|
Robert C. Smith
President and Chief Executive Officer
Robert Smith is president and CEO of Spero-Smith Investment Advisers, Inc. Smith offers more than 30 years of experience in investing, finance, accounting, management and marketing. Prior to joining Spero-Smith, he was chief investment officer of an investment advisory firm he co-founded in 1988.
Mr. Smith was appointed to the board of the Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority in 2007 and the Ohio Public Employees Retirement System as an investment expert in 2004 where he chairs its Investment Committee. He also serves on the boards of the Motorists Insurance Group and Ohio Gratings Inc.
Mr. Smith is frequently consulted by local print and broadcast media as a commentator on the economy, financial markets and investments. He is chairman of the board of trustees of Ohio Northern University and serves on the boards and executive committees of the Greater Cleveland Partnership and WVIZ/WCPN ideastream. As an advocate for small business, Mr. Smith has testified before Congress and the Ohio General Assembly.
Additionally, Mr. Smith is a Director for Greater Cleveland’s United Way, Ohio Deferred Compensation and One Community. He also serves on the Finance Council at St. Ladislas Parish. Previously, Mr. Smith served as president of the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Northeast Ohio and as a board officer for National Small Business United.
Mr. Smith served on the 2005 mayoral campaign of Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson and co-chaired the new mayor’s transition committee. In 2004, he received the American Jewish Committee's Richard H. Adler Community Leadership Award and the COSE Entrepreneurial Leadership Award sponsored by Cleveland State University's College of Business Administration and the Cleveland Rotary Club. Other recent awards include Honorable Mention for Medical Mutual of Ohio’s Non-Profit Board Executive of the Year in 2003, as well as the 2001 Entrepreneur of the Year award from Ohio Northern University's College of Business.
Mr. Smith received an MBA (Finance) from Duquesne University and a B.A. in Business Administration (Accounting) from Ohio Northern University. He is a member of the CFA Institute and the Cleveland CFA Society.
Back To Top
|
|
Mimi Lord, CFA, CFP®
Senior Vice Presidnet & Chief Investment Officer
Mimi re-joined Spero-Smith in March 2007 as Senior Vice President and Chief Investment Officer. Her primary responsibilities include directing the investment research process and supervising the efforts of the investment management team. Mimi previously had worked at Spero-Smith for six years beginning in January 1994 as a portfolio manager. She worked closely with about 75 individual clients and several corporate 401(k) plans. She was promoted to Director of Financial Planning in 1998 and had oversight of financial planning projects for clients. Throughout her six-year tenure, Mimi served on the Investment Policy Committee and was involved in researching securities and asset classes.
From 2000 to the beginning of 2007, Mimi worked for two nationally recognized financial services companies, Morningstar and TIAA-CREF. She was involved in the design and launch of Morningstar’s website for financial advisors and wrote weekly investment columns on such topics as tax-efficient investing, exchange-traded funds, Treasury Inflation Protected Securities (TIPS), asset allocation, diversification, and retirement payout strategies. At the end of 2001, Mimi accepted a position at the TIAA-CREF Institute serving as a liaison to independent financial advisors and writer/editor of various publications related to investing and retirement planning. In a special assignment lasting one year, Mimi served as Director of Product Development at TIAA-CREF Asset Management in the launch of 12 new investment portfolios designed for college and university endowments. She was a frequent speaker at endowment conferences and author of numerous articles relating to endowment management.
As a former security analyst with Kemper Financial Services, Mimi has a strong background in stock analysis and the securities industry. For five years she focused predominantly on the telecommunications industry during and after the 1984 breakup of AT&T and through the emergence of the cellular industry. Her work with Kemper included several months in the research department of a London-based brokerage firm, James Capel & Co.
Mimi received a Master of Business Administration from the University of Michigan in 1981, a Masters in Journalism from Indiana University in 1978 and a Bachelor of Arts from Indiana University in 1973. Mimi is a Chartered Financial Analyst and a Certified Financial Planner™ certificate holder. She is also a member of the National Association for Personal Financial Advisors (NAPFA), the Financial Planning Association (FPA), and CFA Institute.
Mimi serves on Endowment Investment Committee of Fairmount Presbyterian Church in Cleveland Heights, OH. She and her husband, James Wilson, a law professor at Cleveland State University, have two children, one in college and one in high school.
Back To Top
|
|
Matthew S. Olver, CFP®
Vice President & Portfolio Manager
Matt joined Spero-Smith Investment Advisers, Inc. in June 1997 and is responsible for working with clients to develop and implement an investment strategy based on their unique goals and constraints. Matt provides overview and consulting to various retirement plans, institutions and endowments. He has also been a member of our financial planning team, conducting education funding, investment, and retirement plan analysis.
Matt is a Certified Financial Planner™ practioner and a member of the National Association for Personal Financial Advisors (NAPFA) and the Financial Planning Association (FPA).
Graduating magna cum laude from John Carroll University where he received a Bachelor of Arts in Economics in 1997, Matt is still active in the John Carroll community as a member of the JCU Entrepreneurs Association. He is also a graduate of the Cleveland Bridge Builders Class of 2006.
He has been quoted in various newspapers and periodicals on investment strategies, mutual funds and 529 college savings plans.
Back To Top
|
|
Molly Balunek, CFP®
Vice President, Director of Financial Planning & Portfolio Manager
Molly joined Spero-Smith Investment Advisers, Inc. in August 2000. She works closely with our clients to develop and implement their financial plans, including investment, cash flow, retirement, insurance and estate planning. Molly is also a resource to the portfolio managers and to our clients on various aspects of financial planning. In addition, she is responsible for working with clients to develop and implement an investment strategy based on their unique goals and constraints.
Molly received a BA from John Carroll University in History and English.
Molly is a Certified Financial Planner™ practioner and a member of the National Association for Personal Financial Advisors (NAPFA), the Financial Planning Association (FPA) and the Estate Planning Council of Cleveland.
With over 11 years as a personal financial planner, and over 17 years in banking and finance, Molly offers valuable experience and expertise to Spero-Smith's clients.
|
|
Jeff N. Malbasa
Director of Operations
Jeff joined Spero-Smith Investment Advisers, Inc. in June of 2003. As Director of Operations, Jeff’s responsibilities include the evaluation and implementation of comprehensive firm policies, procedures and project management. Additionally, Jeff provides overview and consulting on mutual funds for individuals and for various defined contribution plans.
Jeff is currently in the process of obtaining his Masters of Business Administration from The Weatherhead School of Management at Case Western Reserve University, graduating in 2007. He is also taking classes to obtain his Certified Financial Planner™ certification. Jeff graduated magna cum laude from Tufts University where he received Bachelor of Arts degrees in Economics and in History. He is also a member of The Golden Key Society, in recognition of his academic excellence.
In the community, Jeff works as a youth baseball coach at Northeast Cleveland Little League, and is as a volunteer for the Case Western Reserve Tax Assistance program.
|
 |
Debra L. Boerger
Portfolio Manager
Deb joined Spero-Smith in September, 2005 after more than twenty-seven years in the investment advisory field. For the eleven years prior to joining our team, she owned her own company. In 1988, she co-founded another investment advisory firm with Bob Smith. Prior to that, Deb spent ten years learning the business from the bottom up. She brings Spero-Smith and its clients a depth of experience that is unique in this industry.
Deb received a Master of Business Administration from Baldwin-Wallace College in 1987 and a Bachelor of Arts (Sociology) from Miami University in 1975.
A large part of Deb’s life is her involvement in the Greater Cleveland community. In 1999, she became the first female president of the Rotary Club of Cleveland. She remains very active in her club as well as in the district, currently serving for the fifth year as the Chairperson of the Ambassadorial Scholarship program.
In addition to her Rotary involvement, Deb is a past Board Member of Padua Franciscan High School, a past Board Member of the Old Stone Foundation, a past Board Member of Lutheran Chaplaincy Services and a former Executive Board member of the Greater Cleveland Council, Boy Scouts of America.
|
|
Kara Downing CFP®
Portfolio Manager & Investment Analyst
Kara joined Spero-Smith in 2002 as an Assistant Portfolio Manager. In early 2006, she was promoted to Investment Analyst and most recently to Portfolio Manager. Kara is also responsible for working with clients to develop and implement an investment strategy based on their unique goals and constraints. She provides research assistance on stocks and mutual funds for the firm’s Director of Research and provides client reports for individual, foundation, endowment and corporate retirement plan clients.
Kara is a Certified Financial Planner™ practioner.
Kara attended Bowling Green State University and received a BS in Business Administration with a concentration in Accounting
Back To Top
|
 |
Erica M. Aber
Manager of Special Projects
Erica joined Spero-Smith Investment Advisers, Inc. in June 2004 and is responsible for project management and coordination of the overall operations of the firm. She also works with clients to develop and implement an investment strategy based on their unique goals and constraints.
Erica is currently in pursuit of the Certified Financial Planner™ certification. Erica graduated cum laude from Ohio University where she received Bachelor in Business Administration with a concentration in Finance and Management Information Systems (MIS). She is also a member of The Golden Key National Honor Society, in recognition of her academic excellence.
In the community, Erica volunteers as a youth softball and soccer coach in Cleveland Heights.
Back To Top
|
|
|
©2007 Spero-Smith Investment Advisers, Inc. All rights reserved.
|
|
