Co-Managing Partners

Peter Stamos is a Co-Managing Partner and the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Sterling Stamos. Prior to founding Sterling Stamos, Peter was the CEO of SAI (a Perot Systems company), a Management Consultant with Booz Allen & Hamilton and McKinsey & Company, and Chief of Staff and Chief Economist for U.S. Senator Bill Bradley. Prior to that, Peter taught Economics at Harvard University, where he received the Allyn Young Award for Teaching Excellence. He currently serves as the Chair of the Investment Advisory Board for Major League Baseball and served as founding Chairman of the Investment Committee for the Board of Stanford University Hospital and Clinics.

Peter received a BA in Economics and Political Science from Stanford University, where he was a Truman Scholar, received the J.E. Wallace Sterling Award, and graduated Phi Beta Kappa with Honors and Distinction. Peter received a JD from Harvard Law School with Honors and a doctorate from Oxford University, where he was a Rhodes Scholar.

Michael Chisek is a Co-Managing Partner and the Chief Investment Officer of Sterling Stamos. Michael leads our investment team, overseeing fixed income, absolute return, public equity, private equity, and real assets and oversees the day-to-day operations of our absolute return and public equity funds. Prior to joining the firm, Michael had over 25 years of experience as an investor and strategist and was a Co-Managing Partner and Managing Director of D.C. Capital, a New York-based hedge fund that invests in a wide range of public equities, primarily focusing on domestic industries. Prior to that, Michael was a Partner at McKinsey & Co., where he developed operating plans and programs that addressed changes in company and market conditions in a variety of industries, including automobiles, chemicals, and telecommunications. Michael also spent six years as a U.S. Foreign Service Officer, both overseas and in Washington and has served on the board of the Washington National Opera and the Washington International School.

Michael received a BA with High Honors from the University of Illinois and an MBA from Harvard Business School where he was a Baker Scholar and a Ford Scholar as the top graduate for 1981.

Board of Economic Advisors

Myron Scholes is the Chairman of the Board of Economic Advisors of Sterling Stamos. He is the Frank E. Buck Professor of Finance Emeritus, at the Stanford Graduate School of Business since 1995, Nobel laureate in economic sciences, and co-originator of the Black-Scholes options pricing model. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1997 for his new method of determining the value of derivatives. Myron currently is an outside director for Dimensional Fund Advisors Mutual Funds, the Board of Managers of Cutwater Asset Management, and an outside director for American Century Mutual Funds (Mountain View). He was Chairman of Platinum Grove Asset Management from 1999 to 2009, a Principal and Limited Partner at Long-Term Capital Management, L.P. from 1994 to 1998, and a Managing Director at Salomon Brothers from 1991 to 1993. Other positions Myron has held include the Edward Eagle Brown Professor of Finance and Director of the Center for Research in Security Prices at the University of Chicago, Senior Research Fellow at the Hoover Institution, and Professor of Finance at MIT’s Sloan School of Management.

Senior Team Members

Matthew Frymier is a Senior Partner and President of Sterling Stamos. Matthew is responsible for overseeing the client service, distribution, investor relations, and Private Capital teams, and managing the day-to-day operations of the firm. Prior to joining Sterling Stamos in 2010, Matthew spent 17 years at Bank of America Merrill Lynch, most recently as Head of Global Strategic Capital (“GSC”), the primary strategic investment arm of the bank and its subsidiaries. During his tenure, GSC managed approximately $9B in primarily alternative investments and employed approximately 50 professionals. Matthew has also served on the board of directors of more than 15 companies, including Value Asset Management, BATS Global Markets, FXall, and Conversus Asset Management where he also served on the investment committee. Matthew began his career in the training program at Putnam Investments in Boston.

Matthew received a BA from Colby College.

Jared Kanover is a Senior Partner and the General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer of Sterling Stamos. Jared is responsible for overseeing the firm’s day-to-day legal and compliance operations. Prior to joining Sterling Stamos in 2005, Jared worked as an Associate with Schulte, Roth & Zabel LLP in their Investment Management Group. Jared began his career at Dewey Ballantine LLP, where he was an Associate within their Private Equity, Venture Capital, and Investment Management Group.

Jared received a BS from Cornell University and a JD from the New York University School of Law, where he was awarded a full-tuition academic Dean’s Scholarship. He is a member of the Professional Advisory Board of the New York University School of Law’s Journal of Law and Business and a member of the New York State Bar Association.

Jeff Soukup is a Senior Partner at Sterling Stamos. Prior to joining Sterling Stamos in 2008, Jeff was President, Chief Operating Officer, and Chief Financial Officer of a public media and entertainment company where he led the company’s initial public offering. He collectively has over two decades of experience with previous positions including serving as California Co-Chair and an economic advisor for a major presidential campaign, co-founder of SAI, venture capitalist with GE Equity and H&Q Technology Partners, strategy consultant with Booz Allen & Hamilton, associate with Kirkland & Ellis, and Legislative Counsel and chief economic advisor for Senator Bill Bradley.

Jeff received a BA, where he graduated with distinction and Phi Beta Kappa, and an MA in International Policy Studies from Stanford University. Jeff also received an MBA with a concentration in finance and a JD with honors from the University of Chicago, where he was a member of the University of Chicago Law Review.

Cathy Tse is a Senior Partner and the Head of Public Equity at Sterling Stamos. Cathy is responsible for managing the Long/Short Equity and Long-Only Equity strategies as well as the day-to-day management responsibilities for the Public Equity team. Prior to joining Sterling Stamos in 2004, Cathy had over 10 years of financial experience. She spent more than 4 years as an institutional trader in the International Equities Division of Merrill Lynch and her previous experiences also include positions with the Equity Derivatives Controller Group at Goldman Sachs and the Financial Institutions Group at Arthur Andersen. Cathy is fluent in Chinese.

Cathy received a BS in Accounting and a minor in Japanese from New York University, Stern School of Business, where she was a Stern Scholar. Cathy also received an MBA in Finance from The Wharton School at University of Pennsylvania.

Bong-Seok Choi is a Partner and the Head of the Endowment Solutions Group at Sterling Stamos. Prior to joining Sterling Stamos in 2008, Bong worked at Wellington Management, where he was responsible for fundamental research on the Asian property sector for long/short and long-only portfolios. Before his role at Wellington, Bong was an Associate at Capricorn Management, a multi-billion dollar family office, where he was responsible for sourcing, evaluating, and executing global direct and manager investments across all asset classes. Bong also served as an Associate at Orion Partners, a growth capital and buyout firm. He began his career as a mergers and acquisitions analyst at The Bridgeford Group, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Industrial Bank of Japan (later merged with The Beacon Group). Bong is conversational in Japanese, Korean, and Spanish.

Bong received a BA from Yale University and an MBA from Harvard Business School.

Jason Cipriani is a Partner and Head of the Private Capital team at Sterling Stamos. Jason is responsible for co-managing the firm’s private capital business and investment activities, including the Private Equity and Real Assets funds. Prior to joining Sterling Stamos in 2010, he was Head of Strategic Fund Investments for Bank of America with responsibility for the company’s proprietary investments in private equity funds and hedge funds. Jason was previously Chief Operating Officer of the Global Strategic Capital group at Bank of America and held other roles within Bank of America’s Global Corporate and Investment Bank. Prior to joining Bank of America, he held corporate finance and accounting positions at Paramount/VIACOM, Time Warner Cable, and PL Industries where he had responsibility for financial operations in Mexico. Jason is a member of numerous limited partnership advisory boards across several private equity investment sectors. He currently serves on the Board of Trustees of the Urban Ministry Center where he is Chair the Investment Committee and is a founding board member of The Gift of Adoption of the Carolinas.

Jason received a BS from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and an MBA from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He is a Certified Public Accountant.

Ed Hannon is a Partner and Head of the Operational Due Diligence team at Sterling Stamos. Prior to joining Sterling Stamos in 2010, Ed was the Head of Alternative Assets Risk Management at RBC Capital Markets, where he managed qualitative and operational due diligence reviews of hedge funds, and evaluated and managed hedge fund portfolio risk. Prior to that, Ed was the Global Head of Hedge Fund Investment Due Diligence at Merrill Lynch. He has held a number of other investment management and trading roles in the U.S. and Japan, including serving as the Head of Fixed Income Trading at Bank of Nova Scotia Capital Markets (Tokyo) and as a portfolio manager at Nomura Securities where he oversaw a $3.7 billion managed account fund of funds portfolio as well as four U.S. treasury bond funds. Ed began his career as a financial consultant at Merrill Lynch and is fluent in Japanese.

Ed received a BS from Pennsylvania State University and is a CFA Charterholder.

Josh Shapiro is a Partner and the Head of Portfolio Construction & Risk Management at Sterling Stamos. Josh is responsible for portfolio risk management for all Sterling Stamos funds. Prior to joining Sterling Stamos, Josh was a Principal in the Global Principal Investments Division of Merrill Lynch, where he was responsible for managing the investment strategy, due diligence, and risk management efforts of a multi-billion dollar portfolio of hedge fund investments. During his tenure at Merrill Lynch, Josh also served as the Head of Strategy and Business Development in the Hedge Fund Group, where he focused on strategic transactions in the hedge fund space, and as a Director of Merrill Lynch Investment Managers, where he developed strategy and launched new alternative investment products. Before joining Merrill Lynch, he worked throughout Asia for six years as an Engagement Manager in the Financial Institutions Group at McKinsey & Company and at Pricewaterhouse Coopers. Josh began his career as a faculty member at Yale University.

Josh received a BA from Wesleyan University, where he graduated Phi Beta Kappa, and a PhD from Yale University, where he received an Andrew W. Mellon Fellowship and graduated with honors.

Joanna Strober is a Partner and Head of the Private Capital team at Sterling Stamos. Joanna is responsible for co-managing the firm’s private capital business and investment activities, including the Private Equity and Real Assets funds. She was responsible for fundraising, portfolio construction, and investment activities for Private Equity Fund I and Private Equity Fund II. Prior to joining Sterling Stamos, Joanna spent more than 12 years in the direct private equity and venture capital industry. She was a Managing Director at Symphony Technology Group, a technology buyout fund with an emphasis on software and software services, including overseas outsourcing opportunities. Joanna was previously a General Partner at Bessemer Venture Partners, where she invested in software and internet companies. She served on the Board of Directors of BlueNile as a member of the Compensation and Corporate Governance Committees. Joanna began her career as an associate at Skadden Arps.

Joanna received a BA from University of Pennsylvania where she graduated Phi Beta Kappa and a JD (law review) from the University of California at Los Angeles.

Kristina Brenner is a Managing Director on the Finance team at Sterling Stamos. Kristina is responsible for overseeing the day-to-day operations of the finance team which includes managing the firm’s investment fund accounting and reporting. Prior to joining Sterling Stamos in 2004, Kristina was a Manager with International Fund Services, a hedge fund administrator, where she worked with hedge funds and hedge fund of funds.

Kristina received a BS from Boston University.

Carolyn Choi is a Managing Director on the Private Capital team at Sterling Stamos. Carolyn is responsible for managing the Firm’s investments in venture capital, growth equity, and buyouts on a global basis with a primary focus on emerging markets and domestic middle market opportunities as well as fund operating and fundraising activities. Prior to joining Sterling Stamos in 2008, Carolyn was a Vice President at Banc of America Capital Access Funds, a fund of funds focused on underserved markets in the U.S. Prior to that, Carolyn was a Vice President at DFJ ePlanet Ventures, DFJ's first global information technology/life sciences venture capital fund. Carolyn’s previous experience also includes roles at Salomon Smith Barney, Deutsche Banc, Alex Brown, The Yankee Group, and the Ministry of Environment of the Republic of Korea. Carolyn is fluent in Korean and conversant in Mandarin and Spanish.

Carolyn received a BA and an MA from the University of Pennsylvania. Carolyn also received a Master of Arts in Law and Diplomacy from The Fletcher School at Tufts University where she was a Woodrow Wilson Fellow.

John Fulton is a Managing Director on the Private Capital team at Sterling Stamos. John is responsible for sourcing, analyzing, executing, and managing private equity fund investments, with a primary focus on the domestic and international buyout market. Prior to joining Sterling Stamos in 2010, John was a Vice President in Bank of America Merrill Lynch‘s Global Strategic Capital group with responsibility for sourcing, evaluation, due diligence, and execution of the private equity fund investments. Prior to joining the Global Strategic Capital group, he spent a year in Corporate Funding with responsibility for execution of capital raising activities by Bank of America Merrill Lynch through the issuance of senior and subordinated bonds, preferred equity, and convertible securities. John’s previous experience also includes eight years in Global Corporate & Investment Banking with responsibility for underwriting, structuring, and executing senior bank debt transactions for clients primarily in the healthcare industry and financial sponsors. In this role, he managed a diverse credit portfolio and was an integral team member for multiple merger & acquisition, leveraged buyout, and leveraged recapitalization transactions. John is a member on the Charlotte Advisory Board of Citizen Schools, a not-for-profit focused on expanding the learning day for middle school children in low income communities.

John received a BS from Clemson University and an MBA from The Fuqua School of Business at Duke University.

Allyson Kaufman is a Managing Director on the Partner Relations team at Sterling Stamos. Allyson is responsible for overseeing the Partner Relations team, client management, business development, and distribution strategy. Prior to joining Sterling Stamos in 2010, Allyson was a Vice President at Oak Hill Investment Management, which evolved out of the Robert M. Bass family office, leading investor relations and client communications. Prior to Oak Hill, she spent seven years at Goldman Sachs Asset Management, most recently as a Vice President and Senior Product Manager/Client Portfolio Manager.

Allyson received a BA in Politics, Philosophy, and Economics from the University of Pennsylvania where she graduated summa cum laude. Allyson also received an MBA from The Stern School of Business at New York University with a concentration in finance, marketing, and management.

Jonathan Mandle is a Managing Director and the Head of Absolute Return at Sterling Stamos. Prior to joining Sterling Stamos in 2010, Jonathan was a Director at the University of California, Office of the Treasurer of the Regents, where he managed a multi-billion dollar hedge fund portfolio with a global mandate. Prior to that, he built and managed customized investment portfolios for pension and endowment clients at New England Pension Consultants. Jonathan began his career as a Research Associate focused on domestic and international equity and fixed income strategies at Fidelity Investments. He currently serves on the board of Peace First, is an adjunct professor at the University of San Francisco, and is an Investment Committee member for the Silicon Valley Community Foundation.

Jonathan received a BS and an MBA from Boston College and is a CFA Charterholder.

Deanna Ho Montgomery is a Managing Director on the Private Capital team at Sterling Stamos. Deanna is responsible for managing the natural resources and infrastructure investments, as well as related fundraising and operating activities. Prior to joining Sterling Stamos, Deanna was a Senior Manager at Deloitte & Touche LLP, as part of the Restructuring Advisory Group where she advised companies in Chapter 11 as well as out-of-court restructurings. Prior to that, she was a Vice President at J.P. Morgan where she invested in early stage financial technology companies and served as head of the committee responsible for sourcing and screening deal flow. While at J.P. Morgan, Deanna was also responsible for raising capital for venture and growth stage companies, as well as private equity funds. Prior to that role, she was based in Hong Kong in the Equity Capital Markets Group, where she raised public equity and equity-linked securities for Asia-based companies from a global investor base. Before joining J.P. Morgan, Deanna worked in the Telecom, Media & Technology Investment Banking Group at Merrill Lynch & Co. where she focused primarily on executing equity underwritings and mergers and acquisitions transactions. She began her career with Chemical Bank, where she worked in the Metals and Mining Group and completed the credit training program.

Deanna received a BS degree from Cornell University.

Michelle Ruvolo-Jones is a Managing Director on the Risk Management and Absolute Return teams at Sterling Stamos. Michelle is responsible for underwriting risk due diligence and the ongoing risk management of the Firm’s Absolute Return and Equity portfolios. She is also responsible for tail hedging and CTA strategies as part of the Absolute Return team. She was previously in the Assistant Trader Program working in equity options at Susquehanna International Group. Michelle is conversational in Spanish.

Michelle received a BA from Stanford University (with Honors). She received an MA from the University of Chicago and an MS from Carnegie Mellon University.