Gene Goldman is responsible for the strategic direction and continued growth of the firm’s research offerings. His role includes setting the vision for superior capabilities and enabling the delivery of objective investment advice. He provides day-to-day oversight of Cetera Investment Management, with a focus on providing unbiased research about the economy and financial markets, asset allocation strategies, mutual funds and other investment related topics. He also leads the investment committee and their commitment to delivering superior investment oversight.

Gene has more than 26 years of experience in the development of investment strategies, money manager research and overseeing investment analysts. Prior to joining Cetera, he served in a variety of roles at LPL Financial including market strategist and lead strategist of the manager strategy group. Earlier in his career, has was a mutual fund product analyst at Liberty Financial.

Gene is frequently cited in a range of national media outlets including The Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg News, The New York Times, Forbes, and Reuters and he is a regular guest on high-profile news networks including CNBC and Fox Business News. He has been a featured or keynote speaker at dozens of industry events.

Gene earned his Bachelor of Science in engineering from Worcester Polytechnic Institute and his Master of Business Administration with a concentration in finance from Northeastern University. He also holds Series 7 and 63 securities registrations and is a Chartered Financial Analyst^® (CFA).

Ivan Gruhl leads Avantax Planning Partners in his role as VP, Chief Investment Officer.

He joined HK Financial Services, now Avantax Planning Partners, in 2011 and was chief investment officer of the company when it was acquired by Avantax in 2020. Prior to joining Avantax Planning Partners, Ivan was VP of client investment development at Aviva Investors, where he developed and marketed separately managed account (SMA) and mutual fund products to institutional investors.

He spent the prior 23 years with Lehman Brothers in New York, where he was Senior Vice President in the capital markets area. He also headed the Lehman bond index franchise, led a portfolio advisory team for managing institutional investor portfolios, and was involved in various roles including trading futures, corporate bond sales, and research while at Lehman.

Ivan has a bachelor’s degree in finance from Pacific Lutheran University and a master’s in finance from the Stern School of Business at NYU. He is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) and holds Series 7 and 63, and Series 65 licenses.

Hristo Stefanov is primarily responsible for managing Cetera Investment Management’s Manager Research Group, which is focused on delivering specific investment strategy recommendations. In this role, he is responsible for coordinating the efforts of the three-member Manager Research Team to deliver actionable and timely recommendations across a variety of asset categories, which can be used as ideas in portfolio implementation. Investment recommendations made by the team are represented in Cetera Investment Management's Research Select List, and also form the basis of other investment programs offered by the firm. A major part of the team's duties also involves maintaining ongoing monitoring of current recommendations.

Hristo has more than 20 years of experience in investment oversight, manager selection and monitoring. Prior to his current role he was responsible for overseeing Cetera Investment Management's Portfolio Strategy Group, where he was responsible for market insight and portfolio construction guidance. In this role he generated ideas to be used in Cetera Investment Management's strategic and tactical asset allocation strategies and incorporated the Research team's overall market outlook into portfolio construction and risk mitigation.

Hristo earned his Master of Business Administration with a concentration in finance from the University of California, Riverside. He holds the Chartered Financial Analyst^®, Chartered Alternative Investment AnalystSM, and Certificate in Investment Performance Measurement^™ designations as well as the Series 7 securities registration.

Brian Klimke is primarily responsible for managing Cetera Investment Management’s Investor Strategy Group, producing timely, rigorous analysis of key economic and financial market events and portfolio construction guidance. He publishes market commentaries and communications for advisors, investors and the media.

Brian has more than 20 years of experience in investment oversight, monitoring and investment platform positioning. Before joining Cetera Investment Management, he served as director of investment research at Transamerica, where he played an integral role in the development of the Transamerica Financial Advisors’ asset allocation models and proprietary ETF portfolios. He has worked in the financial services industry since 1999.

Brian earned his bachelor's degree in business administration, majoring in finance, investment and banking from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a specialization in international business. He holds the Series 7, 24, 27, 63 and 87 securities registrations and is a CFA^® charterholder.

Shannon Otterbeck is primarily responsible for managing the day-to-day business functions of the Research department, implementing business initiatives, plans and procedures. She oversees the publishing of hundreds of financial market commentaries and communications per year for advisors and investors.

Shannon has more than 20 years of industry experience. Prior to joining Cetera Investment Management, she served as the vice president and senior product manager for First Allied Asset Management where she played a vital role facilitating growth in sales through the coordination of various aspects of marketing, advisor and wholesaler support, and advisory operations.

She earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Florida and holds Series 7 and 65 securities registrations.

Austin Schaul serves as the Head of Research at Avantax Planning Partners℠, bringing over a decade of experience in the investment management industry. Since joining the firm in 2015, he has played a pivotal role in shaping and executing individual and institutional investment strategies. As a key member of the investment team, he consults on the development, implementation, and oversight of client-focused investment solutions. Austin is a driving force behind the firm’s investment philosophy and serves as a thought leader on the Avantax Planning Partners’ Investment Advisory Committee.

With a passion for investor education, Austin actively engages with clients and prospects to demystify market trends, economic developments, and the broader financial landscape. He contributes regularly through blog posts, media outlets, webinars, podcasts, and one-on-one conversations—working to elevate the perception of Financial Professionals and the investment management industry.

Austin is committed to transforming the investment narrative by partnering with financial professionals to cut through market noise and build financial plans centered on what matters most to clients. He holds a Bachelor of Science from Iowa State University, is a Chartered Financial Analyst® (CFA) charterholder, and maintains a Series 65 securities license.

Richard Anderson is primarily responsible for market insights, publishing hundreds of commentaries a year. He leverages his background in both trading and research to produce actionable insights for advisors and investors. He also manages Cetera’s subscription-based third-party equity and ETF research platforms.

Prior to his current role, he was equity research director at PrimeVest Financial Services (now Cetera Investment Services), founding the department in 1998. Richard has more than 15 years of equity research experience and more than 20 years of Wall Street trading experience.

Collin Martin is primarily responsible for providing portfolio construction guidance for Cetera Investment Management’s asset allocation models. Additional responsibilities include generating research and quantitative analysis on the economy and global capital markets that contribute to the team’s market outlook, publications, and tactical positioning within the firm’s asset allocation solutions.

Prior to his current role, Collin worked in portfolio management for First Allied Asset Management, where he created and managed customized portfolios for the Private Client Services advisory program. He also worked in Quality Assurance, focusing on operational analysis and developing profitability models for First Allied Securities. He has more than 10 years of experience in the financial services industry.

Collin graduated cum laude from the Max M. Fisher College of Business at The Ohio State University and is a Chartered Financial Analyst^®. He also holds the Series 65 securities registration.

Brian is a Senior Research Manager for Cetera Investment Management. In this role, Brian reviews Cetera publications, leverages his investment and quantitative background to analyze investment processes, and review the performance of recommended funds and investment portfolios.

Brian has more than 20 years of industry experience. Before his current role, he worked as a Senior Investment Consultant at Securian Financial, where he conducted manager research, selection, and monitoring of mutual funds, ETFs, SMAs and other investment vehicles. Prior to joining Securian, Brian led a team of Investment Performance Analysts at Ameriprise Financial; plus served as a Quantitative Equity Analyst at Thrivent Financial.

Brian holds a BS degree in Finance from Minnesota State University, Mankato. He has also earned the Chartered Financial Analyst and Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst designations.

Ross is Senior Investment Analyst for Cetera Investment Management. In his role Ross reviews Cetera publications, leverages his investment and quantitative background to analyze investment processes, and reviews the performance of recommended funds and investment portfolios.

Ross has more that 18 years of industry experience. Before his current role, he worked as an Investment Services Senior Consultant for Securian Financial Services, where he performed manager due diligence on mutual funds, ETFs, SMAs, and private funds. Ross also created and maintained recommended portfolios for ESG, Goals Based, and Retirement Income investing. Additionally, he provided advisors with portfolio analysis for current and prospective clients.

Ross Kronholm holds an MBA in Finance. He is also a holder of the Chartered Financial Analyst, Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst, Certified Financial Planner, and Certified Investment Management Analyst designations. Ross also holds the Certificate in ESG Investing from the CFA Institute.

Tyler is responsible for providing portfolio construction guidance for Cetera Investment Management’s asset allocation models, including their tactical positioning. Additional responsibilities include calculating and maintain composite performance for the firm’s wide ranging investment portfolios.

He has more than 10 years of industry experience. Before his current role, he worked as an Investment Services Senior Consultant at Securian Financial, where he was the lead analyst for asset allocation, sector, single state tax exempt and TAMP strategies. He also managed high net worth client portfolios for Securian Trust Company and served as a member of the model portfolio management team.

Tyler received his Bachelor of Science degree in applied economics from the University of Minnesota. He holds the Series 7, 24, and 63 securities registrations and is a CFA^® charterholder.

Aidan Daly joined Cetera in August 2024 and supports the portfolio management efforts behind the Cetera Freedom strategies. Aidan focuses on conducting research and due diligence on current and prospective municipal fixed income managers.

Prior to Cetera, Aidan worked as an investment analyst at the Indiana Public Retirement System where he conducted manager research and due diligence for the fund’s $3 billion hedge fund portfolio. Aidan holds a bachelor’s degree in finance from Miami University and is a CFA level III candidate.

Vaishali Kothari is a senior investment analyst for Cetera Investment Management. In this role, she is primarily responsible for the research, selection and ongoing oversight of domestic large cap and alternative mutual funds. She also leverages her compliance background to drive efficiencies within investment processes, analyzes the performance of recommended funds and investment portfolios, and contributes to Cetera publications.

Vaishali has more than a decade of industry experience. Prior to joining Cetera Investment Management, she worked for Cetera Financial Group as a director of due diligence. In this role, she performed due diligence on mutual funds and worked collaboratively with fund sponsors, broker-dealers, and Pershing LLC. Vaishali was also a member of the firm’s Advisory Services department, where she validated data integrity and provided reconciliation methodologies. Before her tenure at Cetera Financial Group, she spent four years at National Planning Corporation (NPC)/National Planning Holdings (NPH). There, she held varied positions within Advertising Review, providing compliance with policies and procedures, and within Advisory Services to deliver value-added marketing and research services for their separately managed account program.

Vaishali earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Los Angeles, and holds Series 7, 24, and 66 securities registrations.

Milton Hadinoto is a Senior Investment Analyst for Cetera Investment Management. In this role, he reviews Cetera publications, leverages his quantitative and engineering background to analyze investment processes, and analyzes the performance of recommended funds and investment portfolios. Milton’s primary coverage is the oversight of international equity, emerging markets, and domestic small and mid-cap equity funds.

Milton has more than 10 years of industry experience. Before his current role, he worked as a Quantitative Analyst for Standard & Poor’s Global (S&P Global), where he guided and supported portfolio managers to implement their quantitative investment models using S&P Global’s quantitative equity investment management platform. Milton also managed client relationships, focusing on helping portfolio managers leverage the platform and S&P Global’s proprietary data to improve their portfolio performance.

Milton Hadinoto holds a Master's degree in Finance as well as a Master’s degree in Engineering from Texas A&M University. He is a holder of the right to use the Chartered Financial Analyst^® (CFA) designation.

Neel Hasan is a senior investment analyst for Cetera Investment Management. In this role, he reviews Cetera publications, leverages his account management and advisory services background to evaluate investment processes, and analyzes the performance of recommended funds and investment portfolios. Additionally, he oversees global allocation, municipals, and short duration bond funds.

Neel has more than five years of industry experience. Prior to joining Cetera Investment Management, he worked as an account executive in the short duration and money market fund business, working with Fortune 500 and multinational corporations to assist institutional treasury teams with their short-term investment needs. Neel began his career with Bank of America Merrill Lynch. There, he held several positions within investment services, their elevated trade desk, and finally as a financial solutions advisor.

Neel graduated from the University of Arizona with degrees in finance and business economics and holds Series 7 and 63 securities registrations. He is also a Chartered Financial Analyst^®.

Kelly Edmonds is an Associate Investment Research Analyst for Avantax Planning Partners℠. She has been with the company since 2007. Kelly assists financial planning consultants with monitoring accounts to ensure they are invested according to their investment policy statement. She is responsible for monitoring high net worth client accounts, currently totaling over $1.2 billion in assets with Avantax Planning Partners℠. She reviews assets within client accounts and makes recommendations per Avantax Planning Partners℠ recommended allocations and investment policies to bring them closer to model while also considering tax consequences. She also conducts model performance calculations, addresses questions regarding client account performance, and assists with tax-loss harvesting.

Before joining Avantax Planning Partners℠, Kelly worked as a business credit analyst at a regional bank, an office manager of a local non-profit, and a branch manager of a cash advance company.

Kelly has the Series 65 and the Financial Paraplanner Qualified Professional (FPQP®) designation. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration with a double minor in finance and accounting from Columbia College, Missouri.

Jason is a Senior Investment Analyst for Cetera Investment Management. In this role, Jason oversees the Investment Fiduciary Manager and Cetera Retire investment platforms. He leverages his investment and quantitative background to analyze investment processes and reviews the performance of recommended funds and investment portfolios.

Jason has more than 20 years of industry experience. Before his current role, he worked as a Senior Investment Consultant at Securian Financial, where he oversaw the investment platform for variable insurance and retirement-related products. Prior to that role but also at Securian Financial, he conducted manager research, selection, and monitoring of mutual funds, exchange traded funds, separately managed accounts and other investment vehicles. Jason also led asset allocation research and was a portfolio manager of turnkey investment programs.

Jason holds a BA degree in Finance from the University of St. Thomas. He has also earned the Chartered Financial Analyst designation.

John Gruhl is an Investment Research Analyst for Avantax Planning Partners℠. He has been with the company since 2019. As part of Avantax’s business development team, his focus is on investment solutions. John’s main responsibilities include communication with financial planning consultants and Financial Professionals, analyzing prospect client statements, fact sheet adjustment, and assisting team members with projects.

John brings a tech-savvy approach to his work with experience in gaming communities, e-commerce business, and as a digital content creator.

John holds a Bachelor of Science degree in finance, with a minor in entrepreneurship from University of Northern Iowa.

Andrew Evans is an Investment Analyst for Avantax Planning Partners, having been with the company since 2022. As part of Avantax’s business development team, his focus is on investment solutions. Andrew’s main responsibilities include communication with financial planning consultants and Financial Professionals, analyzing prospect client statements, providing tax alpha information to financial planning consultants, and assisting team members with projects. Andrew earned a Bachelor of Science degree in finance and accounting at University of Northern Iowa.

Jacob is primarily responsible for publishing our communications to our financial professionals, including market commentaries, investment perspectives, and changes to our investment fund line-up. In addition, he supports the manager research team with quantitative reports, database maintenance, and analysis.

Prior to joining Cetera Investment Management, Jacob attended Louisiana State University where he obtained his MBA in data analytics.

Tyler Hendrickson is responsible for providing portfolio construction guidance, monitoring, and operational support for Cetera Investment Management’s asset allocation models. He also maintains and develops market and investment resources for the team.

Before his current role, Tyler worked on the trade desk here at Cetera where he supported the execution of Equities, Options and Mutual Funds for investment professionals and their clients. He was also responsible for overseeing and executing orders for preferred stock IPOs.

Tyler earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration, majoring in Financial Markets from the University of Minnesota – Duluth. He holds the Series 7 and 63 securities registrations.

Alan Kutsch is an Associate Investment Research Analyst for Avantax Planning Partners^℠. He has been with the company since March 2012. Alan assists financial planning consultants with monitoring accounts to ensure they are invested according to their investment policy statement. He is responsible for monitoring high net worth client accounts, currently totaling over $1.2 billion in assets with Avantax Planning Partners^℠. He reviews assets within client accounts and makes recommendations per Avantax Planning Partners^℠ recommended allocations and investment policies to bring them closer to model while also considering tax consequences. He also conducts account reviews upon request, assists with tax-loss harvesting, and is responsible for various operational tasks in the department.

Before joining Avantax Planning Partners^℠, Alan held various positions within the retirement services industry for almost 20 years.

Alan has the Series 65 and the Financial Paraplanner Qualified Professional (FPQP^®) designation. He holds an Associate of Applied Arts degree in accounting from Northeast Iowa Community College.