Junior Board of Advisors
The Junior Board of Advisors is group of young finance professionals and future leaders who provide advice, guidance and financial support to the faculty and students of the Xavier University Finance Department. The Board assists the department by focusing on the development of current finance students through various activities which may include mentoring, a classroom guest lecture, and attendance at campus events. The Board will also help cultivate long-term relationships in the business community and will foster communication between Xavier University and recent graduates.
We welcome your participation in department advisory boards. If you desire further information, please contact Dean Marco Pagani via email at paganim@xavier.edu or by phone at 513-745-3528.
Kristen Brauer
Vice President of Finance, USA Brands, XU 2017
Kristen Brauer is the VP of Finance for USA Brands, the parent company of Vermont Flannel and All American Clothing Co. Prior to USA Brands, she held roles in banking and professional services at the Federal Home Loan Bank of Indianapolis and Katz, Sapper & Miller. Kristen is a proud Xavier and Orr Fellow alumna, and a current post-baccalaureate accounting student at Northwestern.
Matt Carroll
Wealth Management Analyst, Bahl & Gaynor, XU 2020
Matt Carroll is a Wealth Management Analyst at Bahl & Gaynor. As an analyst, Matt assists portfolio managers with general research, portfolio management and client service. In addition, he supports Bahl & Gaynor’s financial planning efforts including cash flow projections, generational wealth preservation and transfer, charitable intentions and retirement strategies. Matt graduated from Xavier University’s Williams College of Business with a B.S.B.A in Finance. As an undergrad, he was involved with the D’Artagnan Capital Fund serving first as an analyst and then as Chief Operating Officer. Matt currently holds his CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNERTM designation and is a member of the Financial Planning Association (FPA) of Southwestern Ohio.
Kirsten Comment
Investment Specialist, J.P. Morgan Private Bank, XU 2019
Kirsten Comment is an Investment Specialist in the Cincinnati office of J.P. Morgan Private Bank. Kirsten oversees the sophisticated portfolio scenarios of a wide range of clients, including business owners, executives, successful individuals and their families. Kirsten began her career at Fifth Third Bank, developing strengths in financial analysis, portfolio modeling and investment strategy. Now at J.P. Morgan, she is excited to be working closely with the individuals on whom she is having an impact. Kirsten graduated cum laude from Xavier University’s Williams College of Business with a B.S. in Finance and a minor in Economics. As an undergrad, she was involved in making strategic recommendations for a graduate-level, student-run investment fixed income portfolio that managed a portion of Xavier’s endowment. Kirsten is a Level III CFA® candidate, and is a member of both the CFA Society of Cincinnati and the Association for Corporate Growth (ACG).
Patricia N. Crawford
Medical Service Corps Officer, U.S. Air Force Reserve, Second Year PhD student, XU 2013
Patricia N. Crawford is a second-year Ph.D. student majoring in Business Administration with a specialization in Finance. Patricia is also a Medical Service Corps Officer in the U.S. Air Force Reserve. She has over 15 years of professional work experience in private and federal accounting, telecom, and the U.S. military. Patricia holds BS and MS degrees in Accounting from Xavier University (OH) and American Military University, respectively. Her research interests include Corporate Finance – specifically corporate governance. Patricia is currently serving as the President of the Graduate Student Association (GSA) whose mission is to enhance the academic, intellectual, and social activities of its 2,000 members.
David M. Croft, CFP®, AWMA®
Financial Advisor, XU 2017
David graduated from Xavier University in 2017 with a Finance degree and minor in Economics. Residing in Cleveland with his wife, Hayli (XU ’16), and son, Brooks, David works in the private wealth management industry. As an advisor for UBS, he works closely with multi-generational families providing a consultative approach to managing, preserving, and distributing their wealth. David maintains his CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER designation, serves as the Xavier Alumni Cleveland Chapter President, and volunteers as a mentor for College Now Greater Cleveland.
Conor P. Davis
Capital Structure Analyst, Red Cedar Investment Management, XU 2021
Conor P. Davis is an Investment Analyst for Red Cedar Investment Management. He started in the industry when he joined Red Cedar in 2020 as an intern and began working full time as an Investment Analyst-Capital Structure, Equity in 2021. Mr. Davis graduated Xavier University with a BSBA in Finance and in Business Analytics. As an Investment Analyst, Mr. Davis performs research for Red Cedar Equity strategies.
David DiFiore, CFA
Financial Advisor, Morgan Stanley, XU 2015
David DiFiore, CFA, is a Financial Advisor at Morgan Stanley where he provides comprehensive investment management and wealth planning strategies for high-net-worth clients. He brings over 6-years of industry experience where he was previously a Private Banker at J.P. Morgan. David earned a BSBA in Finance from Xavier University and is also a CFA Charterholder. He is a member of the Detroit Athletic Club spending time being active in the athletic department, the wine club, and the car club. David enjoys golfing, traveling, trying out new restaurants, and most importantly, spending time with his family and friends.
Lauren DiFiore
Relationship Manager, Rockefeller Capital Management, XU 2019
Lauren joined the Hambleton Fieler Wealth Partners at Rockefeller Capital Management in April 2021 where she is a Relationship Manager for high-net worth clients, covering their day-to-day wealth planning needs. Her primary focus when working with her clients is communication and efficiency as well as cultivating long-lasting connections.
Lauren currently lives in downtown Cincinnati’s Over-The-Rhine neighborhood and in her free time enjoys working out, spending time with friends, and traveling to see family in Michigan. Outside of the office, Lauren finds the most fulfillment in giving back to the community. She is a volunteer basketball coach year-round at Friars Club, cooks and serves dinner each Sunday at Ronald McDonald House, and teaches a monthly Financial Literacy class at a local high school. As a cancer survivor, she regularly participates in fundraising and volunteering events for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and The American Cancer Society. She frequently finds herself back on Xavier’s campus whether it is for alumni events at the Williams College of Business or cheering on the muskies as a men’s basketball season ticket holder.
Megan Guardi
Account Analyst, Medpace, XU 2022
Megan currently works as an Account Analyst at Medpace, developing budgets for clinical trials and providing financial input for proposal requests. Shortly, Megan will be shifting her focus to training and development at Medpace. She is originally from the Chicago area, graduated from Xavier in 2022 with degrees in Accounting and Finance, and worked as a Tax Associate at Grant Thorton before joining Medpace. At Xavier, Megan was involved in the Manresa Orientation Program, Women in Business, and Xtreme Fans Club, and worked as an Intern at the Fifth Third Trading Center.
Emily Hogya
Associate Investment Manager, Foster & Motley, XU 2017
Emily Hogya has always been dedicated to the pursuit of both intellectual excellence and personal connection. A Cincinnati native, she attended The Summit Country Day School in Hyde Park and earned the distinction of Valedictorian upon graduation. She translated her enthusiasm for learning to her college experience at Xavier University, where she graduated from the Williams College of Business summa cum laude with majors in Finance, Economics, and Accounting and a minor in English. She completed two finance capstones through involvement in the D’Artagnan Capital Fund and local business consulting. While at Xavier, she also pledged to Delta Sigma Pi, a national professional business fraternity, and participated in the Xavier Honors Program.
Upon graduation, she gained several years of experience as a senior portfolio analyst at institutional investment management firm FEG Investment Advisors. In 2022, she found a home at Foster & Motley, a local wealth management firm where she currently works as an Associate Investment Manager. She is passionate about helping clients achieve the financial security to pursue all of their passions through a comprehensive, thoughtful, and personalized wealth management program. In her free time, Emily loves spending time with her family, having a cocktail with friends at one of Cincinnati’s many new restaurants, and traveling out West, particularly to Arizona.
Jenna Kay
Operational Finance Leadership Program (OFLP), GE Aerospace, XU 2019
Jenna is in the Operational Finance Leadership Program (OFLP) at GE Aerospace supporting top business priorities as a project manager. She started her career in the Financial Management Program (FMP) after graduating from Xavier in May of 2019. She is originally from Rochester, NY and enjoys travelling, reading & cheering on Xavier basketball (go X!) in her free time.
Malcolm Menezes
Senior Financial Analyst, GSWF Group Inc., XU 2021
Malcolm is a Senior Financial Analyst at GSWF Group, where his expertise extends across the company’s various business ventures. His primary responsibilities include assisting partners with industry due diligence, developing financial models, and building investor presentations. Malcolm earned his MS in Finance from the University of Rochester and graduated cum laude from Xavier University, with a major in Finance and a minor in Accounting. Outside of his professional endeavors, Malcolm enjoys running and going on camping adventures in the Adirondack mountains.
Nate Monastra
Associate Director, WestEnd Advisors, XU 2020, MBA 2021
Nate earned his degree in Finance and his MBA from Xavier University. He was awarded the Presidential scholarship for his academic achievements. He was also named the 2020 Rothwell Award Recipient at Xavier University. The Rothwell Award is presented annually to one student for completing the Finance major with the highest distinction. Additionally, Nate was a three-year captain of the Xavier University baseball team.
Alexander Moore
Investment Banking Associate, Q Advisors, XU 2018
Alex Moore is an Associate at Q Advisors, a TMT focused investment bank with offices in Denver, San Francisco and Munich. Alex works with clients across a variety of verticals including cloud communications, digital infrastructure, IT and managed services, and software and technology. In his role, Alex acts as a strategic and financial advisor to companies completing majority sell-side and buy-side M&A transactions, raising equity and debt capital, and organizing balance sheet recapitalizations and restructurings.
Tony Petretti
Associate, ArkMalibu, XU 2018
Tony is an Associate at ArkMalibu where his daily responsibilities include supporting senior bankers in company/industry related intelligence, financial modeling, and preparation of marketing materials. He began his career as an analyst for Cincinnati based investment consulting company where he researched, monitored and recommended money managers within the domestic equity asset class. He supported the senior consultants in managing a broad range of non-profit clients with an aggregate value of over $1B. Tony graduated Magna Cum Laude from Xavier University’s Williams College of Business with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a major in Finance and a minor in Economics. During undergrad, he was selected as one of fourteen students to provide strategic consulting services to a publicly traded company in the Cincinnati area and served as an Analyst for Xavier’s D’Artagnan Capital Fund managing $2.6 million of the University’s endowment. In his spare time, he enjoys hockey, long distance running, reading, and exploring the outdoors with his wife, Kirsten.
Benjamin Sullivan
Associate Vice President, Research – Global Equity, FEG, XU 2016
With a robust background in finance and investments, Sullivan has been a dedicated investment professional since 2016 and a valued member of the FEG team since 2017. Holding a BSBA in Finance from Xavier University, Sullivan began his career at Dimensional Fund Advisors as a Portfolio Management Analyst, where he honed his skills in investment analysis and portfolio management. Prior to that, Sullivan gained valuable experience as a Portfolio Management Data Intern at Total Wealth Planning, providing key insights through data analysis. His early career included an internship with the U.S. House of Representatives, which offered a unique perspective on legislative processes and policy-making.
Matt Tarka
Director of Portfolio Management, Concentric Wealth Management, XU 2018
Matt Tarka has been Director of Portfolio Management at Concentric Wealth Management since August 2023. An expert in investment management, Matt helps with research, due diligence, asset allocation decisions, investment model construction, trading, and operations for our wide array of private wealth clients, trusts, corporate assets, and 401k plans. Matt has been in the wealth management space since he graduated Xavier University in December 2018 where he majored in Finance and has been in a variety of operations and investment roles throughout. Matt is involved in the community through the Cincinnati Concours d’Elegance which he runs the social media strategy for and the Kenton County Republican Party where he is an Executive Committee member. While not at work or being active in the community, Matt enjoys homebrewing and working on all things mechanical. Matt lives in Edgewood, KY with his fiancée, Dakota, and their two dogs, Willett and Weller.
Brendan Tenney
Assistant Director of Admissions, Canisius High School, XU 2016, MBA 2020
Brendan was born and raised in Buffalo, NY and attended Xavier University, where he received a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (BSBA) in finance and economics in 2016 and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) in 2020. Following graduation, Brendan completed the Finance and Accounting Leadership program at Fifth Third Bank, and spent a total of five years at the bank in various corporate finance and accounting roles. After moving back home to Buffalo in 2021, Brendan began a new role as the Assistant Director of Admission at his alma mater, Canisius High School. He also helps coach the Canisius freshman basketball team. An avid Buffalo sports and Xavier Musketeers fan, Brendan can often be found watching or playing various sports. He is a food and beverage connoisseur who also enjoys watching shows, reading books, and listening to podcasts.
Ellie Thompson
Senior Financial Analyst, Fifth Third, XU 2017
Ellie grew up in Columbus, Ohio and moved to Cincinnati to attend Xavier, where she graduated from in 2017. She currently resides in Ludlow, KY with her dog, Rudy, and cat, Dewey. Ellie began her career at Macy’s in their Finance Executive Development Program, then made the move over to Fifth Third, where she has been for three years. Ellie currently works as a Senior Financial Analyst dedicated to forecasting the bank’s Consumer Deposits.
Adam Tortelli, CFP
Associate Advisor, First American Bank, XU 2017
Adam graduated from Xavier as a finance major in May of 2017. After settling in on the wealth management space, he became a CFP® practitioner in November of 2021. Adam most enjoys helping clients achieve magis in their life by relieving financial anxiety and accomplishing intentional goals. He hopes to use his vast experience at major financial institutions to benefit the next generation of Musketeers in finance.
Emily Wagner
Chief Financial Officer, Tiffin & Willard Hospitals, XU 2017, MBA 2023
Emily completed her Bachelors (2017) and MBA with a concentration in Finance (2023) at Xavier University. For her undergraduate degree, she majored in Health Administration with a minor in Finance. After her undergraduate degree, Emily worked at UC Health on the Payor Relations team as a Financial Analyst. After a few years at UC Health, she moved to Bon Secours Mercy Health where she was promoted to a Senior Financial Analyst (Financial Planning & Analysis, Integration Management & Transformation Office). In 2022, she was promoted to the Assistant Chief Financial Officer at Clermont Hospital and in 2023, she moved to her current role as the CFO of Tiffin & Willard Hospitals. Emily has always enjoyed the healthcare industry as it has a high level of complexity and is constantly evolving. Outside of work she enjoys being active and spending time with her two cats, Pleume and Brighton.
Patrick Weimer
Commercial Analyst, Key Bank, XU 2019
Patrick Weimer is a 2019 graduate of Xavier University with a Finance major and Economics minor. He lives in Anderson Ohio, spends most of his time DIYing his house blasting Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, and Steely Dan. Prior to his role at Key Bank, Patrick was a Senior FP&A at Milacron and in Portfolio Management at US Bank. In his free time, Patrick enjoys baseball, video games, his guitars, and power tools.
Will Zimbler
Head of Growth, LISNR, XU 2020
Will Zimbler is a 2020 graduate from Xavier University, while majoring in finance and holding leadership experiences across campus throughout his four years. Ranging from working as intern in the Fifth Third Trading Center, Manresa Orientation Leader, or working alongside Xavier Athletics, these experiences have allowed Will to grow as Head of Growth at LISNR. Based in Over-The-Rhine, LISNR is a payment technology start-up, backed by Visa, Intel, Synchrony Financial, and more.