Christopher M. Graff, CFA®
Partner, Chief Investment Strategist and Chief Operating Officer; President, RMB Investors Trust
Chicago, IL
Our Team Makes the Difference
Our Portfolio Management Team averages 25+ years of investment experience.
Portfolio Management & Fund Officers
Anton V. Schutz
Portfolio Manager, RMB Mendon Financial Services Fund
Christopher C. Faber
Partner, Portfolio Manager, RMB Small Cap Fund and RMB SMID Cap Fund
Chicago, IL
Jennifer Boyce
Partner, Senior Operations Manager; Secretary, RMB Investors Trust
Chicago, IL
Maher Harb
Partner, Chief Financial Officer; CFO and Treasurer, RMB Investors Trust
Chicago, IL
Frank Passantino
Manager, Mutual Fund Operations; First Vice President, Assistant Secretary, RMB Investors Trust
New York, NY
Joe McDermott, CFA®, FRM®
Partner, Chief Compliance Officer and Chief Risk Officer
Chicago, IL
James D. Plumb
Partner, Deputy Director of Equities, Portfolio Manager
Chicago, IL
Ilhwa Lee, CFA®
Partner, Portfolio Manager
Chicago, IL
Jonathan G. Rigano, CFA®
Partner, Portfolio Manager
Milwaukee, WI
Charles P. Henness Jr., CFA®
Partner, Portfolio Manager
Chicago, IL
Dan Goldfarb, CFA
Portfolio Manager, RMB Mendon Financial Services Fund
Patrick Thiel
Portfolio Manager
Milwaukee, WI
Anton Schutz Jr.
Co-Portfolio Manager, RMB Mendon Financial Services Fund
Business Development & Client Service
Research Analysts
Christopher M. Graff, CFA®
Partner, Chief Investment Strategist and Chief Operating Officer; President, RMB Investors Trust
Chicago, IL
Chris leads the investment activities of Curi Capital, including asset allocation, manager research and selection, and security selection across multiple asset classes and investment strategies. For more than 15 years, Chris has conducted primary investment research and gained experience across the spectrum of asset classes, security types, investment styles, industry sectors, and market capitalizations. Chris has been with Curi Capital since inception in 2005, when he left UBS along with our co-founders and the rest of their team. Prior to UBS, he performed equity research at William Blair & Company. Chris earned a Bachelor’s degree in Finance with Honors from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. He is a CFA® charterholder and a member of the CFA Institute and CFA Society of Chicago.
Joined RMB
April 2005
Education
- BS in Finance, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
- MBA, The University of Chicago Booth School of Business
Accreditations
- Chartered Financial Analyst®
Affiliations
- CFA Institute, Member
- CFA Society Chicago, Member
Previous Experience
- UBS Financial Services, Investments
- William Blair & Company, Equity Research
CFA® and Chartered Financial Analyst® are registered trademarks owned by CFA Institute
Anton V. Schutz
Portfolio Manager, RMB Mendon Financial Services Fund
Anton has worked with RMB Capital since 2014, as Mendon Capital Advisors Corp. serves as the subadvisor for the RMB Mendon Financial Services Fund. Anton has been in the investment and risk management business since 1986, focusing on investment and portfolio management. He founded Mendon Capital in 1996 with a long/short and event-driven investment strategy focused exclusively on the financial services sector. Previously, he worked at RBC Dain Rauscher with an institutional sales trading role in the financial institutions group. Anton also spent 10 years at Chase Manhattan Bank, where he structured investment products utilizing hedge funds and also developed and applied financial risk strategies. Anton is often interviewed regarding his expertise in the financial services sector. He appears regularly as a guest on CNBC and Bloomberg, and has been quoted in The Wall Street Journal, Barron’s, The New York Times, Financial Times, Business Week, Investors’ Business Daily, Smart Money, and others. Anton obtained an MBA from Fordham University in 1988 and graduated from Franklin and Marshall College in 1986.
Joined RMB
January 2014
Education
- BA in Business Administration and Management, Franklin & Marshall College
- MBA in Finance, Fordham University
Affiliations
- BancAnalysts Association of Boston, Member
Previous Experience
- Mendon Capital Advisors, President and Chief Investment Officer
- RBC Dain Rauscher, Senior Vice President
- Chase Manhattan Bank, Vice President
Christopher C. Faber
Partner, Portfolio Manager, RMB Small Cap Fund and RMB SMID Cap Fund
Chicago, IL
Chris joined Curi Capital in 2017, when the IronBridge team combined with RMB Asset Management. Chris is the lead portfolio manager for the Small Cap Core and SMID Cap Core equity strategies. Prior to founding IronBridge in 1999, Chris was a founding member of HOLT Value Associates, L.P., where he worked with senior portfolio managers across the U.S. and Europe. Chris graduated from Drake University with a Bachelor’s degree in Corporate Finance.
Joined RMB
June 2017
Education
- BSBA in Corporate Finance, Drake University
Previous Experience
- IronBridge Capital Management, L.P., Co-Founder, President, Strategy Head and Lead Portfolio Manager
- HOLT Value Associates, L.P., Founding Partner
Jennifer Boyce
Partner, Senior Operations Manager; Secretary, RMB Investors Trust
Chicago, IL
Joined RMB
May 2022
Education
- BS in Marketing, DePaul University
- MBA, Lewis University
Previous Experience
- IronBridge Capital Management, L.P., Investment Operations Associate
- CNA Financial Corporation, Business Analyst
- ABN AMRO/LaSalle Bank/Bank of America, Vice President
Maher Harb
Partner, Chief Financial Officer; CFO and Treasurer, RMB Investors Trust
Chicago, IL
Maher came to Curi Capital in 2008 with diverse experience in the financial industry. He previously held key leadership roles in corporate and fund accounting, investment analysis, and back-office operations. Maher joined the team because he was impressed with the company’s high ethical standards, hardworking culture, and dedication to clients. Maher received a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting from Northeastern Illinois University and earned his MBA with a concentration in Finance from DePaul University Kellstadt Graduate School of Business. He obtained his Certified Public Accountant designation and began working in the investment management industry in 1992. Maher serves as the treasurer of St. Mark Coptic Orthodox Church of Chicago and is a member of the Alliance of Merger & Acquisition Advisors.
Joined RMB
June 2008
Education
- BS in Accounting, Northeastern Illinois University
- MBA in Finance, Kellstadt Graduate School of Business at DePaul University
Affiliations
- St. Mark's Coptic Orthodox Church, Treasurer
- Alliance of Merger & Acquisition Advisors, Member
Previous Experience
- Harb Financial, Principal
- Parson Group LLC, Consultant/Project Manager
- First Union Securities, Senior Institutional Consulting Associate
- Noddings Investment Group, Research Analyst/Senior Accountant
Frank Passantino
Manager, Mutual Fund Operations; First Vice President, Assistant Secretary, RMB Investors Trust
New York, NY
Joined RMB
October 2016
Education
- BS in Business Administration, St. Francis College
Previous Experience
- Burnham Asset Management, First Vice President Mutual Fund Operations & Shareholder Services
- Burnham Investors Trust, First Vice President & Anti-Money Laundering Compliance Officer
- The Bank of New York – Mutual Fund Division, Relationship Management Group – Senior Client Services Administrator
- The Bank of New York, Corporate Agencies Management Training Program
Joe McDermott, CFA®, FRM®
Partner, Chief Compliance Officer and Chief Risk Officer
Chicago, IL
Joined RMB
October 2022
Education
- BA, Loras College
- MBA, DePaul University
Accreditations
- Chartered Financial Analyst®
- Financial Risk Manager®
Previous Experience
- Alaric Compliance Services, LLC , Managing Director
- THL Credit Senior Loan Fund & THL Credit Senior Loan Strategies, Chief Compliance Officer & Compliance Manager
- Aviva Investors Americas, Chief Compliance Officer & AML Compliance Office
- Keeley Investment Corp., Chief Compliance Officer & AML Compliance Officer
CFA® and Chartered Financial Analyst® are registered trademarks owned by CFA Institute.
FRM® (or Certified FRM®) are trademarks owned by the Global Association of Risk Professionals.
James D. Plumb
Partner, Deputy Director of Equities, Portfolio Manager
Chicago, IL
Joined RMB
June 2017
Education
- BS in Business, Miami University
Previous Experience
- IronBridge Capital Management, L.P., Equity Analyst
Ilhwa Lee, CFA®
Partner, Portfolio Manager
Chicago, IL
Joined RMB
May 2017
Education
- B.A in Economics and Psychology, Seoul National University
- MBA, The University of Chicago Booth School of Business
Accreditations
- Chartered Financial Analyst®
Previous Experience
- Crystal Rock Capital Management, Equity Research Analyst
- Cambridge Associates Asia Pte Ltd, Investment Director
- Artisan Partners, Equity Research Intern
- Mirae Asset Securities, Quant Analyst
CFA® and Chartered Financial Analyst® are registered trademarks owned by CFA Institute.
Jonathan G. Rigano, CFA®
Partner, Portfolio Manager
Milwaukee, WI
Jon Rigano is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee, where he earned a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in 1997 and a Master of Science degree focused on Financial Analysis in 1999. He has been a CFA Charterholder since 2006.
Over the past two decades, Jon has been responsible for the implementation and execution of various investment-grade fixed-income strategies, including both Core Taxable and Tax-exempt securities. He also successfully managed a top-ranked limited-duration U.S. Government bond mutual fund before joining JB Investment Management at its inception in 2008. Jon joined Curi Capital in 2018 when the JB Investment Management team became part of RMB Capital.
In his position, Jon shares responsibility for managing our investment strategies, market research, and securities trading. He has served as an investment manager for several financial institutions and corporate investment committees. His investment experience includes managing portfolios for pension funds, municipalities, foundations, profit-sharing plans, self-insurance trusts, workers’ compensation pools, and high-net-worth individuals.
Joined RMB
October 2018
Education
- BBA in Marketing, University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee
- MS in Financial Analysis, University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee
Accreditations
- Chartered Financial Analyst®
Affiliations
- CFA Institute, Member
- CFA Society Milwaukee, Member
Previous Experience
- JB Investment Management LLC, Chief Compliance Officer, Vice President and Portfolio Manager
- Pennant Management, Inc., Vice President and Portfolio Manager
CFA® and Chartered Financial Analyst® are registered trademarks owned by CFA Institute
Charles P. Henness Jr., CFA®
Partner, Portfolio Manager
Chicago, IL
Charlie Henness, CFA®, joined Curi Capital in 2017 where he has been a Portfolio Manager and a Senior Analyst. Mr. Henness has primary research responsibility within the Financials and Real Estate sectors for Curi Capital equity strategies. He’s also currently on the Curi Capital Asset Management Asset Allocation Committee.
Prior to joining Curi Capital, Mr. Henness spent 15 years at IronBridge Capital. There he was responsible for Financials and Real Estate investments in the Small Cap, SMID, and Global strategies. Mr. Henness was a Co-Portfolio Manager on the IronBridge Large Cap strategy from 2011 until 2017.
Mr. Henness holds a BS in Accountancy from the University of Illinois.
Joined RMB
June 2017
Education
- BS in Accounting, University of Illinois
Accreditations
- Chartered Financial Analyst®
Previous Experience
- IronBridge Capital Management, L.P., Portfolio Manager, Equity Analyst
- Zurich Scudder Investments, Manager in Investment Operations
CFA® and Chartered Financial Analyst® are registered trademarks owned by CFA Institute.
Dan Goldfarb, CFA
Portfolio Manager, RMB Mendon Financial Services Fund
Became portfolio manager for the RMB Mendon Financial Services fund in May 2022
Joined RMB
May 2022
Education
- MBA in Finance, Vanderbilt University
- BA in Political Science, Hobart College
Previous Experience
- Drexel Burnham Lambert, Investment Banker
- Smith Barney, Investment Banker
- Mass Mutual, Buy Side Equity Analyst and Portfolio Manager
Patrick Thiel
Portfolio Manager
Milwaukee, WI
Joined RMB
September 2021
Education
- BS in Finance at Marquette University – Concentration in Applied Investment Management
Previous Experience
- KerberRose Wealth Management – Associate Wealth Advisor
- Ehlers, Inc. – Client Engagement Specialist
- Piper Sandler & Co. – Fixed Income Sales & Trading Analyst
- Marquette University Applied Investment Management Program – Equity Research Analyst
Anton Schutz Jr.
Co-Portfolio Manager, RMB Mendon Financial Services Fund
Anton Schutz, Jr. joined Mendon Capital in 2018 and has been involved in the financial services industry for over 10 years, beginning as an intern for Mendon Capital in high school. Prior to joining Mendon Capital, Mr. Schutz spent several years as an investment banking analyst in the financial institutions group at Stephens Inc., where he worked on numerous financial services M&A deals and capital issuances, specializing in banks.
Mr. Schutz also has experience in financial services focused equity research at Keefe, Bruyette & Woods and private equity at Patriot Financial Partners, L.P. In addition to his role at Mendon Capital, he serves as a Principal at Mendon Venture Partners, a venture capital firm focused on financial technology.
Mr. Schutz holds a BA in Business Administration from Furman University, where he was recognized with the General Excellence in Business Award. He also holds an MBA from NYU Stern, where he specialized in Corporate Finance, FinTech, and Entrepreneurship & Innovation and served as Co-president of the FinTech Association. He resides in New York City.
Joined RMB
January 2018
Education
- BA in Business Administration, Furman University
- MBA in Corporate Finance, FinTech, and Entrepreneurship & Innovation, NYU Stern
Previous Experience
- Stephens Inc., Investment Banking Analyst
- Keefe, Bruyette & Woods, Financial Services
- Patriot Financial Partners, L.P., Private Equity
Leah Hoagland
Partner, Business Development Officer
Chicago, IL
Joined RMB
May 2014
Education
- BA in History, Princeton University
Previous Experience
- Wilson Sporting Goods, Retail Demand Planner
- Abbott Nutrition, Retail Sales Representative
Matt Halkyard, CFA®
Senior Vice President, Portfolio Specialist
Chicago, IL
Matt joined Curi Capital in 2017, when the IronBridge team combined with RMB Asset Management. Matt joined IronBridge in 2005 and helped found the Global Focus equity strategy as a co-portfolio manager. He became the strategy head and lead portfolio manager in 2011. In addition to his responsibilities on the Global team, Matt served as co-portfolio manager for the Large Cap Core strategy from 2008 through 2010. Prior to joining IronBridge, Matt was the director of small- and mid-cap operations for Credit Suisse in London. Prior to the Credit Suisse acquisition of HOLT Value Associates, L.P., Matt was managing director of HOLT’s European operations. He joined HOLT in 1994 as a portfolio representative and worked with a number of major buy-side clients/firms. Matt graduated from Indiana University with a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting and is a CFA® charterholder.
Joined RMB
June 2017
Education
- BS in Accounting, Indiana University
Accreditations
- Chartered Financial Analyst®
Affiliations
- CFA Institute, Member
- Village of Glen Ellyn, Finance Committee Chairman
- Glenbard West High School, Lacrosse Coach
- Glen Ellyn Bulldogs Lacrosse, Founder and Chair
Previous Experience
- IronBridge Capital Management, L.P., Strategy Head and Lead Portfolio Manager for Global Equities
- Credit Suisse, Director of Small and Mid Cap Sales Research
- HOLT Value Associates, L.P., Managing Director of European Operations
CFA® and Chartered Financial Analyst® are registered trademarks owned by CFA Institute.
Thomas Fanter
Partner, Director of Equities, Portfolio Manager
Chicago, IL
Tom joined Curi Capital in 2017, when the IronBridge team combined with RMB Asset Management. In addition to his role as Director of Research and team leader of the Curi Capital Research Core, Tom is responsible for providing regular analytical insights on equities in the information technology and communications services sectors. Tom joined IronBridge as an equity analyst in 2004 and became a co-portfolio manager on the Small Cap Core and SMID Cap Core equity strategies in 2011. While in graduate school, Tom completed internships with both IronBridge and Microsoft Corporation. Prior to that, he worked as a software engineer for both Divine, Inc. and Motorola, Inc. Tom graduated from Northwestern University with a Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering and Management Sciences and earned an MBA with concentrations in Accounting and Finance from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.
Joined RMB
June 2017
Education
- BS in Industrial Engineering and Management Sciences, Northwestern University
- MBA, Northwestern University
Previous Experience
- IronBridge Capital Management, L.P., Portfolio Manager and Equity Analyst
- Motorola, Inc., Software Engineer
- Divine, Inc., Software Engineer
John O’Connor, CFA®
Partner, Director of Research, Portfolio Manager
Chicago, IL
Joined RMB
June 2017
Education
- BS in Finance, Butler University
- MBA, Northwestern University
Accreditations
- Chartered Financial Analyst®
Previous Experience
- IronBridge Capital Management, L.P., Portfolio Manager and Equity Analyst
- Credit Suisse HOLT, Vice President
- HOLT Value Associates, L.P., Analyst
- First Union Securities, Mutual Fund Analyst
- The Windsor Group, Ltd., Mutual Fund Analyst
CFA® and Chartered Financial Analyst® are registered trademarks owned by CFA Institute.
Jeff Jones, CFA®, CPA
Partner, Portfolio Manager
Chicago, IL
Joined RMB
June 2017
Education
- BBA in Accounting, University of Notre Dame
- MBA, University of Chicago
Accreditations
- Chartered Financial Analyst®
- Certified Public Accountant®
Previous Experience
- IronBridge Capital Management, L.P., Equity Analyst
- Credit Suisse HOLT, Vice President
- PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, Auditor
CFA® and Chartered Financial Analyst® are registered trademarks owned by CFA Institute.
Ben Niu, Ph.D., CFA®, FRM®
Partner, Senior Analyst
Chicago, IL
Joined RMB
June 2017
Education
- BS in Applied Mathematics, Xiamen University
- Ph.D. in Applied Mathematics, Illinois Institute of Technology
Accreditations
- Chartered Financial Analyst®
- Financial Risk Manager
Previous Experience
- IronBridge Capital Management, L.P., Advanced Financial Modeling Analyst
CFA® and Chartered Financial Analyst® are registered trademarks owned by CFA Institute.