which is a weekly series where Shahidi interacts with some of the world’s premier investors and business icons to share market insights rarely found elsewhere.

Ben Pace is the Chief Investment Officer and a Partner in the New York office. He leads the firm’s Investment Committee and is a member of the Leadership Team. He has more than thirty-five years of experience in investment management. Pace has been featured in the Wall Street Journal and Reuters, and is a frequent commentator on Bloomberg TV and radio, Fox TV and CNBC, appearing regularly on network programs such as Power Lunch, The Closing Bell, Squawk Box, and Worldwide Exchange. Prior to joining Cerity Partners, Pace was Chief Investment Officer and Head of Global Investment Solutions for Deutsche Bank Private Wealth Management in the U.S. In his role as CIO, he sat on the PWM Global Investment Committee, providing input on the U.S. economy and capital markets. He oversaw the investment strategy and asset allocation for PWM clients in the U.S. As Head of Global Investment Solutions, he brought together PWM’s capital markets and investment capabilities in an effort to provide an effective and consistent experience for clients. Prior to joining Deutsche Bank in 1994, he managed equity income funds for two investment organizations. During Pace’s tenure with those institutions, he also served as a securities analyst with a particular emphasis on the financial services and healthcare industries.

Bradford Long is the Managing Partner and Chief Investment Officer at Fiducient Advisors, where he leads the firm’s investment strategy and research efforts. He chairs the Investment Committee and is an active member of the Discretionary Committee, Research Forum, Capital Markets Committee, and Mission-Aligned Investing Council. Long joined Fiducient Advisors in 2012 as a research analyst and steadily advanced within the firm, becoming Partner in 2018 and later serving as Deputy Chief Investment Officer before being named CIO in 2023. Prior to joining Fiducient, he held research roles at Citigroup and Wells Fargo in New York, gaining valuable experience in financial markets and investment analysis. Long earned a B.A. in Finance with a Minor in Economics from The University of Colorado and is a CFA charterholder, actively involved with the CFA Society Chicago and CFA Institute. In addition to his professional accomplishments, Long is committed to community impact and is actively involved with Greenhouse Scholars, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting under-resourced college students.

Dhruv Maniktala is the Chief Investment Officer at True North Advisors & Western Alternative Strategies, where he oversees investment initiatives across traditional and alternative assets, including private equity, energy, real estate, and hedge funds. He also chairs the firm’s Investment Committee and has over two decades of experience spanning public and private markets. Maniktala’s career includes M&A and project finance roles focused on power and water infrastructure acquisitions across Europe, South America, the Caribbean, and the U.S. He has evaluated projects in energy, LNG, and water desalination, including the acquisition and nationalization of Jamaica’s power and water assets. Previously, he was a VP and Equity Analyst at Wachovia, where he advised on domestic and international equities, and he played a key role in asset allocation, portfolio construction, and manager selection at a multi-family office. At Russell Investment Group, he helped develop tactical asset allocation models for major institutional clients, including AT&T, Boeing, Nestlé, Toyota, and Shell. Maniktala holds a Bachelor of Technology in Mechanical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) and an MBA in Corporate Finance, Investments, and Quantitative Analysis from the University of Georgia, where he attended on a full scholarship. He is a CFA charterholder, a member of the CFA Society of Dallas/Fort Worth, serves on the RIA Advisory Board of Research Affiliates, and is a member of the Investment Committee of IFG.

Dick Pfister is the Founder and CEO of AlphaCore, a leading wealth advisory firm, where he also serves as a Managing Member of the Investment Committee. With over 25 years of experience in wealth advisory and financial services, Pfister specializes in integrating alternative strategies into traditional portfolios to enhance diversification and risk management. Prior to founding AlphaCore, Pfister was a Partner, Executive Vice President, Investment Committee Member, and Managing Director of Altegris Investments. In addition to his wealth management expertise, Pfister is the Founder of factorE, a wealthtech tool designed to analyze multi-asset portfolio risks and exposures. He is also an inaugural member of the Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst (CAIA) Association. Pfister has contributed his investment insights to The San Diego Foundation Investment Committee and the USD Emerging Leaders Council. He is a member of the iCapital Advisory Council and has served as a board member for Voices for Children, a charity dedicated to supporting foster children in San Diego. He holds a B.S. in Business Administration with a concentration in Finance from the University of San Diego.

As Chief Investment Officer, Donald Calcagni is responsible for setting the strategic direction of the firm’s investment offering, chairing the firm's investment committee, and the prudent stewardship of $67 billion in client assets. As a member of the executive leadership team, he also participates in M&A due diligence, oversees investment integration for new acquisitions, and provides ongoing advice regarding the firm's overall strategic direction to the Board of Directors, President, and Chief Executive Officer. Calcagni also oversees multiple underlying entities serving as the general partner and investment advisor to the firm’s private markets funds investing in a range of private asset classes including venture, private equity, private credit, multi-strategy hedge funds, and real assets. Calcagni's expertise is in the areas of fiduciary oversight, financial mathematics, portfolio management, private equity, fintech, and taxation. He also serves on the boards of the Lock Haven University Foundation, Widener University's Finance-Accounting Board, and Institutional Investor's RIA Academy. Calcagni also serves on CIO advisory boards at Dimensional Fund Advisors (DFA), BlackRock, and CAIS. He is a member of CFA Institute and has served as an Adjunct Professor at Widener University and as a Guest Lecturer at the University of Colorado at Boulder. Under his leadership, Mercer Advisors became the first independently owned RIA in the United States to become a signatory to the UN’s Principles for Responsible Investment (UNPRI). Calcagni earned his MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and his Masters in Taxation from Widener University. He's also earned various professional designations and certifications including the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ (CFP ®) certification from the CFP Board of Standards; the Qualified Pension Administrator (QPA ™) designation from the American Society of Pension Professionals and Actuaries; the Accredited Investment Fiduciary ® (AIF ®) designation from the Center for Fiduciary Studies (Fi360); the Certificate in Blockchain and Digital Assets from the Digital Assets Council of Financial Professionals; and the Enrolled Retirement Agent (ERPA) designation from the Internal Revenue Service.

Jordan Kahn is the Chief Investment Officer at HCR Wealth Advisors, bringing over 25 years of experience in financial services. Kahn founded KAM Advisors in 2007, a boutique investment firm, which later merged with HCR Wealth in 2015. Since then, Kahn has led the firm’s investment strategy, overseeing research, portfolio management, stock selection, and risk management. As head of the Investment Committee, he plays a key role in shaping the firm’s strategic direction and delivering customized solutions for clients. Kahn specializes in investment management, wealth management, financial planning, and risk management strategies, with a particular focus on advanced hedging strategies.

Jack Ablin is the Chief Investment Officer at Cresset, where he leads the firm’s investment strategy, providing policy guidance and philosophy to advisor teams and clients. He brings over three decades of experience in money management, with a deep expertise in navigating volatile markets and constructing long-term investment strategies. Before joining Cresset in 2018, Ablin served as Executive Vice President and Chief Investment Officer at BMO Harris Bank from 2001 to 2018. He is also the author of “Reading Minds and Markets: Minimizing Risk and Maximizing Returns in a Volatile Global Marketplace,” a Wall Street Journal bestseller published in 2009 by FT Press. A highly regarded voice in the investment community, Ablin is a frequent contributor to CNBC, Bloomberg, The Wall Street Journal, and Barron’s. His career also includes academic contributions, having served as a Professor of Finance at Boston University’s Graduate School of Management, and media experience as a Money and Markets correspondent for NBC’s Jacksonville affiliate. Ablin holds an A.B. degree with honors in mathematics and computer science from Vassar College. He earned an MBA with honors from Boston University, where he graduated cum laude and was inducted into the Beta Gamma Sigma International Honor Society. He also holds the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation and is a member of the CFA Society of Chicago.

John Bullman is a seasoned investment professional with over 24 years of experience in asset management, portfolio construction, and investment strategy. He currently serves as a key leader at LGT Financial Advisors, where he plays an integral role in developing investment strategies, conducting manager due diligence, and advising clients on portfolio allocations. Prior to joining LGT, Bullman had a distinguished tenure at Rosewood, a prominent single-family office, where he honed his expertise in managing complex investment portfolios. Since joining LGT, he has spearheaded a comprehensive overhaul of the firm’s investment process and portfolios, implementing a disciplined approach that has driven consistent outperformance in both equity and fixed-income allocations. Under his leadership, assets have grown by 25% year over year, reflecting his ability to navigate market dynamics and deliver strong risk-adjusted returns. He has also integrated significant allocations to alternative investments, with some portfolios incorporating up to 50% exposure where appropriate. Bullman holds a BBA in Finance and International Business from Baylor University and an MBA from Southern Methodist University. He is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) charterholder and also holds the Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst (CAIA) designation.