Dr. Andrew C. Temte, CFA

Biography:

Andrew Temte is CEO of the Kaplan Professional Education - a division of Kaplan, Inc., which is a subsidiary of The Washington Post. Andrew started his financial services education career in 1990, working together with Dr. Carl Schweser until 1999 to build Schweser Study Program into the global leader in CFA^® Exam review.

Upon its acquisition by Kaplan, Inc. in 1999, Temte took the reins of the Kaplan Schweser organization. Under his direction, Kaplan Schweser has been positioned as a leading global provider of innovative, efficient, and effective financial education solutions. In October 2007, he assumed responsibility for the Kaplan Financial Education division, which provides study tools for high-stakes securities and insurance licensing exams as well as the Certified Financial Planner (CFP) designation.

During Temte’s tenure, he has collaborated with some of the industry’s most respected business leaders and academicians to research, develop and implement new courseware for designations such as Certified Public Accountant (CPA), Financial Risk Manager (FRM), and Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst (CAIA). In addition to cutting-edge product development and implementation, Temte has made numerous and successful business acquisitions including the Study Seminar for Financial Analysts, Excel/JKE Exam Review, Koppel & Wiley, and U.S. CPA Success.

Temte earned his doctorate in finance at the University of Iowa with a concentration in international finance and investment theory. Temte holds the Chartered Financial Analyst^® (CFA^®) designation and has over sixteen years of university teaching experience in the areas of corporate finance, investments and international finance.

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Dr. Tim Smaby, CFA, FRM

Biography:

Tim Smaby is Chief Learning Officer of Kaplan Schweser and Kaplan Financial Education, divisions of Kaplan Professional. Smaby joined the company in 2002 as the manager of the Level 2 CFA study materials. In his current role as CLO, Smaby oversees all content development and production for Kaplan Professional's insurance, securities, and advanced designations product lines.

Prior to joining Kaplan, Smaby was an associate professor of finance at Penn State Erie. Previously he held various positions in the banking industry with Bank One in Cincinnati, Ohio and First Republic Bank in Dallas, Texas.

Smaby is a CFA Charterholder and has also been awarded the Financial Risk Manager (FRM) designation. He holds a Ph.D. in finance from the University of Cincinnati, an MBA in finance from the University of Wisconsin, and a BS in economics from the University of Minnesota.

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Dr. R. Douglas Van Eaton, CFA

Biography:

Before joining Kaplan Schweser as vice president of CFA Education and Level 1 manager, Doug taught finance at Texas Christian University, the University of North Texas, and the University of Washington. Prior to that, he spent six years with the brokerage firm of Dean Witter. He has published articles in both academic and professional journals, including the Financial Analysts Journal, Journal of Investing, Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting, and the Financial Services Review. His work has been cited in the CFA digest and won an award from the CFP Board of Examiners. Doug also has many years of experience teaching financial professionals, including CFA exam review courses for the Dallas Society of Financial Analysts (DSFA) and JKE (Excel) Exam Review, as well as seminars for the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) in finance, accounting, and funds management. Doug’s education includes a master’s degree in economics and a doctorate in finance, both from the University of Washington.

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Dr. Bruce Kuhlman, CFA, CAIA

Biography:

Bruce is Vice President and Level 3 Manager at Kaplan Schweser. He received his MBA and PhD, both in finance, from the University of Florida and taught undergraduate and graduate corporate finance and investments for sixteen years prior to joining Kaplan Schweser in 2002. Bruce has published articles in investments and corporate finance in both academic and professional journals and won several teaching awards both as a graduate student at the University of Florida and as a faculty member at the University of Toledo. Bruce also served as Director of the University of Toledo MBA and Executive MBA Programs and Associate Director of the University of Toledo Center for Family Business. Bruce is author of CFA® Fundamentals and creator and primary editor of CFA® Fundamentals: the Kaplan Schweser Guide to Success Video Series. Bruce was awarded the CAIA designation in September 2006.

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Dr. Jeffrey Manzi, CFA

Biography:

Jeff is currently Vice President of Securities and Insurance Education for Kaplan Financial Education. He has also served as Vice President and Level 1 Manager for Kaplan/Schweser's CFA Study Program. Jeff started teaching finance and developing financial education materials in 1988 while earning his Ph.D. in finance and operations research at Kent State University. As an associate professor of finance at Ohio University, he taught investments, portfolio management, and managerial finance in MBA and undergraduate programs, both domestically and abroad. His research has been in the areas of pension management, asset valuation, and instructional technology. Jeff has published articles in several academic and practitioner journals and has developed study guides and course presentation software for various financial textbook publishers. Prior to his current role with Kaplan Financial Education, Jeff held the rank of Professor of Finance at Florida Tech, where he was instrumental in the development and implementation of an online undergraduate business degree program.

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David W. Wiley, CFA

Biography:

Dave is Vice President of Curriculum for Kaplan Schweser and Director of all Kaplan Schweser CFA seminars worldwide, including the Study Seminar for Financial Analysts (SSFA) at the University of Windsor. Dave also develops CFA content focusing on the Practice Exams, and assists with content development for two other designations within Kaplan Schweser – CAIA and FRM. Before the companies were acquired by Kaplan Schweser in 2004, he was a partner with Koppel & Wiley and Excel Exam Review (previously JKE Exam Review).

Dave has over 28 years experience in securities analysis and financial project management, with specific concentration in business valuations, credit risk analysis, and disposition of financially troubled assets. Dave held various finance positions with Bank One for 12 years. In 1982 Dave received an MBA from the Fuqua School of Business at Duke University; and in 1986 he was awarded the CFA designation and is a member of CFA Institute. As a member of the CFA Society of Dallas-Fort Worth (CFA-DFW), he has served as Education Chair since 1990 and is currently President. Dave founded CFA-DFW’s Weekly CFA Review Course and Study Program and has directed the program since its inception in 1989. This weekly program currently serves approximately 350 CFA Candidates per year at three universities in Dallas–Fort Worth.

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Denise Probert, CPA, MPA

Biography:

Until January 2009, Denise was an Associate Professor in the Dahl School of Business at Viterbo University in La Crosse, WI. She taught accounting and financial management at Viterbo University since 2000. Denise taught financial accounting at the intermediate and advanced levels, auditing, federal taxation, cost accounting, and financial management. In addition, Denise has taught quantitative methods in the Master of Business Administration program at Viterbo University. Prior to teaching at Viterbo, Denise taught at Upper Iowa University, Dakota State University, Southwest State University, and Wayne State College.

Denise has a Master of Professional Accountancy from the University of South Dakota. In addition, she holds a Master of Science in Business and a Bachelor of Arts in Business Education from Wayne State College. She is licensed to practice (CPA) in the state of Wisconsin and a member in the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, American Accounting Association, Wisconsin Institute of Certified Public Accountants, and American Society of Women Accountants. Denise recently served as member and Treasurer of Gundersen Lutheran’s Partners board. Denise is a national and international speaker on the implications of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 on non-profit organizations and IT workers, building a culture of ethical behavior, ethics education, and assessment.

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Derek Burkett, CFA, FRM, CAIA

Biography:

Derek is a Senior Content Specialist for Kaplan Schweser. He specializes in writing and editing CFA^®, FRM^®, and CAIA^® review material and is the CAIA product line manager. Derek holds an M.S. in finance from the University of Denver and a B.S. in economics from Texas A&M University. Prior to joining Kaplan Schweser in 2004, Derek worked as a business valuation consultant for a national consulting firm, performing various tangible asset and intangible asset valuations and damage analysis for securities litigation. Derek is a CFA charterholder, certified Financial Risk Manager, and CAIA member.

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Norman Faeth, CPA (inactive)

Biography:

Norm earned a Master of Business Administration from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse and a Bachelor of Science degree, majoring in Accounting and Economics, from Western Illinois University. He holds a Certified Public Accountant certificate from the State of Minnesota. Prior to joining Kaplan Schweser in 2005, Norm held various positions in industry as Controller and CFO. At Kaplan Schweser, Norm’s principal role is serving customers who are engaged in preparing for the various sections of the CPA examination. Norm’s work includes the updating of various CPA and Continuing Professional Education study materials.

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Aubrey Glazman, CPA/ABV, CFE, LLB, CA, CBV

Biography:

In 1991, Aubrey passed all four parts of the CPA Exam on his first attempt and, over the past 17 years, has helped more than three-thousand students pass the CPA Exam.

Aubrey directed and instructed in the York University and CPA Success Review Courses from 1994 to 2007, and is the author of the highly acclaimed CPA Success Review Course study binder. Prior course participants have achieved exceptionally high success rates on the CPA Exam.

Aubrey holds a Law degree, an MBA, and is also a Chartered Accountant, Chartered Business Valuator, and Certified Fraud Examiner.

In 1998, Aubrey was accredited as a CPA specialist in business valuation by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants after passing the AICPA's annual Accredited in Business Valuation (ABV) specialist examination.

He is currently the Vice-President for CPA Product Development at Kaplan CPA Review and is the former Academic Department Chair of Accounting at Kaplan University. His evaluations as an instructor are consistently excellent.

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Cindy R. Hart Riecke, CLU, ChFC, CFP®

Biography:

Cindy has served as Director of Product Development since 2005, managing a team of subject-matter experts responsible for authoring and editing all Kaplan Schweser study materials for the CFP^® Certification Examination and content for its education programs. She also serves as lead subject-matter expert and technical editor for the content development of Schweser CFP^® Exam study materials and financial planning courses and textbooks. Prior to joining Kaplan Schweser, Cindy served as Director of Marketing Development for an international insurance and financial services company and an instructor in the areas of advanced financial planning, insurance, retirement, and estate planning. Cindy holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a concentration in Finance from the Louisiana State University and has earned the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™, Chartered Financial Consultant and Chartered Life Underwriter designations. In addition, she is co-author of Kaplan Financial’s Personal Financial Planning Theory and Practice and Personal Financial Planning Cases and Applications textbooks and the Schweser Review for the CFP^® Certification Examination. Cindy has also been involved in grant writing for local educational institutions.

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Jodi Joachim, CFA

Biography:

Jodi holds an MBA from the University of California at Berkeley and a B.A. in Economics from Gustavus Adolphus College. Jodi joined Kaplan Schweser in 2001 and until recently focused on CFA content development and support. Currently, she oversees the editing and online content teams and the professional development product line. Prior to joining Kaplan Schweser, she worked in the financial planning and analysis groups at the division and corporate levels of Gap, Inc. Prior to that, she was an examiner with the San Francisco office of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), specializing in real estate valuation and analysis. Jodi is an avid equestrian.

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Michael Long, CLU, ChFC, CFP®

Biography:

Mike is responsible for providing support to students and, as such, is involved in creating content for the Kaplan Schweser website. Prior to joining Kaplan Schweser, Mike was a sales manager and instructor for a national life and casualty insurance company. He holds a Bachelors degree from Indiana State University and holds the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™, Chartered Financial Consultant and Chartered Life Underwriter designations.

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James Maher, CLU, ChFC, CFP®

Biography:

Jim serves as a subject-matter expert, primarily in the areas of investments and insurance planning. He is a former securities and insurance instructor for Kaplan Financial and has been a General Securities Representative, providing financial services and products to high net worth clients. Jim earned a Bachelor of Business Administration from Florida International University and has earned the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™, Chartered Financial Consultant and Chartered Life Underwriter designations. Jim is a co-author of Kaplan Financial’s Personal Financial Planning Theory and Practice and the Schweser Review for the CFP^® Certification Examination.

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Craig Prochaska, CFA

Biography:

Craig joined Kaplan Schweser in July 2006 as a Content Specialist. He spent 18 years with Bank One Corporation and its predecessor First Chicago Corporation, in positions including forecast economist and editor of capital markets research. Craig holds an MBA in business economics from DePaul University and a bachelor of science in finance from the University of Illinois at Chicago.

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Kevin Rygg, CFA, CAIA, FRM

Biography:

Kevin Rygg has been with Kaplan Schweser since 2007. He currently specializes in the development of CFA Level 2 content. He earned a M.S. in Accountancy from Brigham Young University. Prior to Kaplan, he worked with various small research groups involved in complex adaptive systems, emerging market crises, valuation, financial modeling, and energy market futures. Kevin is a CFA charterholder, certified Financial Risk Manager, and holds the CAIA designation.

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Joyce Schnur, MBA, CFP®

Biography:

Before joining Kaplan Schweser as vice president and manager of CFP^® instructors, Joyce had over 20 years of personal financial counseling experience including serving as a senior manager of an international accounting firm, during which time she advised many executives, directors of Fortune 500 Companies as well as small business owners. Throughout her career, Joyce has been a frequent lecturer on many financial planning topics including stock options and estate planning. She is also an instructor for various financial planning courses including fundamentals, income tax, retirement and estate planning. Joyce holds an MBA in finance from Duquesne University and a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration from Grove City College. Joyce is a co-author of Kaplan Financial’s Personal Financial Planning Theory and Practice and an author and editor for the Executive Tax & Management Report. She is also a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™.

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Kurt Schuldes, CFA

Biography:

Kurt earned his MBA with a concentration in economics from the University of Tampa and a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Wisconsin La Crosse. Prior to joining Kaplan Schweser in 2000 Kurt worked as a financial advisor for a national broker dealer managing client accounts for eight years. At Kaplan Schweser, he works in the content department primarily with the various online programs. Kurt received his CFA charter in 2005.

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Eric Smith, CFA, FRM

Biography:

Eric has been with Kaplan Schweser since 2003. He currently specializes in the development of CFA Level 3 content and is the team leader for the FRM designation product line. He earned his bachelor of science in finance from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse and is currently enrolled in the MBA program at the University of Nebraska. Eric is a CFA charterholder and a certified Financial Risk Manager.

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Kim Lyons, MSA, CPA, CGBP

Biography:

Kim has been teaching full-time in the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse Accounting Department for eleven of the past twelve years. During that time, she also held the position of Finance Content Specialist with Kaplan Schweser in La Crosse, Wisconsin. Kim received her Bachelor and Master of Science in Accounting from Illinois State University in 1993 and 1994, and passed the CPA exam at that time. Her teaching responsibilities have included Elementary Financial and Managerial Accounting Principles, Intermediate Accounting, Taxation for Non-Accountants, and Personal Finance. In addition, she acts as a faculty advisor to the University’s VITA program, assisting students, elderly, and low-income taxpayers with their tax return preparation and electronic filing each spring.

Prior to teaching at UW-La Crosse, Kim taught at Illinois State University. During the summer of 2008, she earned the qualification of NASBITE Certified Global Business Professional. The CGBP designation demonstrates an individual's understanding of the global business environment, including Global Business Management, Global Marketing, Supply Chain Management, and Trade Finance. Kim has published in the Journal of the Academy of Finance, was quoted in the October 2007 issue of Money Magazine, and is currently engaged in future publications.

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Dr. Michael H. Anderson, CFA

Biography:

After receiving his PhD in finance from Indiana University, Michael taught at Suffolk University. He is currently an associate professor at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, teaching in the areas of financial institutions, corporate finance, and investments. His research interests include information economics/game theory, financial intermediation, and corporate finance. Articles written by Michael have been published in The Journal of Applied Business Research, the Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting, The Journal of Consumer Affairs, and the Journal of Economics and Business.

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Dr. H. Kent Baker, CFA

Biography:

Kent is University Professor of Finance at the Kogod School of Business at American University. He has consulting and training experience with more than 100 organizations including Ibbotson Associates, Comptroller of the Currency, Institute of Management Accountants, American Bankers Association, and the National Association of Securities Dealers. He has presented more than 700 training programs, including various CFA^® prep courses. He has more than 150 publications in academic and professional journals including The Journal of Finance, Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis, Financial Management, Financial Analysts Journal, Journal of Portfolio Management, and Harvard Business Review. He has also written or edited several books and monographs, including Understanding Financial Management: A Practical Guide (Blackwell, 2005).

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Chris Bellefeuille, CFA

Biography:

As a vice president at Connor, Clark & Lunn Private Capital Ltd., Toronto, Chris’s main responsibilities are to attract and retain private clients, foundations, and intuitional investors and to provide discretionary management for their portfolios.

Prior to joining CC&L, Chris was senior vice president with Mulvihill Wealth Management Ltd. He began his career with Scotiabank, where he was Director of Marketing for Scotia Investment Management Ltd.

Chris holds a bachelor of science in psychology from the University of Toronto and has held the Chartered Financial Analyst designation since 1996. He was also a faculty member at the Study Seminar for Financial Analysts at the University of Windsor from 1997-2004.

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Dr. Brian Boscaljon, CFA

Biography:

Brian is an associate professor at Penn State University – Erie. He earned a Ph.D. in finance from Texas Tech University in 1996. His most current research interests are focused within the investments and portfolio theory area. Current projects include investigating common stock price reactions to various events, innovations in utility theory, the role of diversification, and asset allocation models. Teaching interests include investments, portfolio theory, and corporate finance. Brian has twelve years of teaching experience and uses his CFA knowledge and experience to link practical applications to theory in classroom discussions. He has work experience as a financial analyst for Comerica Bank and has also been involved in several consulting projects for Johnson Control Interior Systems World Wide and a private endowment fund.

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Stephanie Brentlinger, CFA

Biography:

Stephanie received her MBA from Southern Methodist University in 1989, after having graduated cum laude from Texas Christian University with a bachelor’s degree in finance. Stephanie began her investment career as assistant vice president and co-manager of Tyler Cabot Mortgage Securities Fund, a closed-end bond fund. She then served as vice president, asset liability management, for Capstead Mortgage Corporation until 1998, where she was involved in many aspects of portfolio management, primarily securitization, investment policy, and cash management. She began working with Excel Exam Review (formerly JKE Exam Review) in 1999, preparing CFA review notes and practice exam questions and also has taught CFA review courses. Stephanie earned her CFA designation in 1994.

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John Cabell, CFA

Biography:

John has over 25 years of investment experience as both a senior equity analyst and portfolio manager. Currently he is a principal of ARX Capital Management in San Antonio, Texas. He also co-managed the USAA Aggressive Growth Fund for seven years and various other small and mid-capitalization mutual funds. Previously, he worked for the Retirement Systems of Alabama where he was chief economist.

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Dr. C. Mitchell Conover, CFA

Biography:

Mitch is an associate professor at the University of Richmond and has 12 years teaching experience. He has taught classes in Investments, Portfolio Management, International Finance, and Corporate Finance. His research focuses primarily on investment issues and has appeared in the Financial Analyst Journal, the Journal of Portfolio Management, the Journal of Business, the Journal of Banking and Finance, and other academic journals. He has served as a NASD arbitrator and received his Ph.D. from Florida State University in 1995.

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Dr. Peter DaDalt

Biography:

Peter is an assistant professor at the University of Rhode Island and has eight years’ experience teaching corporate finance, markets and institutions, and investments. He earned a PhD in finance from Georgia State University in 1998. His research interests include corporate governance, risk management, earnings manipulations, and analyst forecasts. Peter’s research has been published in the Journal of Futures Markets, Journal of Corporate Finance, Journal of Financial Research, and other academic journals. His current projects include the industry contagion effects of earnings restatements, the effect of corporate governance mechanisms on the subsequent performance of firms issuing seasoned equity, and the relations between corporate risk management and the need for external sources of financing.

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Dr. Greg Filbeck, CFA, FRM, CAIA

Biography:

Greg joined the faculty of Penn State Erie as professor of finance in 2006 and holds the Black Family Endowed Professorship of Insurance and Risk Management. He has published over 55 articles in refereed journals and authored two books. His research studies are focused within the investments, portfolio management, and behavioral finance areas. In addition to ten years’ experience in academia (Miami University and the University of Toledo), he has seven years of experience as senior vice-president of Schweser, a division of Kaplan, Inc., where he headed the content and curriculum areas and started and led the marketing and sales areas. Greg has trained candidates for the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA), Financial Risk Manager (FRM), and Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst (CAIA) designations on a worldwide basis

• Presentations
• Publications

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Kristen Goedert, JD, CPA

Biography:

Ms. Goedert is currently Corporate Counsel and Chief Operating Officer for a closely held Aggregate Company. She has been concentrating on corporate legal issues as well as estate & trust planning for the family owners. Previously, she has worked with the accounting firm McGladrey & Pullen, LLP focusing on estate, gift and trust tax planning and preparation as well as S corporations and individuals. Kristen has also practiced law again focusing on all issues related to tax. She received her law degree from Vermont Law School, cum laude, in 1991 and received her Bachelor’s Degree in accounting from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse in 1988.

She has also been an adjunct professor of accounting at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse as well as a frequent speaker on financial and estate issues affecting women. She has served on the Boys & Girls Club of La Crosse Board of Directors and was a member of the local committee of the Office of Lawyers Regulation dealing with attorney ethical violations.

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Adam Hardi, CFA, CFP

Biography:

Adam is currently working as an Associate on the Treasury side of investment banking at TD Securities in Toronto. He has been teaching the Toronto weekly classes since he earned his charter in 2007, primarily in the areas of finance, securities and portfolio management. In addition, he assists with content and question writing for the Schweser workbooks and has most recently taught at the Windsor Study Seminar.

Adam holds an MBA in finance from the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto. Prior to completing his MBA, he had over seven years of experience in finance at CIBC Wealth Management, both in equity and derivatives trading. He spent long hours on the trading desk as an institutional trader and was most recently managing a team of equity and fixed income traders. In his spare time Adam is an avid sports enthusiast and enjoys rowing and kayaking, martial arts and all winter sports.

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John Harris, CFA, CPA

Biography:

John has more than 20 years of experience in credit and financial management, with particular emphasis in the areas of commercial loan valuation and asset recovery. In addition to his accounting practice, John operates Financial Accounting Workshops, a provider of accounting education and training to business professionals. He has a comprehensive grasp of financial accounting issues, as well as the ability to make those issues understandable and applicable in daily practice.

John earned both an MBA and MS from the University of North Texas and a BBA from Texas Tech University. He is a Certified Public Accountant and CFA charterholder. John has lectured for the Dallas Society of Financial Analysts, the Financial Analysts Society of South Africa, the Houston Society of Financial Analysts, the Italian Society of Investment Professionals, the Netherlands Society of Investment Professionals, the Swiss Society of Investment Professionals, Texas Christian University, the Twin Cities Society of Security Analysts, the UK Society of Investment Professionals, and the University of Texas at Arlington Center for Professional Development.

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Dr. Jonathan Haughton, CFA

Biography:

Jonathan is an associate professor of economics at Suffolk University. He successfully completed his CFA^® Level 3 exam in June 2002. A prize-winning teacher, his recent research has included an examination of the competitiveness of metropolitan areas of the U.S., the development of a number of national and state level computable general equilibrium tax models, and several articles on the economy of Vietnam. Jonathan has done research or taught in nearly 20 countries and earned his Ph.D. from Harvard University.

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Dr. Andrew Holmes, CFA

Biography:

Andrew is a finance faculty member at Brigham Young University. Before returning to academia, he was the former Senior Editor of Kaplan Schweser’s CFA Level II study notes and has worked with the CFA curriculum and CFA candidates for a number of years. In addition to his instruction with Kaplan Schweser, he has accumulated well over 15 years of full-time teaching experience and has published or presented numerous articles in several areas of finance, including banking, real estate, personal finance, and investments. Andrew brings substantial academic and industry experience as well as excellent teaching credentials. He is a sought-after presenter for CFA Level I & II preparation seminars.

Andrew obtained his doctorate from the University of Houston and has taught at the University of Houston, Sam Houston State University, and Brigham Young University. In addition to being the recipient of several teaching awards, he also has significant experience with executive MBA programs and executive development programs.

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Dr. Sanjiv Jaggia, CFA

Biography:

Sanjiv is a professor of economics at Suffolk University and has research interests in empirical finance and econometrics. He has published in journals such as the Journal of Empirical Finance, Journal of Banking and Finance, Review of Economics and Statistics, and Journal of Econometrics. Sanjiv has consulted for public policy as well as financial services institutes. He has taught in the CFA review program for many years.

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Joseph T. Kastantin, MBA, CPA, CMA

Biography:

Joe Kastantin has worked 44 years in a wide range of fields including: university education, professional development training for auditors and lawyers, public accounting, manufacturing, sales, investment service, and the U.S. Army. For the past 29 years, Kastantin has served as Associate Professor of Accountancy at the University of Wisconsin – La Crosse where he currently teaches Auditing, International Financial Reporting Standards, and Intermediate Accounting II. Previously he taught Intermediate Accounting I, Advanced Accounting, several principles of accounting courses and has published 29 journal articles and books.

Kastantin served from 1997--2008 in both full-time and part-time capacities with KPMG Central Europe in the department of professional practice and training where he conducted more than 100 IFRS and other technical courses for more than 1,200 KPMG auditors and lawyers.

Kastantin served on the board of directors and audit committee of the North Central Trust Company for three years and as chairman of the board of La Crosse Funds, Inc. for four years. Additionally, he served as president and board member for several not-for-profit entities, CEO of a small manufacturing company, business manager for an auto dealership, controller for a textile wholesaler, and sole practitioner in public accounting.

He served nearly ten years on active duty with the U.S. Army (SFC E-7) with tours in Korea and Vietnam and as an instructor and MOS test writer at the U.S. Army AG School.

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Dr. Abbas Kazemi, CFA

Biography:

Abbas has over fifteen years of teaching experience in economics and finance. As an associate professor of finance at Rhode Island College, he teaches corporate finance, investment theory, quantitative methods, international finance, and portfolio management. He also developed and currently supervises the Student Managed Investment Fund (SMIF).

Abbas earned his PhD from SUNY at Stony Brook. Since receiving his CFA charter, he has presented CFA review programs and written questions for practice exams. He has had several articles published in economics and finance journals and has been invited to present his work at numerous conferences both in the U.S. and abroad. His current research project involves the use of credit derivatives to manage credit risk for financial institutions. Abbas received the prestigious Fulbright scholarship in 1994 to conduct research in Turkey.

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Dr. Shahriar Khaksari, CFA

Biography:

Shahriar is a professor of finance at Suffolk University, where he was chairperson of the finance department for nearly ten years. He has founded and directed various programs at Suffolk. His 20 years’ teaching experience includes the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, Cleveland State University, University of Maryland, and Harvard University. He was a visiting scholar in the Department of Housing and Urban Development in Washington, D.C. In 1993, Shahriar founded the American Institute of Advanced Finance (AIAF), a Boston-based CFA^® review program, recently acquired by Kaplan Educational Centers. He has taught CFA^® review courses for 10 years and was senior author of the AIAF CFA^® Review Manuals for Levels I, II, and III. Shahriar has developed and conducted executive training programs for both domestic and international firms (e.g., Gillette, Pierson, Kraft Industries, Smith Barney) as well as some of Russia’s largest banks. He is co-author of New Directions in Finance (1994) and Managerial Finance in the Corporate Economy (1994). In addition to publishing numerous academic papers in leading finance journals, he is Associate Editor of the International Journal of Finance.

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Steve Klaffke, CFA

Biography:

Steve is a partner and co-founder of ARX Capital Management, LLC. Steve has 20 years’ investment experience as both an equity analyst and portfolio manager. Prior to forming an independent money management firm, he managed the USAA Income Stock Fund with $2.0 billion in assets. He co-founded JKE Exam Review in 1990 and has taught various CFA review courses. Steve is a past President of the Dallas Association of Investment Analysts and is a current member of the San Antonio Financial Analysts Society. Steve has co-authored research published in the Journal of Portfolio Management. Steve earned his BS from Indiana University and received a MBA from Texas Christian University.

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Jim Knafo, CA, CPA

Biography:

Jim Knafo was among the very first Canadian CAs to pass the U.S. CPA Reciprocity Exam (IQEX) and since 1995 he has helped more than 3,000 accountants pass the U.S. CPA exams in North America, Asia, and Europe.

Jim is the Academic Director of International Accounting Seminars Inc., an Instructor in U.S. Taxation at Athabasca University's School of Business, and a Seminar Leader at the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Ontario's School of Accountancy.

Jim previously directed one of Canada's largest U.S. CPA Preparatory Programs.

Jim is an exam-grading specialist and was, for several years, involved in the marking of thousands of professional final examinations for Canadian governing bodies. For eight years, Jim worked with the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants at its marking center for the Uniform Final Examination in various capacities including Team Leader. In 2001 and 2002, the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Ontario appointed Jim as its Provincial Reviewer for the Uniform Final Examination.

Jim is also a member of the International Qualifications Appraisal Board of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. The Board works cooperatively with the U.S. National Association of State Boards of Accountancy, the governing body that administers the U.S. CPA exams, to identify the differences between the qualification requirements of professional accountants in the United States and those of other countries.

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Dr. Ganesh Krishnamoorthy, CPA, CA

Biography:

Ganesh earned his Ph.D. from the University of Southern California, a master of accountancy degree from Bowling Green State University, and a master of commerce degree from the University of Delhi. He also holds professional accounting certification in the U.S. (CPA) and in India (CA). In addition to being an associate professor of accounting at Northeastern University in Boston, Ganesh has extensive work experience in public accounting and in industries that span several countries including India, Liberia, and the United States. He has been teaching the Financial Statement Analysis Section of the CFA Exam for both Levels 1 and 2 for the past 8 years in the Boston area. His primary areas of research interests are in corporate governance, audit judgment, and internal auditing. He has received several awards and grants for his work from institutions such as The Institute of Internal Auditors and The Deloitte & Touche Foundation, among others. Ganesh’s recent work on corporate governance, financial reporting quality, and auditing has appeared in several prestigious journals in the United States, Canada, and Australia, and he has been invited to present his work to academics and practitioners in several countries around the world.

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Susan Lakatos, CFA, CFP

Biography:

Susan is a market professional specializing in equity and fixed income valuation, corporate finance, economics, and wealth management, with a focus on statistical and analytical methods and techniques. Susan previously was the global director, securities, at the New York Institute for Finance, where she was in charge of all global training on the financial markets and investments. In this capacity she supervised the development of materials and programs by the staff of instructors and trained personally for key clients.

Her background as an investment analyst and advisor encompasses covers a wide range of financial instruments and clients. Her positions include managing editor street insight for TheStreet.com, director of research for Veronis Suhler, a merchant/investment bank; president of Ananda Advisors in New York; vice president in investment strategy for Kidder, Peabody & Co.; and economist for Washington Analysis Corp., then a subsidiary of Prudential Securities. In 1982 Susan was appointed by the United States Secretary of Labor Raymond Donovan to the U.S. Department of Labor Business Research Advisory Council, which oversees construction and release of economic indicators, including the Consumer Price Index and employment data.

A specialist in Wealth Management and the Capital Markets, Susan has delivered programs worldwide, including an international economic conference on financial markets and corporate restructuring, with speakers including: Hon. Alan Greenspan, Chairman of the Federal Reserve; Hon. Janet Yellen, Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisors; Ambassador Charlene Barshefsky, U. S. Trade representative; and other key players in world financial markets.

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Darren Lee, CFA, FRM, CPA, CA

Biography:

Darren currently operates his own consulting practice in Toronto, dealing primarily with accounting, tax and finance issues for both corporate and personal clients. He was formerly a tax manager with KPMG, an auditor with Deloitte, and an account manager in the Private Banking group at the Royal Bank of Canada. Darren is a CFA® charterholder as well as a Chartered Accountant (CA) and Certified Public Accountant (CPA-Illinois). He graduated from the University of British Columbia with a bachelor of commerce degree.

Darren has extensive experience in lecturing and grading activities relating to professional finance and accounting programs. He currently manages and teaches in the weekly CFA exam preparatory course in Toronto as well as authoring/editing CFA and CPA study materials, all for Kaplan Schweser. In addition to these activities, he maintains part-time careers as a real estate broker and a concert pianist.

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Marc LeFebvre, CFA

Biography:

Marc is an instructor of finance at Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska. Prior to joining Creighton University, Marc was a portfolio manager for RBC Dain Rauscher, where he managed high net worth client portfolios, foundations, and institutional assets. Marc was also vice president, senior portfolio manager in the Investment Management Group of the Chase Bank of Texas, where he managed approximately $680 million in high net worth client portfolios, personal and corporate trusts, as well as foundation and endowment assets. Prior to joining Chase, Marc managed a $1.0 billion pension fund for a public corporation, where his duties included asset allocation, manager performance review, style analytics, and other pension consulting related activities. Before managing pension assets, Marc performed equity and firm valuation analysis in the field of mergers and acquisitions. Marc holds a bachelor of arts, cum laude, in economics from the University of Colorado, Boulder, and a master of science degree in finance from Boston College. He has been a CFA charterholder since 1994 and has previously been an instructor at CFA review courses in Dallas, Omaha, Minneapolis, London, Zurich, Milan, and Johannesburg, where he specializes in equity valuation and portfolio management.

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Dr. Brian McKenna, CFA, CPA, CFP

Biography:

Brian serves as the director of the Center for Financial Analysis at Saint Xavier University in Chicago, Illinois. Brian earned his Juris Doctorate in 1977 and is doctorally-qualified in the fields of law, accounting and finance. He has also earned a masters of laws in taxation from DePaul University and a masters in business administration from the University of Chicago.

Brian served as adjunct faculty at Saint Xavier from 1977 to 1989 and joined the full-time faculty in 1989. He has taught over 20 courses in the undergraduate and graduate business curriculum and has served in a number of administrative positions. Prior to joining Saint Xavier full time, Brian was a recognized national expert in railroad tax litigation. His career includes service as a Revenue Agent for the Internal Revenue Service, a senior accountant for Ernst & Young, a general tax attorney for Santa Fe Industries, Inc., and an attorney in private practice. He has worked with most of the major U.S. railroads as a trial attorney or expert witness. Brian currently serves as a legal/financial adviser to several medium-sized Chicago area businesses. In addition to his CFA charter, Brian also holds the Certified Financial Planner and Certified Public Accountant designations.

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C. Dec Mullarkey, CFA

Biography:

Dec has over 20 years of experience in financial services. Currently he is a Vice President in the Risk Management Group at John Hancock Financial Services. His past experience include Senior Vice President and Portfolio Manager for LeaseForum, a company investing in alternative assets and Vice President and Portfolio Manager for American Finance Group a real estate and leverage lease investment company. He has also been a CEO of an international employee leasing company and serves on the board of directors of a number of private companies.

His expertise is in the areas of fixed income investing, derivatives hedging, and alternative asset investing. He is an adjunct finance professor at the Boston College Carroll School of Management where he teaches graduate and undergraduate finance courses. He has previously been an instructor for the Boston Securities Analysts Society where he taught review courses to Level II and III candidates.

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Steve Nightingale, CFA, ACA

Biography:

Steve graduated with honors from the University of Bradford in economics before qualifying as a Chartered Accountant with Coopers and Lybrand, where he specialized in audit, risk management, and then internal training. He subsequently moved to Credit Suisse First Boston, working within Financial Risk Control. Steve then worked for a major training business where he was head of CFA training responsible for product and market development.

His extensive teaching experience includes classes for the Chartered Financial Analyst, Investment Management Certificate, and the Securities Institute Diploma exams. He also delivers a wide range of courses on fund management, investment operations, and securities and derivatives generally.

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Dr. Eugene A. Pilotte, FRM

Biography:

Gene is an a professor of finance at Rutgers University’s School of Business-Camden. He earned his MBA and Ph.D. at Indiana University and has more than 15 years of full-time experience teaching finance at Indiana University, the University of Wyoming, and Rutgers University. Gene’s articles appear in numerous journals, including the Journal of Finance, Journal of Financial Economics, Journal of Business, Journal of Monetary Economics, Journal of Financial Research, Financial Review, and Financial Management. He regularly presents his research at national and international conferences.

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Dr. Mark Potter

Biography:

Mark has been a Professor of Finance at Babson College since 1997. He has taught at the undergraduate, graduate and executive education levels and helped to develop curriculum and teaching materials. Course topics taught at Babson include valuation, corporate financial planning, equity/business analysis, financial management, mutual funds, and the integrated core curriculum. He has also taught at Suffolk University and the University of Massachusetts-Amherst.

Mark has worked with Fidelity Investments since 1998 and did consulting work for the Michel/Shaked Group from 1997–1999. His research has appeared in such publications as the Journal of Financial Research, Journal of Business and Economic Studies, Journal of Financial Education, Mergers & Acquisitions, and Derivatives Quarterly, among others. Areas of expertise include mutual fund and portfolio performance, alternative investment Strategies, and educational research.

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Dr. Dianna Preece, CFA

Biography:

Since receiving her doctorate in finance from the University of Kentucky in 1990, Dianna has taught corporate finance, investments, and bank management at both the undergraduate and graduate levels at the University of Louisville. Dianna received her CFA charter in 2004. She also teaches in several banking schools nationwide. In recent years Dianna’s research has focused primarily on investments and the stock market and has appeared in numerous academic and practitioner journals such as Review of Financial Economics, Journal of Investing, Financial Services Review, and Journal of Banking and Finance.

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O. Nathan Ronen, CFA

Biography:

Nathan's professional experience encompasses well-known organizations such as New York Life, NASD, and Salomon Brothers. He has occupied positions as supervisory analyst training government regulators, accounting analyst, and corporate finance analyst at a Japanese brokerage firm. In addition to his background in the investment industry, Nathan possesses a wealth of experience in teaching financial subjects and training professionals in the investment field. He has taught both undergraduate and graduate courses in finance and other investment-related subjects at both Johns Hopkins University and Strayer College. He has also been an instructor for preparatory courses for the CFA exam conducted by the New York Society of Security Analysts (NYSSA), the Study Seminar for Financial Analysts (SSFA), and the Washington Society of Security Analysts. Nathan holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Management Science from the State University of New York at Binghamton and an MBA in Finance and Accounting from the University of Chicago.

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Alan M. Ruppelt, CPA, MST

Biography:

Alan earned a Master of Science degree in taxation and a Bachelor of Science degree in accounting from the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee. He is a CPA and is licensed to practice in Wisconsin.

Alan has an extensive financial and tax business background and currently operates his own consulting business in Milwaukee, Wisconsin dealing primarily with tax, finance and accounting issues for both personal and corporate clients. He was formerly a senior tax manager with Deloitte & Touche LLP and has held various responsible posts with multinational companies including Director of International Tax positions with AT&T, Cray Research, Inc., Manpower, Inc., and The Parker Pen Company. At various times in his career he has held active positions with the Tax Executives Institute, the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, and the state CPA societies in Minnesota, Texas, and Wisconsin.

Alan enjoys diverse financial challenges and recently spent almost 6 months applying his skills as Interim CFO/Controller for The Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee. For the last few years, Alan has assisted Kaplan Schweser in the review and update of various CPA/CPE courses and the Kaplan CPA Review Course.

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Carol Schuyler, CFA, CPA

Biography:

Carol is a financial consultant with extensive experience in securities analysis and investor communications through direct affiliation with two large Virginia banking organizations and as a consultant with several southeastern U.S. financial institutions. In recent years she has been involved with internal accounting and financial analysis projects with a variety of private and public organizations in Virginia.

In addition to being a CFA charterholder she is a CPA. Since 2003 she has prepared CFA exam review instructional material, specializing in accounting issues and financial analysis. She has taught investments at Virginia Commonwealth University and is currently an adjunct investor at Averett University.

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Elliott Smith, CPA, MSF

Biography:

Elliott is a senior lecturer and co-chair of the finance department at Boston College. He received his master of science of finance from Boston College and is a finance lecturer to graduate and undergraduate students in the Carroll School of Management. Previously, he founded one of the country's largest privately owned chains of jewelry stores and served as CEO for over 30 years. Elliott graduated from UMASS Amherst with a BSA in accounting and received his CPA charter in 1963.

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Dr. Andrew Spieler, CFA, FRM

Biography:

Andrew is currently an assistant professor of finance at Frank G. Zarb School of Business at Hofstra University and has previously taught courses at the State University of New York at Binghamton and Indiana University. His teaching experience includes graduate and undergraduate courses in finance, economics, and statistics. Andrew also has significant experience teaching in executive education programs.

Andrew received his B.S., MBA, and Ph.D. from SUNY Binghamton and MS from Indiana University. He has had research papers presented and accepted at national and international conferences. Andrew has successfully completed five actuary exams administered jointly by the ASA and CSA. Andrew holds both the CFA and FRM designations. He is the former research director for the IRAA, a shareholder advocacy group.

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Robert Sweet, CFA

Biography:

Bob received his BS with a double major in journalism and English from Northwestern University. He is currently a consulting editor for Dow Theory Forecasts, a weekly investment newsletter. Bob also works as a free-lance editorial consultant. Bob received his CFA charter in 2003. His investment research interests are in the areas of healthcare and technology.

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Dr. Bijesh (B.J.) Tolia, CFA, CA

Biography:

B.J. serves as the Chair of the College of Business at Chicago State University. He earned his MBA and doctorate in finance from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. B.J. started at Chicago State University in 1997 as an assistant professor of finance. He moved on to chair the department of accounting and finance and finally to all the departments in the College of Business. Apart from academia, he has experience in banking and public accounting. B.J. has published papers in the areas of IPOs, executive compensation, and international finance.

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R. Travis Upton, CFA, FRM, CAIA

Biography:

Travis is Director of Portfolio Management for The Joseph Group, Inc., a registered investment advisory firm in located in Columbus, Ohio. In that capacity, Travis is responsible for development of the firm’s core investment strategy and is director of research. Prior work experience includes positions as an Institutional Portfolio Manager with Fifth Third Investment Advisors, and institutional sales for the Harbor Funds. Travis has worked with Kaplan Schweser since 2000.

Travis is a summa cum laude graduate of the University of Toledo with a B.B.A. in Finance and is a CFA Charterholder. Travis is also a past president of the Financial Analysts Society of Toledo.

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Dr. Robert C. Wolf, FRM

Biography:

Rob is department chair and a full professor at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. He earned his Ph.D. in finance from Michigan State University and his M.A. in economics from The Ohio State University. He has fifteen years of teaching experience, which include courses on banking, risk management, financial planning, and international finance. He has traveled regularly to Eastern Europe to perform Bank Risk Management and Foreign Exchange Risk Management Seminars as well as presented local programs on similar topics. His research focuses on financial institution risk management. He has presented at national finance conferences and published in a variety of finance journals.

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Dr. Neil Younkin, CFA

Biography:

Neil is an associate professor in the Graham School of Management at Saint Xavier University in Chicago, Illinois. He is doctorally qualified to teach in the fields of economics, finance, international business, and marketing. Neil has served in administrative positions such as assistant dean and undergraduate program director.

Neil has a masters in economics and a Ph.D. in business administration from the University of Illinois at Chicago. He also holds an MBA from DePaul University. Neil has broad experience in teaching and conducting seminars at universities and corporate sites. He has published extensively, including, the Journal of Marketing, the Journal of Global Business, and the Journal of Marketing Management. Neil has also worked as a consultant for Fortune 500 companies, as well as small business clients. Neil received his CFA charter in 2005.

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