Andrew Barber

Education & Early Career (1990–1996)

College · NYSE Floor

In 1994, I graduated from the University of Mount St. Vincent (known at the time as the College of Mount St. Vincent) with a BA in History and Government. My first job was as a clerk for a small brokerage on the New York Stock Exchange operating as the US outpost of the Geneva based bank Lombard Odier.

My primary role was to break up large, complex orders and spread them across multiple executing brokers and custodians. Before the advent of algorithmic trading, this type of manually executed block trading helped acquirers and merger arbitrageurs camouflage their positions until they reached position limits requiring disclosure. Additionally, I handled arbitrage trading of ADR versus local shares.

This role brought me into direct contact with portfolio managers and business leaders — ultimately opening doors for me professionally. Although I had not studied finance while in school, I found that I had an aptitude for, and keen interest in, analyzing financial markets.

Highlights

• BA, History & Government — University of Mount St. Vincent (1994)
• NYSE floor clerk
• Arbitrage and complex trade execution

Structured Derivatives (1996–2001)

PaineWebber · Prudential Securities

Following the closure of my employer's New York office, I accepted a position with PaineWebber. Once there I was recruited into a structured equity derivative group, dividing my time between product origination, marketing, and managing risk as an assistant trader.

My initial focus was single-stock equity hedging transactions for high-net-worth individuals who were clients of the firm's brokerage force, creation and issuance of structured equity products to be distributed through retail channels, and corporate share repurchase structures for investment banking clients. While with PaineWebber, I also developed transactional relationships with hedge funds and insurance companies — market segments that the firm had not worked with as equity derivative counterparties prior to that time.

I joined Prudential Securities in 1997 to establish a new structured equity derivative group. Over the next three years, our small group executed more than $20 billion (significant for the period) in notional transactions with a team headcount that did not exceed three professionals at any point. My responsibilities included risk management, product creation, marketing, and sales. While at Prudential I developed relationships with family office and institutional investors directly — sourcing an increasing portion of deal flow independent of the bank's existing relationships.

Highlights

• Recruited by equity derivatives group at PaineWebber
• Portfolio hedging, structured products, and corporate transactions
• Developed new types of counterparty relationships
• Founded new structured equity derivatives group at Prudential Securities
• Completed $20B+ in notional transactions

Portfolio Management & Research (2002–2010)

Jefferies · Fort Buford · Research Edge

Following the closure of Prudential Securities Investment Banking Division in 2001, I joined a team of senior colleagues from the bank's research and trading groups to form an alternative asset management firm. When key funding for the endeavor evaporated in the wake of 9/11, I began working for a period as a financial journalist and risk management consultant.

In 2003, I joined Jefferies (formerly a client), to become part of a proprietary trading group. While there, my primary focus was macro and event-driven strategies spanning multiple geographies and asset classes, as well as volatility arbitrage / relative value. In addition to portfolio management, while at Jefferies I was part of a capital markets team advising investment banking clients on structured transactions. I left Jefferies to join my supervisor in a new hedge fund, Fort Buford Advisors, which beat benchmarks handily without attracting significant interest from investors. While at Jefferies and Fort Buford, I also published strategy pieces and became a frequent commentator on financial television and in print publications.

Following the closure of Fort Buford in 2007, I joined Research Edge, a New Haven, Connecticut-based equity research boutique. While there, I was responsible for macro strategy, with a particular focus on Asia, LATAM, fixed income, and commodities. As a new publishing strategist, I developed relationships with primary asset managers and hedge funds, as well as family offices and institutions. During this period, I continued to actively appear in financial media and present at industry conferences.

Highlights

• Senior Trader at Jefferies — macro, event-driven, vol arb / relative value
• Portfolio Manager at macro fund Fort Buford Advisors — outperformed benchmarks
• Joined Research Edge as macro strategist covering Asia, LATAM, FX, commodities
• Frequent financial-television commentator and industry-conference speaker

Independent: Entrepreneur & Author (2010–2015)

Waverly Advisors · Longview Capital Management · Institutional Investor Magazine

Following the birth of my first child in 2007, my family relocated to the Finger Lakes region and I began working independently. I created Waverly Advisors, a firm publishing allocation and risk research for wealth managers, family offices, and institutions, while continuing to advise asset managers. In the subsequent years, the team expanded to include a quantitative analyst and a dedicated salesperson.

After establishing a successful research business, I expanded to sub-advisory work managing client portfolios of tactical ETF allocations. Ultimately, I became the co-portfolio manager of a mutual fund which attracted $300 million in assets and was consistently ranked in the top quintile by Morningstar across multiple categories, bringing total firm AUM to ~$1 billion. I subsequently sold the research business and went in-house with our asset management client, Longview Capital Management, staying there for several years through the firm's acquisition by a bank.

Concurrent to this professional activity, I was a senior contributing editor at Institutional Investor Magazine for a decade, where I focused on financial markets, macroeconomics, policy, and risk. While writing for Institutional Investor, I developed the most popular daily column at the publication, reaching tens of thousands of readers daily. I also joined the risk board for the publisher's sovereign wealth fund platform.

As a writer, I began selectively taking on additional work as a ghostwriter for financial institutions. My most notable project was for the wealth management division of a primary bank, creating an economic research-driven marketing campaign which included live events featuring multiple former presidents.

Highlights

• Founded Waverly Advisors — allocation & risk research
• Expanded into sub-advisory and managed a successful public mutual fund
• Top quintile ranked portfolio manager across multiple categories
• Senior contributing editor, Institutional Investor (10 years)
• Created the magazine's most-read daily column at ~ 50 thousand daily readers

Hedge Fund: Return to full-time work (2015–Present)

Capital Raising · Investor Relations · Strategic Advisory

In 2015 I became the primary day-to-day parent for my two children following a divorce. During the subsequent decade I balanced my work with family responsibilities, primarily working from home as a consultant. My professional focus during these years was raising capital for new alternative asset managers, while I also found initial investors for two private companies.

Although my family always came first, I was fortunate to also be successful in business. I can document raised assets, including the creation of a special purpose registered investment vehicle (1271787, LLC) which domiciled >$140 million allocated to a single client. Both start-up companies I worked with achieved some success, with one approaching a $1 billion private valuation and the second becoming a public company with a capitalization exceeding $14 billion.

In 2024, with my children nearing college age, I jumped at the opportunity to join a new hedge fund founded by a team of highly regarded industry veterans. The firm, a sector-focused long/short equity fund, has grown to manage ~$250 million in assets.

Highlights

• Joined new hedge fund launched by industry veterans
• Firm assets under management have grown to >$250 million.
• Consulted on multiple successful fund launches.
• Successfully secured seed financing for two startups, one of which is today a mid-cap public company.