Phoenix Investment Adviser Team
Executive Team
Jeffrey Peskind - Senior Managing Director
Mr Peskind is Senior Managing Director of the General Partner and the Investment Manager, and the Chief Investment Officer for the Investment Manager. He founded Phoenix Investment Adviser, LLC in 2003. Mr. Peskind joined Banc of America Securities LLC in 1996 as a salesman in the High Yield group. He subsequently became co-head of Global Special Situations in 1997 and traded distressed public securities. Prior to joining Banc of America Securities LLC, Mr. Peskind was High Yield sales manager at Paine Webber from 1994 to 1996 and a high yield salesman at Morgan Stanley from 1987 to 1994. Mr. Peskind began his career at Harvard Management, where he was an equity analyst and also a fixed income analyst. Mr. Peskind earned his B.A. degree in Finance from the University of Illinois an 1983 and an MBA in Finance from the University of Wisconsin in 1985. From 1999 until 2003, Mr. Peskind helped found and managed the White Ridge Asset Management firm which managed over $500 million in high yield and distressed assets.
Michael Donoghue - President
Mr. Donoghue joined Phoenix in April 2006 as President of the Firm. Prior to joining Phoenix Mr. Donoghue worked for 19 years at Morgan Stanley & Co where he was named a Managing Director in 1996. He was one of Morgan's top producing salesmen in their High Yield Bond Business for many years. He managed the High Yield Sales team and helped coordinate the syndication of financings for over 150 High Yield companies. Subsequently he managed the Distribution business for all Corporate Credit, including High Yield, Distressed Debt, Bank Loan trading, and Investment Grade bonds and served on Morgan's Global Fixed Income Management Committee. Mr. Donoghue earned a B.A. in Economics from Dartmouth College in 1982 and an MBA from Harvard Business School in 1986.
Investment Team
Andrew Cray, CFA. - Director of Research
Prior to joining Phoenix as Director of Research, Mr. Cray was a former Vice President of Imperial Capital, LLC, where he was a high yield, distressed debt & equity analyst covering energy, telecom, and special situations, analyzing all levels of the capital structure and complex restructuring plans. He has also served time as an equity research associate at SG Cowen covering networking and telecom equipment and as a senior analyst at the Aberdeen Group serving as a consultant to telecom providers and their suppliers. Mr. Cray holds the CFA designation and received his B.S. from the University of Wales.
Robert G. Konefal - Senior Research Analyst
Mr. Konefal joined Phoenix in August 2007. Prior to joining Phoenix, he was co-head of research and an analyst covering media and telecom companies at Imperial Capital, a distressed debt brokerage firm. Prior to Imperial, he was the Managing Director in charge of global telecom, media, and technology ratings across high grade and high yield at Moody's Investor's Service, the rating agency. Prior Moody's, he was a lending officer at The Bank of New York, first in their loan workout group and then in their media and telecom levered loan originations group. Mr. Konefal received his M.B.A from New York University and his A.B. from Princeton University.
Stefan Lingmerth - Senior Research Analyst
Mr. Lingmerth joined Phoenix Investment Adviser LLC in May, 2006 as a Senior Research Analyst. He has 5 years experience in analyzing companies in the high yield and stressed marketplace. Prior to working at Phoenix, Mr. Lingmerth worked at Eidesis Capital in New York from 2001-2005 where he covered companies in the health care, homebuilding, cable television, and paper and forest products sectors. Mr. Lingmerth received a B.A. from Halmstad University in Sweden and also a B.A. from Lincolnshire & Humberside University in the United Kingdom.
Aleksandr Kotsubey - Research Analyst
Mr. Kotsubey joined Phoenix in July 2010. Prior to joining Phoenix, he was a High Yield Research Analyst at Odeon Capital Group generating investment ideas on the long and short side by tracking high yield companies, focusing on the Financial, Gaming and Real Estate sectors. He had also worked as a Global Restructuring Group Associate at Royal Bank of Scotland where he managed cases with $50bn portfolio of the Bank's distressed corporate assets - senior and 2nd lien term loans, secured and unsecured revolvers, and derivative exposures. Before working for the Global Restructuring Group he worked on the Corporate Credit team reviewing transactions in the Homebuilding, Industrials, Oil Services, Chemicals, Gaming, REIT, and Refining sectors. Mr. Kotsubey received his B.A. at the University of Michigan and is currently expected to graduate with his M.B. A. from New York University, Stern School of Business in December 2010.
Marketing & Operations
Robert Youree, CFA. - CFO
Prior to joining Phoenix as Chief Financial Officer, Mr. Youree co-founded and was President of Silver Leaf Partners, LLC, a broker-dealer focused on trade execution, capital introduction, and prime brokerage services. Prior to Silver Leaf, Mr. Youree was Chief Operating Officer of Orbitex Management and Orbitex Hedge Fund Advisors, where he coordinated operations of a $1 billion mutual fund complex and $90 million long-short equity hedge fund with a master-feeder structure. He has also served as Director of Research for Fairfax Capital Management, and as a trader and equity analyst for Sage Management in Washington, DC. Mr. Youree holds the CFA designation and received his B.A. from the University of Virginia.
Donald Curran - Senior Vice President
Mr. Curran joined Phoenix as Senior Vice President in October 2010. Prior to joining Phoenix, Mr. Curran was Senior Vice President at Oppenheimer Capital. At Oppenheimer, Mr. Curran was responsible for new business and client service to institutional investors marketing all OpCap alternative and long-only strategies and he assisted with calling efforts to Pension Consultants nationally. Before Oppenheimer, Mr. Curran was the Marketing Director at INVESCO where he performed new business and client service marketing all INVESCO strategies to institutional investors. Prior to Oppenheimer, he was Vice President at Rothschild Asset Management where he handled new business and was Product Specialist to US Equity - Small Cap Team. Prior to Rothschild Asset Management, he was a Founding Partner at Cypress Asset Management where he handled all phases of start-up and marketed Structured US Fixed Income strategies, performed Client Service responsibilities and lead Consultant Relations efforts. Before Cypress, Mr. Curran was First Vice President at Smith Barney Capital Management where he performed new business and client service to middle market plan sponsor and executed direct calling effort on Pension Consultants. Mr. Curran also worked at SEI Corporation as Senior Consultant, EFHutton as Research Analyst and Janney, Montgomery, Scott, IMCS, Pension Consulting Division as research analyst. Mr. Curran holds a B.A. from Ohio Wesleyan University.
Paul Lucas - Vice President, Marketing
Prior to joining Phoenix as Vice President of Marketing, Mr. Lucas was Vice President at Schultze Asset Management, LLC, a manager of distressed securities investment vehicles. At Schultze, Mr. Lucas was responsible for all aspects of business development, investor relations and asset raising. He marketed to institutional investors globally for the firm's hedge fund vehicles. Mr. Lucas graduated Cum Laude with a B.A. in Finance from Manhattanville College.
Robert Beck - Vice President - Operations & Compliance
Mr. Beck joined Phoenix in July 2007 as Vice President of Operations & Compliance. Prior to joining Phoenix, Mr. Beck was Vice President of Operations for Silver Leaf Partners, LLC, an NASD broker-dealer focused on trade execution, capital introduction, and prime brokerage services to the hedge fund community. Prior to Silver Leaf, Mr. Beck held various Operations positions for Highbridge Capital Management, LLC and Nebo Management, LLC. Mr. Beck holds a B.M. from Manhattan School of Music.
Susan Bowen - Client Services
Prior to joining Phoenix in April 2010, Mrs. Bowen was Associate, Client Services at Schultze Asset Management. At Schultze, Mrs. Bowen was responsible for all aspects of client services including assisting investors with statement inquiries, performance updates, account information and strategy questions. Prior to Schultze, Mrs. Bowen worked with the Ginsburg Development Companies as a Sales & Marketing Coordinator. She managed all marketing and sales materials from advertisements and brochures to signage and event invitations. Mrs. Bowen has a B.A. in Sociology/Education from Manhattanville College.
