Jessica Bulen
Managing Director, Head of Private Investments, J.P. Morgan Private Bank
Jessica is a Managing Director with J.P. Morgan with over 18 years of experience in finance. She heads the Southern California Investment business for the J.P. Morgan Private Bank and is responsible for the development of client investment strategies across equities, fixed income, foreign exchange, derivatives, and alternative investments. She originally joined J.P. Morgan in 2001, focusing on private equity and hedge fund manager due diligence for the Private Bank's Alternative Investments Group in New York. A native of Southern California, she relocated to Los Angeles in 2005 to serve as a Global Investment Specialist. In that role, she worked primarily with public company CEOs, entrepreneurs, private equity and hedge fund principals. From 2012-2014, Jessica worked with J.P. Morgan's Endowments and Foundations Group and was responsible for leading that business in the Western and Southern U.S. to provide portfolio management and advice to not-for profit organizations and private foundations. Jessica eared a BA in English and Economics from Georgetown University. She has previously served as the Chair of the Board of Directors of the Young Eisner Scholars; has served as a speaker for 100 Women in Hedge Funds and is a member of the Alumni Council and head fundraising agent for her class at Phillips Academy, Andover. She resides in Pacific Palisades with her husband and two daughters.
Rebekah Flohr
Managing Director, Cross-Product Platform Coverage, Deutsche Bank
Rebekah Flohr is a Managing Director and the Americas Head of Institutional Platform Coverage at Deutsche Bank. She is responsible for expanding business across Fixed Income, Currencies and Equities with the top Institutional Clients of the firm. She joined Deutsche Bank in 2012 from J.P. Morgan where she focused on Listed Derivatives, OTC Clearing and FX Prime Brokerage. Rebekah is a Steering Committee member of the CIB Women’s Network at Deutsche Bank. She is actively involved in mentoring and development programs at the firm. She is also a regular volunteer working to help aid and mentor the homeless in New York City. Rebekah graduated from Denison University, attended Graduate School at University of Chicago and now resides in Brooklyn with her husband and two children.
Joe Pehar
Managing Director, Deutsche Bank
Joe has been with Deutsche Bank for twenty years, having held various positions across Structured and Leveraged Finance. Joe is currently Head of West Coast Origination for DB’s Structured Finance platform, working with Credit Funds, Financial Sponsors and other Alternative Asset Managers on transactions across Asset-backed finance, Direct Lending, Transportation/Infrastructure/Energy and Credit Solutions. Prior to relocating to Los Angeles, Joe was DB’s Head of European Credit Sales based in London, leading a team of 40 people, responsible for Investment Grade, High Yield, Distressed Debt, Loans and ABS coverage of institutional investors. Joe holds a degree in Finance from the University of Illinois at Chicago and an MBA from the Kellogg Graduate School of Northwestern University.
Natalie Smith
President and COO, Arts & Sciences Investment Management
Ms. Smith is the President and Chief Operating Officer of Arts & Sciences Investment Management, a Los Angeles based hedge fund. Arts & Sciences employs a long short, fundamental investment approach, thematically investing across the capital structure with a deep cognizance for the macro path and narrative. Prior to Arts & Sciences, Ms. Smith was the Head of Business Development at Commonwealth Opportunity Capital – a $2.3bn discretionary global macro hedge fund with offices in Los Angeles, Greenwich, CT and London, UK. At Commonwealth, Ms. Smith oversaw the firms Business Development, Marketing and Investor Relations functions. Prior to Commonwealth, Ms. Smith worked in the Capital Introductions team within Morgan Stanley Prime Brokerage where she was responsible for the Continental European investor base and hedge fund relationship management within the prime brokerage division. Ms. Smith received a MA in Land Economy & Economics from St Catharine's College, Cambridge University.
John Yovanovic
Managing Director, Head of High Yield Portfolio Management, PineBridge Investments
Mr. Yovanovic joined the firm in 2000 and is Managing Director and Portfolio Manager, leading the team responsible for management of high yield bond portfolios. Mr. Yovanovic became Portfolio Manager of High Yield for the firm in 2005. Prior to 2005, he held positions as a senior research analyst and as head of AIG’s high yield trading desk; while in investment research, he served as the energy/utilities group head. Previously, Mr. Yovanovic was a senior research analyst and trader at Mentor Investment Advisors, a division of Wachovia Corporation. Mr. Yovanovic started his career in equity research at VanKampen Funds, where he subsequently moved into high yield research and trading. He received a BBA from the University of Houston and is a CFA charterholder.
Kristine Dandan
Assistant Vice President, Deutsche Bank
Kristine Dandan has been with Deutsche Bank for six years, having held positions in Listed Derivatives and OTC Clearing. Kristine is currently a Relationship Manager covering West Coast clients for Foreign Exchange Prime Brokerage, working with hedge funds, small banks, other asset managers and private family offices. Prior to relocating to Deutsche Bank Los Angeles, Kristine spent five years in Deutsche Bank New York City and started her career in Derivative Documentation at the Commonwealth Bank of Australia in Sydney, Australia. Kristine holds a Bachelor of Commerce in Finance and Marketing from the University of Sydney and a Professional Diploma in Event Management from New York University.
Lisa Zippelius
Executive Director, J.P. Morgan
Lisa Zippelius is a Relationship Manager in the Asset Manager client segment for J.P. Morgan’s Investor Services business.
Previously, Lisa spent nine years at Goldman Sachs, where she was most recently a Vice President in the Prime Brokerage group as a Securities Lending trader. Prior to her five years in Prime Brokerage, Lisa spent four years in FICC Sales and Trading at Goldman Sachs and two years in the Global Transaction Banking Group at Deutsche Bank. Lisa received an MBA from NYU's Stern School of Business, a BBA in International Business from James Madison University, and holds FINRA Series 7 and 63 licenses. She recently relocated from New York City to Los Angeles with her husband and two sons.
