About the AdvantageVoice^SM Blog

Adam Kurkiewicz

Adam Kurkiewicz is an investment analyst at Wells Fargo Funds Management, LLC. His primary responsibilities include oversight of the asset-allocation portfolios in the Wells Fargo Advantage Funds lineup and conducting market and economic research. Prior to joining Wells Fargo Adam worked at an investment consulting firm performing research and manager due diligence. Adam has an undergraduate degree in economics from Wisconsin Lutheran College and a M.S. in Financial Economics from Marquette University. He has earned the right to use the CFA® designation and is a member of the CFA Society of Milwaukee and CFA Institute.

Alisa Wolf

Alisa Wolf is a marketing communications consultant for Wells Fargo Funds Management, LLC, with 12 years of experience in the financial services industry. Previously, she honed her ability to translate complex concepts and processes into lay terms as a writer and editor for consumer, trade, and association magazines covering a wide range of subjects, from astronomy to fire prevention and disaster management to meetings and travel. Her background also includes stints as a writer and editor for two community newspapers. She earned a master’s degree in writing from Vermont College and a bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Massachusetts. She entered the work world at the dawn of desktop publishing, but if push came to shove, she could still wield an Exacto knife, run strips of type through a waxer, and produce a camera-ready paste-up.

Anthony Cragg

Anthony Cragg has managed the Wells Fargo Advantage Asia Pacific Fund and its predecessor since 1993. Anthony has more than 25 years of experience in international equity investing, which includes both the developed and emerging markets. He joined Wells Capital Management in 2005 with the asset acquisition of Strong Capital Management (SCM). Anthony joined SCM in 1993 and was instrumental in developing its international investment capabilities. Prior to this, he helped establish Dillon, Read International Asset Management. Anthony began his investment career in 1980 at Gartmore, Ltd., as an international investment manager, where his tenure included assignments in London, Hong Kong, and Tokyo. He earned a bachelor’s and master’s degree in English Literature from Christ Church College at Oxford University.

Bob Paetsch

Bob Paetsch is an E-Business Consultant for Wells Fargo Funds Management, LLC and a contributor to Daily Advantage. Prior to his role on the web team, he spent six years on the floor of the Chicago Board of Trade as a broker’s assistant and a futures trader. He has an undergraduate degree in economics from DePaul University and an M.B.A. in international business from the Kellstadt Graduate School of Business at DePaul University.

Brian Murphy

Brian Murphy heads the Marketing Communications team at Wells Fargo Funds Management, LLC. In addition to his management responsibilities, he serves as managing editor for the firm’s economic and market commentaries, including Market Roundup, Market Outlook, and Economic News and Analysis, and various investment communications pieces. Brian began his career in the financial services industry more than 15 years ago at Prudential Securities and has held key marketing positions at Evergreen Investments, Natixis Global Associates, and Merrill Lynch. He earned a bachelor’s degree in communications from St. Bonaventure University. Originally from Buffalo, New York, Brian obsesses about snow and its removal, near-miss field goals, and chicken wings when not thinking about market dynamics.

Christian Chan

Christian Chan oversees the Investments Group at Wells Fargo Funds Management, LLC. He and his team are responsible for researching and developing capital markets strategies and for managing the multi-boutique investment approach of Wells Fargo Advantage Funds. Mr. Chan has over 15 years of manager research and asset allocation experience and has earned the right to use the Chartered Financial Analyst® (CFA®) designation. He joined Wells Fargo in 2001. Previously, Mr. Chan worked at mPower Advisors as director of investments and at Asset Strategy Consulting as a senior analyst.

Dr. Brian Jacobsen, CFA, CFP®

Brian Jacobsen is Chief Portfolio Strategist at Wells Fargo Funds Management, LLC. In addition to his role at Wells Fargo conducting research and giving presentations on the markets and the economy, Brian is an associate professor at Wisconsin Lutheran College. His research and teaching center on economics, finance, and investing. Prior to joining Wells Fargo, he was chief economist at an investment consulting firm. Brian has an undergraduate degree in finance and a Ph.D. in economics from the University of Wisconsin, and a law degree from Marquette University Law School. He has earned the right to use the Chartered Financial Analyst® (CFA®) and Certified Financial Planner™ (CFP®) designations.

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James Kochan

James Kochan has over 35 years of investment industry experience. Prior to joining Wells Fargo, he was director of fixed-income asset management and a bond market strategist at Robert W. Baird & Co. He spent the ten years before that at Merrill Lynch, working as a fixed-income strategist and manager of fixed-income research. He has also held research positions with Chase Manhattan Bank and The Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland. While at Merrill Lynch, James was named to the Institutional Investor All-America Research Team for bond market strategy. His research reports are frequently quoted in the financial press. He has graduate and undergraduate degrees in economics from the University of Wisconsin. He currently serves as an adjunct faculty member in the School of Business at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

Jeff Whitmoyer

Jeff Whitmoyer is an asset class manager within Wells Fargo’s Fund Management Group, who specializes in oversight of international and global strategies. Essentially, he evaluates investment managers and oversees the investment communications for international equity mutual fund products. Jeff joined Wells Fargo in 1996 and has more than 15 years experience in the financial services industry. During his time with Wells Fargo, he’s served as a Regional Investment Manager in Austin, Texas, and Portfolio Manager within Wells Fargo’s Private Bank. He has also served as the senior analyst for Wells Fargo’s managed money platform, overseeing four hundred investment products across all asset classes. Jeff has earned the right to use the CFA designation, holds a B.S. in Business Administration from San Diego State University, and holds NASD Series 7 & 63 licenses.

Jeremy Ryan

Jeremy is managing editor of social media at Wells Fargo Funds Management, LLC, and a regular Daily Advantage columnist. He studied philosophy at Valparaiso University for his undergraduate degree and continued his passion for philosophy—as financially unsound as such a passion is—with graduate studies at Boston University, where he taught philosophy and writing. He also was Boston University’s Director of Pre-College Internship programs. Jeremy joined Wells Fargo in 2005. Most recently, he was the lead investment writer for International and Core funds. When he’s not digging up off-beat topics for Daily Advantage, Jeremy is frequently lost in the woods, where he pretends to know what he’s doing on a mountain bike or how to find his way back to his campsite.

Jim Murray

Jim Murray has over two decades of professional investment experience and currently works as a Senior Equity Analyst with Wells Fargo Funds Management. Prior to coming to Wells Fargo in 2007, Jim was an independent equity analyst and trader, advising buy-side institutional portfolio managers and analysts. His clients included hedge funds and mutual funds. Jim graduated from the University of Illinois with an Economics degree, has earned the right to use the CFA designation, and is a member of the Milwaukee Financial Analysts Society.

John K. Lynch

John is a senior vice president and chief equity strategist with Wells Fargo Funds Management, LLC. He joined Wells Fargo through the acquisition of Wachovia, which included Evergreen Investments, where John was a managing director and chief market analyst. His responsibilities include market analysis and the dissemination of the firm’s views to its various sales channels and clients. A member of the firm’s Capital Markets Strategy team, John uses a top-down, macroeconomic approach in his analysis of the financial markets. He has been featured in various media outlets, including CNBC, BusinessWeek, CNN-Money, Bloomberg News, and The Wall Street Journal. John joined Wachovia in 1996 and originally served as chief investment strategist at IJL Wachovia, the firm’s private client division. In that role, he was chairman of the Investment Policy Committee and was portfolio manager of the Model Stock Portfolio. John transitioned to his position at Evergreen Investments in November 2001. Before moving to North Carolina, he spent ten years in New York working in the securities industry focusing on equity strategy and portfolio management. John received a B.A. from Villanova University and an M.B.A. in finance from The College of William and Mary.

John Manley, CFA

John Manley is chief equity strategist at Wells Fargo Funds Management, LLC. He has more than three decades of investment industry experience, earning distinguished accolades along the way. Mr. Manley spent the majority of his career with Smith Barney and its successor firms, where his roles included chief quantitative strategist, chairman of the Investment Policy Committee, and chief U.S. portfolio strategist. He also worked with that firm’s private client effort as senior U.S. equity strategist. He is a seven-time member of the Institutional Investor All-America Research Team and was voted “Most Popular Analyst” in the Smith Barney Financial Advisor poll for several years running. Mr. Manley earned a bachelor’s degree from Stanford University and a law degree from Boston College. He has earned the right to use the Chartered Financial Analyst® (CFA®) designation.

Kathi Kwiatkowski

Kathi is an E-Business Consultant for Wells Fargo Funds Management, LLC. She began working on web sites when AOL CDs were used for something besides coasters. Prior to that, she spent time as a customer service representative at a financial services firm. Kathi studied international business and marketing at the University of Evansville. Taking care of her husband and three little ones takes up most of her free time, but if you can catch her, she is known to engage in lively discussions about what’s on her DVR, her mp3 player, or her Twitter feed.

Laurie King

Laurie King is an Investment Writer at Wells Fargo Funds Management, LLC, covering municipal bond markets and money markets. With more than 20 years’ experience in fixed-income capital markets, Laurie was previously a senior writer at Capital Guardian Trust Company responsible for providing investment commentary to the firm’s institutional clients. Prior to joining Capital Guardian in 2001, she was an economist and fixed-income portfolio strategist at money management firm Payden & Rygel. She earned her MBA at the UCLA Anderson School of Management and a BS with Honors in Economics from the University of Iowa. Laurie served on the board of directors for the National Association for Business Economics between 2002 and 2005. She was the president of the Los Angeles Chapter, National Association for Business Economics in 2002 and recipient of the Robert F. Parry award in 2008. She serves on the board of the California Council on Economic Education.

Mathew Nolan

Mathew serves as the lead investment writer for the Asset Allocation, Money Market, and Municipal Income products. Prior to this role, he was responsible for oversight of fixed income strategies for Wells Fargo Managed Account Services. He joined the Wells Fargo Funds Management Group in 2005 from Strong Investments as a member of its fixed income investments team responsible for the analysis and oversight of all fixed income investment teams. Mathew began his investment career at Strong as an investor services registered representative and later as an economic and market analyst and writer within the Investment Research & Communications Team. Mathew has an undergraduate degree in Classics (yes, Greek and Latin) with an emphasis on philosophy from Loyola University Chicago.

Melissa Duller

Melissa Duller is an investment analyst at Wells Fargo Funds Management, LLC, where she evaluates investment managers and oversees the investment communications for domestic core equity and sector-specific mutual fund products. Additionally, she is responsible for conducting market and economic research. Melissa has been with Wells Fargo or a predecessor firm since 1998 and has over 13 years of experience in the investment industry. She also served as a regional investment manager for high net worth individuals, personal trusts, and charitable foundations. Melissa has an undergraduate degree in finance from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and an M.B.A from Queens University of Charlotte. She has earned her CIMA® designation and is a member of the Investment Management Consultants Association, Inc., as well as the CFA Society of North Carolina and the CFA Institute.

Michael Thomas

Michael Thomas is a senior investment analyst within Wells Fargo Funds Management, LLC where he evaluates investment managers and oversees the investment communications for domestic growth mutual fund products. Additionally, he is responsible for conducting market and economic research. Michael has been with Wells Fargo or a predecessor firm since 2004 and has over 12 years of investment research experience. He also served as a lead analyst overseeing an approved list platform for wealth management and institutional clients. Prior to joining Wells Fargo, he was responsible for developing asset allocation strategies for retirement plan clients. He has earned the right to use the CFA® designation and holds a B.S. in Finance from Winthrop University. He is also a member of the CFA North Carolina Society and the CFA Institute.

Peter Nulty

Peter Nulty is writer of Wells Fargo Daily Advantage. Peter was a member of the Board of Editors of Fortune magazine, where he covered energy, technology, and Wall Street for more than two decades. After leaving Fortune, Peter worked at McKinsey & Co. and participated in setting up CNBC’s Web site, cnbc.com. Over the years, he has developed a unique writing style, and his take on the business world’s ups and downs make Daily Advantage a quick, informative read — with a little fun thrown in as well.

Peter Wilson

Peter Wilson is a managing director and senior portfolio manager with the First International Advisors team at Wells Capital Management. Peter is one of five senior members of the investment team that forms the Senior Strategy Team. His responsibilities include macro-portfolio allocation, portfolio positioning, and risk management. He joined WellsCap from Evergreen Investments, where he served in a similar role since 1989. Previously, he served as treasurer and portfolio manager for Axe-Houghton, vice president at Bankers Trust in London and New York, and portfolio manager at Merchant Bankers Kleinwort Benson Ltd. Peter began his investment industry career in 1978 at international stockbrokers James Capel & Co. He was educated in Canada, Hong Kong, and England.

Rob Allen

As the lead investment writer for the Growth Equity products, Rob writes a variety of quarterly fund materials, white papers, investment perspectives, and other pieces. He joined Wells Fargo Funds Management, LLC in 2010 from The Dreyfus Corporation, where he spent five years as a senior financial writer. Prior to that, he was a financial writer with AllianceBernstein and a freelance contributor for The Motley Fool. In addition, after earning a B.A. in English from Boston College and an M.A. from Bridgewater State University, Rob taught undergraduate courses in writing, Shakespeare, and 19th-century British literature.

Robert Paetsch

Robert Paetsch is an E-Business Consultant for Wells Fargo Funds Management, LLC and a contributor to Daily Advantage. Prior to his role on the web team, he spent six years on the floor of the Chicago Board of Trade as a broker’s assistant and a futures trader. He has an undergraduate degree in economics from DePaul University and an M.B.A. in international business from the Kellstadt Graduate School of Business at DePaul University.

Tony Norris

Tony Norris is a managing director and senior portfolio manager with the First International Advisors team at Wells Capital Management. Tony is one of five senior members of the investment team that forms the Senior Strategy Team. His responsibilities include developing investment strategies, macro-portfolio allocation, portfolio positioning, and risk management. He joined WellsCap from Evergreen Investments, where he served in a similar role since 1990. Previously, he spent several years in banking, with particular emphasis on foreign exchange. Tony served in senior executive positions at Reserve Asset Managers and Gillett Brothers Fund Management. He began his investment industry career in 1967 at Wallace Brothers Bank. He is a member of the Society of Technical Analysts and is an associate of the International Federation of Technical Analysts.

William Innis

William Innis is an investment analyst at Wells Fargo Funds Management, LLC, focusing primarily on the municipal bond and high-yield corporate bond markets. In his role, he is responsible for due diligence oversight of the municipal bond and high-yield corporate bond portfolios in the Wells Fargo Advantage Funds lineup, as well as conducting market and economic research. Prior to joining Wells Fargo in 1996, he spent four years as a teaching fellow at Ohio University and Marquette University, where he tried to convince America’s young adults about the ineffable joys of philosophy. William has an B.A. in philosophy from Saint Anselm College, an M.A. in philosophy from Ohio University, and a M.S. in Applied Economics from Marquette University. He has earned the right to use the Chartered Financial Analyst designation and is a member of the CFA Society of Milwaukee.