Private Wealth

Debbie Robinson oversees Scharf Investments’ Client Relations team. As Senior Director of Wealth Management, she schedules and attends regular client reviews and manages day-to-day service requests and questions. A strong advocate for every client, Ms. Robinson takes pride in going the extra mile. She delights in connecting with clients, even if it’s just a quick call to wish someone happy birthday.

Prior to joining Scharf in 2011, Ms. Robinson worked for Mt. Eden Investment Advisors and Telegraph Hill Investment Counsel, which merged with Mt. Eden. Her responsibilities included trading, operations, portfolio accounting, and client administration. Ms. Robinson began her career in the budget and treasury department at Sonoma State University, where she was a treasury analyst/accountant for university investments.

Ms. Robinson earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology with a minor in business administration from Sonoma State University in Rohnert Park, CA. She holds a FINRA Series 65 license.

On a Personal Note

A fitness enthusiast, Ms. Robinson enjoys Peleton workouts and hiking. She is also an avid photographer who loves spending time with family—and capturing the memories. She is a member of the Santa Cruz Rotary Club.

Something You Might Not Know

Ms. Robinson is a seasoned traveler. Passionate about exploring the world, she has visited 28 countries so far.

Ken Vander Kooi serves Scharf Investments’ private wealth clients. As a Senior Wealth Advisor, he is responsible for providing financial planning services and meeting with clients during regular reviews. Additionally, he responds to client requests and makes sure that all operational service needs are met.

Prior to joining Scharf Investments in 2013, Mr. Vander Kooi worked with high net worth individuals and families across a broad range of needs at the Portola Group, a financial planning and investment advisory firm in Menlo Park, CA. His duties included personal financial planning, tax reconciliations, trading, and relationship management. Mr. Vander Kooi began his career at Smith Barney in the operations department of their Palo Alto branch, which specializes in employee stock option transactions and high net worth retail accounts.

Mr. Vander Kooi is a graduate of the University of California at Santa Cruz. He holds Bachelor of Arts degrees in economics and psychology. In addition to his Certified Financial Planner™ designation, Mr. Kooi holds a FINRA Series 65 license.

On a Personal Note

A Bay area native, Mr. Vander Kooi surfs, golfs and gardens—but never all at once.

Something You Might Not Know

Mr. Vander Kooi maintains a collection of more than 200 different cacti and succulent plants.

Aaron Miller is a Client Portfolio Manager at Scharf Investments. He is responsible for new business development in addition to managing portfolios for high net worth clients. Aaron serves as the Southeastern lead for our Schwab Advisor Network partnership.

Prior to joining Scharf Investments in 2019, Mr. Miller was an Investment Management Specialist at Wells Fargo Private Bank for the past 5 years, where he was directly responsible for asset allocation, manager selection and portfolio management for a large book of high net worth clients. He has been in the investment management industry for over 10 years.

Mr. Miller graduated from Kennesaw State University in Kennesaw, GA where he earned a Bachelors of Science in Economics. Mr. Miller earned his Master of Business Administration with a specialization in Finance from Northeastern University in Boston, MA. Mr. Miller is also a Chartered Financial Analyst and is currently a member of the CFA society of Atlanta.

On a Personal Note

Mr. Miller enjoys spending quality time vacationing with his wife and their three children.

Something You Might Not Know

Mr. Miller is a big movie buff and loves spaghetti westerns.

Maria Kouzmenko first joined Scharf Investments in 2012 after completing her undergraduate degree in economics from UC Berkeley. In her current role, she is responsible for client and strategic partner engagement, as well as business development. Ms. Kouzmenko’s duties include client event planning and creating materials to keep clients informed. She is also responsible for managing strategic partner outreach with other financial professionals to better serve our mutual clients. Ms. Kouzmenko plays an important role in ensuring that clients receive the best possible service and communications from our team at Scharf Investments.

Outside of the office, Ms. Kouzmenko is passionate about community service. She has volunteered with local organizations such as Good Samaritan Hospital and Hope Services. Most recently, she traveled to Mexico with Greatness Ventures and Baja Bound to help build a house for a family in need.

On a Personal Note

Ms. Kouzmenko was born in Kazakhstan, moved to Israel at age five, and then to Silicon Valley at age 11. She speaks three languages fluently (English, Russian, and Hebrew), as well as conversational-level Spanish. She is a certified yoga, meditation, and sound healing facilitator.

Thad Heggeness is a Wealth Advisor and ESG Analyst at Scharf Investments. Mr. Heggeness is part of the Wealth Management team where he focuses on client servicing. He is also a part of the ESG Stewardship Team where he focuses on shareholder advocacy and governance.

Prior to joining Scharf Investments in 2020, Thad worked as a Financial Advisor with the Klein Group at RBC Wealth Management in Newport Beach, California where he created sophisticated and personalized wealth planning solutions for highly compensated individuals with complex estate issues. In addition, he was a driver behind RBC’s implementation of a firmwide Charitable Gift Annuity program. He also has previous experience working as a Financial Advisor with the Tax & Financial Group and Morgan Stanley.

Mr. Heggeness earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics with Financial Applications, a Bachelor of Arts degree in Public Policy, and a minor in Political Science from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas. He earned a Master of Science in Corporate and Sustainable Finance from KEDGE Business School in Marseille, France.

In 2022, Mr. Heggeness achieved his Certificate in ESG Investing from the CFA Institute. In 2023, he earned his Certified Wealth Strategist designation from the Cannon Financial Institute.

George R. Gallucci has more than 33 years of experience in the financial services industry. As a member of the Client Relations team, Mr. Galluccci conducts client reviews and handles service requests and questions.

Before joining Scharf Investments in 1991, he was President and CEO of both Western Capital Management, a registered investment advisor, and Pacific Trust Company. Each is a subsidiary of Pacific Western Bank. At Western Capital Management, Mr. Gallucci was responsible for the development of investment strategy, portfolio management, selection of individual securities, and all related trading activities. At Pacific Trust Company, he was responsible for all fiduciary activities, account administration and related tax, investment and legal compliance matters.

Mr. Gallucci earned a Bachelor of Science degree in business management at San Jose University and graduated from the Pacific Coast Banking School at the University of Washington in Seattle.

On a Personal Note

A Bay area native, Mr. Gallucci golfs and spends time with his family.

Something You Might Not Know

Mr. Gallucci is a vintage automobile enthusiast.

Carey van Putten provides administrative assistance to the Firm as a Client Associate and Office Manager. She takes care of all client service needs and assists in office organization and management tasks.

Ms. van Putten has 20 years of office experience including customer service, sales and administrative support. She is new to the Bay Area, and prior to her move she served in many administrative rolls in her hometown of Holland, MI.

Ms. van Putten earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Hope College.

On a Personal Note

Ms. van Putten is a woman of many talents and she loves to do various crafts and projects in spare time. Her talents are not limited as she is a great sewer, painter, gardener and carpenter. If you are around her house, she is guaranteed to be in the middle of a project.

Something You Might Not Know

Ms. van Putten has 3 talented daughters, and one of her favorite activities is watching them perform as student-athletes at both West Virginia University and Old Dominion University for their Swimming and Diving teams.

Erica Cummings is the Reporting & Service Manager at Scharf Investments. She oversees the flow of information from Scharf Investments to external institutional databases. Ms. Cummings is also responsible for RFPs, DDQs and consultant questionnaires.

Ms. Cummings joined Scharf Investments in 2022. She previously worked as Director of Marketing & Investor Relations at Saybrook Capital, LLC, a boutique private equity firm. In addition, Ms. Cummings worked as a Marketing Manager for Wedbush Morgan Securities and a Financial Advisor at Morgan Stanley.

Ms. Cummings earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Southern California Marshall School of Business, and a Master of Business Administration from California State University, Fullerton.

On a Personal Note

Ms. Cummings enjoys painting, cultivating her many plants, as well as spending time with her family and two Boston Terriers.

Brian Krawez is Scharf Investments’ President and Investment Committee Chairman, as well as Portfolio Manager. He began his career more than 20 years ago with Smith Barney in San Francisco. He later moved to their investment banking division in New York City, where he was ranked as a top-rated analyst focused on health care.

Prior to joining Scharf Investments in 2007, Mr. Krawez was a partner and head of research for Belden and Associates Investment Counsel, managing a successful Large Blend portfolio. He has also held research analyst positions at Dodge & Cox, Telegraph Hill Investment Counsel, and SC Fundamental, a successful value oriented hedge fund.

Mr. Krawez earned both a Bachelor of Science with honors in business administration and a Master of Business Administration from the Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley. While at UC Berkeley he worked for Professor Yellen, the former Chair of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve. Mr. Krawez is a Chartered Financial Analyst and a member of the Security Analysts of San Francisco.

On a Personal Note

Mr. Krawez is an active dad who enjoys playing baseball and basketball.

Something You Might Not Know

A true investment prodigy, Mr. Krawez started trading currencies in 3^rd grade and attended his first shareholder meeting at age eight.

Eric Lynch is a Managing Director and an investment committee member. He manages Scharf Investments’ institutional investment team and handles new business development. Mr. Lynch is a primary analyst on companies in the Core portfolio, and a contributing analyst on the Multi-Asset and Global portfolios. He holds responsibility for new idea generation, research, analysis and valuation. Mr. Lynch also presents recommendations to the investment committee.

Before joining Scharf Investments in 2007, Mr. Lynch contributed research to Scharf Investments while running his own registered investment advisory firm, Lynch Capital Management, LLC. Prior to founding Lynch Capital Management, he was co-chief operating officer, research analyst and portfolio manager at Polen Capital Management, a top-performing money manager. As co-chief operating officer, he led the firm’s institutional channel. Previously, Mr. Lynch spent several years as a management consultant to Fortune 500 companies with Accenture and Price Waterhouse-Japan.

Mr. Lynch graduated magna cum laude from John Carroll University with a Bachelor of Arts in economics and a concentration in Japanese. Mr. Lynch earned his Master of Business Administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

On a Personal Note

An outdoor enthusiast, Mr. Lynch enjoys trail running and mountain biking.

Something You Might Not Know

Mr. Lynch speaks Nihongo—known to us as the Japanese language.

Gabe Houston serves as a Senior Research Analyst and Head Trader, as well as an investment committee member. He is a primary analyst for companies in the Core portfolio, co-PM of the Hedged portfolio, and a contributing analyst on the Multi-Asset and Global portfolios. He heads the trading team, and provides operations support. Mr. Houston is also responsible for new idea generation, research, analysis and valuation. He presents recommendations to the investment committee, and coordinates with the trading team and the Portfolio Manager on large portfolio moves.

Mr. Houston joined Scharf Investments in 2006, after completing his university degree.

Mr. Houston earned a Bachelor of Arts in business management economics from the University of California, Santa Cruz. He earned his Chartered Financial Analyst designation and is a member of the CFA Society of San Francisco. He also holds a FINRA Series 65 license.

On a Personal Note

Mr. Houston enjoys playing outside with his daughter. He is also a basketball player and swimmer.

Something You Might Not Know

A bona fide native son, Mr. Houston has lived in Santa Cruz County his entire life.

Jerry Beyke holds the position of Senior Research Analyst and is an investment committee member. He is a primary analyst on companies in the Core portfolio, and a contributing analyst on the Multi-Asset and Global portfolios. He is responsible for new idea generation, research, analysis and valuation. Mr. Beyke also presents recommendations to the investment committee.

Prior to joining Scharf Investments in 2002, Mr. Beyke was a vice president and portfolio manager at Carson Feltz and First Commerce Investors, where he managed value oriented equity portfolios in discretionary accounts and a commingled fund. He also ran a successful Limited Partnership, Beyke Partners, as general partner and portfolio manager. Mr. Beyke has more than 20 years of financial services experience.

Mr. Beyke earned a Bachelor of Science degree in finance from the University of Nebraska in Omaha. He holds a Chartered Financial Analyst designation, and has been a member of the Association for Investment Management and Research since 1986.

On a Personal Note

A tennis and basketball player, Mr. Beyke is at home on the courts.

Something You Might Not Know

Originally from Omaha, Mr. Beyke admires Warren Buffet and owns a collection of hundreds of investment books.

Mr. Warren has responsibility for conducting due diligence and provides supporting research for senior analysts. He assists with ongoing analysis, financial modeling, and formal investment recommendations.

Mr. Warren joined Scharf Investments in 2016, after graduating with first class honors from the University of Warwick. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics with Study Abroad at the University of California, Berkeley. He is also a CFA charterholder.

On a Personal Note

Mr. Warren enjoys working out and yoga. He also likes reading, travelling, and exploring the Bay Area.

Something You Might Not Know

From England, Mr. Warren is a life-long Manchester United fan and loves to watch the team when he’s back home.

Jordan Corey is a Research Analyst on the investment team at Scharf Investments.

Prior to joining Scharf Investments in 2022, Mr. Corey spent six years as a senior finance executive in the biotechnology industry. Most recently, he was Chief Financial Officer of CERo Therapeutics, Inc., a venture-backed oncology cell therapy entity. Directly prior to his biotechnology roles, Mr. Corey spent more than six years on the investment team at the family office of Bill and Melinda Gates/Cascade Asset Management.

Mr. Corey earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and an MBA from University of California, Berkeley’s Haas School of Business. He is a CFA Charterholder.

Sam Kanagawa is a Senior Research Associate at Scharf Investments. He holds administrative and operational responsibilities related to Scharf’s institutional business. His duties include servicing and marketing requests, attribution analysis, and portfolio reviews covering current performance and future outlook. Mr. Kanagawa also provides research support.

In 2015, Mr. Kanagawa joined Scharf Investments, after completing his university degree.

Mr. Kanagawa earned a Bachelor of Arts in business management economics with a minor in technology information management from the University of California at Santa Cruz. He holds a Chartered Financial Analyst designation and a FINRA Series 65 license.

On a Personal Note

Mr. Kanagawa enjoys staying active, working out, and is an avid sports enthusiast. He likes watching football and basketball, and is a die-hard New York Jets fan.

Something You Might Not Know

An accomplished martial artist, Mr. Kanagawa has a black belt in Tae Kwon Do.

Grace Menk is a Senior Research Associate at Scharf Investments. She is primarily responsible for supporting idea generation and conducting a rigorous level of industry and company-specific due diligence.

Before Ms. Menk joined Scharf in 2022, she spent five years on the sell-side as a Senior Equity Research Associate at Jefferies & Morgan Stanley, covering Beauty & Personal Care and Media in New York City. Prior to this, she worked at US Trust Investments as a Research Analyst, covering Luxury and Media industries. She received a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Financial Markets/Finance from the University of Minnesota, Duluth. Ms. Menk is also a CFA charterholder.

On a Personal Note

Ms. Menk is learning to surf and enjoys travelling and exploring the outdoors.

Aidan Kastenberg is a Research Associate at Scharf Investments. His responsibilities include conducting due diligence and providing research to support the analysts. He assists in the ongoing analysis efforts through modelling, earnings reports and the creation of presentations for investment recommendations.

Prior to joining Scharf Investments in 2021, Mr. Kastenberg was a senior investment analyst at Beacon Pointe Advisors where he worked on the Institutional Consulting team, managing portfolios for a diverse set of clients. He also led the efforts in establishing and managing the OCIO products.

Mr. Kastenberg earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance with a minor in Economics from the University of Oregon.

On a Personal Note

Mr. Kastenberg loves the outdoors and spends his time outside of work hiking, surfing and playing basketball. He enjoys watching sports, experimenting in the kitchen and researching new developments on nutrition.

Something You Might Not Know

Coming from an athletic background, Mr. Kastenberg was a junior Olympian finalist in high jump at age 11.

Daniel Sung is a Research Associate at Scharf Investments. His responsibilities include conducting due diligence and providing research to support the analysts. He also assists in financial modeling, earning reports, and creating presentations for investment recommendations.

Mr. Sung earned a dual degree in Business Administration and Economics with a minor in Data Science from the University of California, Berkeley. In 2022, he joined Scharf Investments after completing his Bachelor’s degrees.

On a Personal Note

Mr. Sung is an avid badminton and basketball player. He loves outdoor activities and exploring the world. He also enjoys listening to jazz and orchestral music as ways of relaxation.

Something you might not know

Originally from Taiwan, Mr. Sung has traveled solo to multiple places around the world since the age of 13.

Ashley Yip is a Data and ESG Associate at Scharf Investments. She joined us full-time upon graduation from the University of California, Berkeley. While at Berkeley, Ms. Yip held leadership positions in Berkeley Women in Business, FEED Consulting, and the Singapore Student Association. She has also led gender equality initiatives back home in Singapore. Her interest in finance began during a gap year internship, where she worked with industry experts on ESG policy in Southeast Asia.

Ms. Yip received her Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science from the UC Berkeley College of Natural Resources honors program, with a minor in Data Science.

On a Personal Note

Ms. Yip was born and raised in Singapore but moved to New Mexico for school. She enjoys all things outdoors, from bouldering to backpacking and running in her free time. She is currently working toward her Wilderness First Aid certification.

Something You Might Not Know

Ms. Yip picked up the piano and badminton at 4 years old and continued playing competitively for most of her childhood.

Jason Marcus is Chief Operating Officer and Chief Compliance Officer. He is responsible for all operational, administrative, legal, and compliance facets of the company. Mr. Marcus is also involved in business development and strategy.

Prior to joining Scharf Investments in 2010, Mr. Marcus worked for Fairholme Capital Management as the operations and compliance manager.  His previous roles at that firm included execution trader, operations specialist, portfolio accountant, and client administration associate. During his eight years at Fairholme, the firm grew by more than $15 billion.

Mr. Marcus earned a Bachelor of Science in business administration with a concentration in management from the Montclair State University School of Business in Montclair, NJ.

On a Personal Note

Mr. Marcus is a travel buff. He also appreciates spending time with family.

Something You Might Not Know

With an aficionado’s eye for detail, Mr. Marcus enjoys restoring antique automobiles.

Joel Houston is Scharf Investments’ Business Manager. He liaises with other members of the staff in order to ensure efficient operations and administration within the Firm. He is also responsible for key vendor oversight.

Mr. Houston joined Scharf Investments in 2013, after completing his university degree.

Mr. Houston earned a Bachelor of Arts from the University of California at Santa Cruz.

On a Personal Note

Mr. Houston likes to travel and stay active. He plays sports, works out, and goes on the occasional hike.

Something You Might Not Know

A film major, Mr. Houston writes screenplays in his free time.

Sean Wright is Head Trader at Scharf Investments. He works closely with the portfolio manager and is responsible for global trading. Mr. Wright also interfaces with relationship managers concerning account flows.

Before joining Scharf Investments in 2016, Mr. Wright was head trader and performance analyst for Trust & Fiduciary Management Services. He previously worked as director of operations for Suncoast Equity and as head trader for Polen Capital, both in Tampa, FL. He began his career at Smith Barney, Harris Upham and also worked for Salomon Brothers.

Mr. Wright received his undergraduate degree in economics from the University of South Florida in Tampa, and his Master of Business Administration from the University of Miami. He also served as an arbitrator for FINRA.

On a Personal Note

Mr. Wright likes sporting events. An avid golfer, he directs an annual golf tournament raising funds for needs-based nursing scholarships at a local community college. Since inception it has raised more than $50,000.

Something You Might Not Know

In 1992, Mr. Wright went undercover with the Secret Service to help them catch counterfeiters.

Jim Giblin is an Operations Analyst. He is responsible for back office operations including account reconciliations, portfolio accounting, and mutual fund maintenance. Mr. Giblin also works with outside brokers and custodians to resolve any issues that arise.

Mr. Giblin joined Scharf Investments in 2016. Prior to joining Scharf, he was a senior accountant for Passport Capital. Previously, he worked as a senior manager for Charles Schwab Investment Management. Mr. Giblin began his career at State Street Corporation. 

While in the military, Mr. Giblin held top-secret clearance.

On a Personal Note

An active parent, Mr. Giblin loves spending time with family. He is a golfer and scuba diver. Mr. Giblin also makes time to volunteer with Project Open Hand, feeding the sick in San Francisco.

Something You Might Not Know

During his military service, Mr. Giblin spent time on an aircraft carrier in the Persian Gulf.

Cameron Cavalin is a Fixed Income and ESG Analyst at Scharf Investments. Mr. Cavalin is part of the Fixed Income Committee where he focuses on selecting and purchasing Fixed Income instruments. He is also a part of the ESG Stewardship Team where he focuses on Proxy Voting.

Mr. Cavalin joined Scharf Investments in 2018 after graduating from the University of California, Santa Cruz with a double major in Economics and Environmental Studies. During his time at UCSC, he founded the Slugs Fund Investment Group. The Slugs Fund aims to teach general finance to all students and to give members a more in depth look at the financial industry.

In 2022, Mr. Cavalin achieved his Certificate in ESG Investing from the CFA Institute.

On a Personal Note

Mr. Cavalin enjoys hiking and has plans to summit Mt. Shasta. He also enjoys kayaking and writing.

Something You Might Not Know

Mr. Cavalin once worked for Volcano National Park in Hawaii for three months in 2015, backpacking to remote beaches to tag and track the endangered Hawksbill Turtle.

Jason Uchi is a Trader at Scharf Investments.  He works in trading and operations handling orders and overseeing all aspects of trade settlement and broker relations.  Mr. Uchi also engages in business development, creating synergies with institutions and individuals. Mr. Uchi joined Scharf Investments in 2022.  Previously he was an associate at JP Morgan.

Mr. Uchi received a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a concentration in Finance from Suffolk University.

On a Personal Note

Mr. Uchi loves to cook and is a huge Bay area sports fan.

Something You Might Not Know

He was once a 2x state champion and 1x national champion during his high school football career.

Maria Khoury serves as an Operations Associate at Scharf Investments. She first joined us as an intern before being hired full-time upon graduation. Ms. Khoury’s interest in investing was sparked at an early age as she grew up watching business and financial news related to the markets with her dad. She started investing on her own at the age of 18. During her college years, Maria served on the Executive Board of her sorority and volunteered at various non-profits, including HIP Housing, where she helped individuals with housing instability find a place to call home.

Ms. Khoury graduated from San Jose State University with a BA in Economics, and a minor in Business.

On a Personal Note

Ms. Khoury was born and raised in the Bay Area, and currently resides in San Jose. During her free time, she enjoys watching documentaries, being out in nature, hiking, exploring new spots, and spending time with friends and family, including her triplet brothers and her 17-pound orange tabby cat, Tiger.