we are different
Our experience and background are uniquely different from a typical financial advisor. We came from the world of institutional investors (which is the most sophisticated group of investors as compared to retail and corporates). We had worked for years in the global capital markets, trading and covering Asia Pacific, EMEA (Europe, Middle East & Africa) and the Americas. With our institutional experience, we possess a deeper understanding of the dynamics, depth and volatility of markets. Curtis’ scope of work was in trading and research, while Esther was in sales and trading. We have lived in the major financial hubs of the world including New York, Hong Kong and Singapore, resulting in a more adaptive and responsive mindset and way of doing business.
Curtis is a seasoned investment manager with 15 years in the financial industry. He has built a career in investment management at some of the top financial institutions in the world. He began at Morgan Stanley and later, JP Morgan, as an analyst working with some of the brightest minds in the industry. After gaining valuable skills from investment banks, he relocated to Hong Kong and joined Nine Masts Capital, a hedge fund that quickly grew to become a Tier 1 fund in the Asian region with over $1 billion in assets. After working with another prominent Asian hedge fund and beginning a family, Curtis and Esther decided to relocate to Grand Rapids, MI where they live now with their three young children. Most recently, Curtis served as the Director of Research at a local advisory firm where he managed over $200 million of investments for families, individuals, universities and small businesses. He is a CFA charterholder, the gold-standard designation in investment management and a result of over 900 hours of study and preparation along with many years of hands-on experience. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in International Business from Rhodes College in Memphis, TN.
Esther was an Associate Director of the Institutional Fixed Income Sales and Trading desk at HSBC Global Banking and Markets, one of the major investment banks in Asia Pacific. She was privileged to have worked in the role for 7 years, primarily in Hong Kong and then in Singapore. Her client base included Asian central banks, private banks and hedge funds. She was involved in advising clients on investments into new debt issuance and leveraged deals, and active sales and trading of secondary bonds and credit. She left her career at a peak when she was pregnant with her second child. Her heart was led to focus on raising her children. Born and raised in Singapore, Esther graduated as one of the top students from the National University of Singapore, with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance, 1st Class Honors, the equivalent of summa cum laude in the US. She spent a few months at the prestigious Stern School of Business, New York University. She worked at Deutsche Private Bank in Singapore on the structured products specialist desk, before moving to Hong Kong. She is fluent in both English and Mandarin Chinese.