HWW Board of Directors
The High Water Women Board of Directors meets regularly to guide staff and HWW initiatives and programs, and to develop focus for the organization’s growth. The Board of Directors is also organized into committees focused on specific aspects of the organization’s affairs.
Janice Abert, Abert Associates
Michele Lee Fine, Strategies for Wealth
Kathleen M. Kelley, Queen Anne's Gate
Eileen Kotecki Mancera, Venor Capital
Alexandra Poe, Reed Smith LLP
Amy Poster, C&A Consulting LLC
Anna K. Snider, Bank of America
Stacey Schell, Rothstein Kass
Susan Webb, Appomattox Advisory, Inc.
Officers:
- Eileen Mancera, Board Co-chair
- Alexandra Poe. Board President
- Stacey Schell, Board Treasurer
Sarah R. Davidoff, Ropes & Gray LLP, Recording Secretary
Staff:
Diane Keating , Managing Director Development and Industry Relations
Elanor Brand, Managing Director of Operations
Janice Abert
For over 15 years Janice Abert has been an Executive Recruiter specializing in helping asset management firms build their Investor Relations, Institutional Marketing, Consultant Relationship Management, Client Service and Marketing Communication teams. Prior to founding Abert Associates, LLC in 2004, Janice had been a Managing Director in the New York office of Warren International and a Partner at TMP Worldwide. She began her 14 year recruiting career in 1996, joining Johnson, Smith & Knisely as the Head of their Asset Management Sales Practice. Janice has always specialized in recruiting asset management distribution professionals. Prior to her career in executive search, Janice spent over eight years in sales and marketing positions at PaineWebber with her last position being the Corporate VP, National Sales Manager, Retirement Plans. Janice holds a BA from Mount Holyoke College where she has been the Co-Head Class Agent for over 20 years and a member of the Annual Fund Committee. Since 2010 Janice has been the Chairwomen of the Fund Raising Committee for the HWW Backpack Drive
Michele Lee Fine
Michele is the President and founder of ‘Cornerstone Wealth Advisory’, a division of Strategies for Wealth Creation & Protection, one of the largest privately owned, independent financial services firms in the country established in 1933. Michele is a leading Financial Advisor, a Registered Investment Advisor that manages a half a billion dollars of assets
under her management, with offices in Manhattan, Westchester, Long Island and Boston.
A graduate of New York University, Michele's extensive business and professional training, certifications and experience in finance, business development, domestic and international commerce for over eighteen years have equipped her with a knowledge and insight that makes her invaluable to her clients. Through her work with some of the finest attorneys, accountants, actuaries, economists and tax strategists in the country, Michele specializes in working with business owners, executives and professionals in their Estate and Retirement Planning, Wealth Management, Family Business & Succession Planning, Pension Design and Administration, Insurance Planning and Design, and Company Group Benefits. Michele is Securities licensed and independently insurance licensed throughout the United States. She consistently receives accolades of merit
and achievement through various industry organizations and leading companies in the financial arena
Michele is highly involved in professional, charitable and civic organizations as well. She is a member of AALU, and NAIFA, the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors. Michele serves as the Director of Planned Giving for WIZO, Women's International Zionist Organization that is dedicated to taking care of women and children.
She is a cabinet member of the State Of Israel Bonds, USA and also serves on the Business Leader’s Forum Executive Committee for UJA. Michele has sponsored a family in need for the ‘One Family Fund’ providing direct support, care and encouragement. She has been a member of 100 Women in Hedge Funds and served as a volunteer on the philanthropic committee. Michele is on the Executive Committee, as well as the Women’s Leadership Advisory Board for The Guardian Insurance Company and serves as Chairman of the Board. In 2000, Michele formed the Miracle Foundation, a foundation formed to touch, move and inspire the lives of those in need. Michele lives with her husband Randy, and their four children in Brookville, New York.
Kathleen Kelley
Kathleen Kelley is the founder of Queen Anne's Gate Capital. Previously, Kathleen Kelley was a Global Macro Portfolio Manager at Kingdon Capital Management LLC. Prior to this, she served two years as a global macro strategist at Vantis Capital Management in New York. She joined Vantis from Tudor Investment Corporation where she ultimately managed a portfolio focusing on fixed income and commodities. She began her career at Tudor in 1990 providing economic research for Paul Jones, she then spent a number of years in their systematic trading group, developing trading systems. Prior to Tudor she spent three years at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York as an economist in the international research area.
Kathleen is on the Board of ReServe and BELL (Building Educated Leaders for Life).
She has a BA in math and economics from Smith College and a general course diploma from the London School of Economics.
Eileen Kotecki Mancera
Eileen Mancera is a Managing Director and head of Business Development for Venor Capital. Previously she was a Managing Director at Morgan Creek. Prior to joining Morgan Creek in 2009, Ms. Kotecki founded Juniper Capital, a placement firm that raises capital in the alternative space including private equity, venture and hedge fund strategies. While at Juniper Capital, Ms. Kotecki raised over $3 billion in assets and focused on the emerging manager space since 2002. She also sits on the board of Synapse, which assists women from impoverished countries in gaining market access for their products. Ms. Kotecki has also been a political fundraiser and served as the National Finance Director of the Gore Presidential campaign. Ms. Kotecki holds Series 7, Series 24 and 63 securities licenses.
Alexandra Poe
Sandra is a partner at the law firm Reed Smith LLP. She has over 25 years of experience in investment management practice counseling hedge, private equity and other fund advisers and other money managers in matters involving fund formation, product development, marketing and distribution, adviser registration and regulatory compliance. Sandra frequently writes and speaks about hot topics in investment management practice.
Sandra earned her JD from New York University Law School and a BS degree from Cornell University. She is a member of the Private Funds Committee of the NYC Bar Association.
She is proud to serve currently as the HWW Board Chair and as a co-leader of the High Water Women microfinance initiatives; she also values her prior experience as a Director and Executive Director of Artists to End Hunger, Inc., producer of the International Art Show for the End of World Hunger exhibited in major museums and arts venues in twelve countries from 1987-1991.
Amy Poster
Amy currently serves as Director for Risk and Regulatory Advisory Services at New York based C&A Consulting LLC.
Amy completed in 2010, a term assignment at the US Department of Treasury, Office of the Special Inspector General- TARP, (SIGTARP) in Washington, DC and was responsible for the development and oversight of US Treasury's Public Private Investment Program (PPIP). She was also the central subject matter expert for financial markets at SIGTARP, leading critical audits on TARP recipients and inter-agency investigations. Prior to her role at SIGTARP, Amy spent more than 15 years in 4 top tier investment banks. Her most recent role was a Director in Product Control at Credit Suisse, focusing on risk and valuation for global credit products within the Fixed Income Division. In addition, Amy led the set up and post-launch risk management of several credit and distressed funds within Credit Suisse' Alternative Capital Division
Amy performed critical lead roles as a liaison to the Leveraged Finance, Corporate, and Derivatives trading desks and oversaw the revisions of risk and valuation policies and procedures for Leveraged Finance Capital Markets and Investment Banking activities. She has previously worked designing and implementing risk and valuation programs at Donaldson, Lufkin, and Jenrette, and Bear Stearns. She started her career at Lehman Brothers, as a business analyst.
She is a regular contributor to Risk Professional, the magazine of the Global Association of Risk Professionals (GARP), and has been quoted by major news publications like the Wall Street Journal and Institutional Investor. In addition, she has been featured on panels on regulatory reform and enterprise risk management.
Amy holds an MBA with Distinction from Pace University, Lubin Graduate School of Business.
Stacey Schell
Stacey Schell is an audit principal based in Rothstein Kass’ New York office. Stacey provides financial reporting, tax and accounting services to clients in the financial services industry. She specializes in domestic and offshore investment partnerships, master feeder structures and fund of funds that employ a variety of investment strategies.
Stacey began her career at Rothstein Kass as a staff accountant following college graduation in 1997. After five years of developing her technical and leadership skills in the hedge fund arena, she advanced to manager in 2002. She was promoted to principal in 2006.
Stacey continues to supervise audits for hedge fund clients and provides on-going consultation with management regarding operational and tax matters. She also reviews and provides commentary on fund documents with regard to organizational structure, accounting and tax-related compliance. In addition, she frequently participates in firm initiatives and instructs in-house professional development seminars including financial statement presentations, valuations of financial instruments, partner allocations and regulatory issues affecting hedge funds.
Stacey received a Bachelor of Arts degree in accounting and business administration from Muhlenberg College in Allentown, PA. She is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) and the New Jersey Society of Certified Public Accountants (NJSCPA). She is a certified public accountant in New York and New Jersey
Sarah R. Davidoff
As a Partner at Ropes & Gray Sarah counsels instiutional and individual investors around the globe on the most advantageous ways to form, structure and re-organize hedge funds. She also regularly advises these clients and independent managers on matters affecting their ongoing operations, including how best to structure compensation and related profit-sharing arrangements, and how to stay ahead of ongoing regulatory and compliance matters.
Recently, Sarah has advised global financial services firms and global alternative investment management companies on the launch of feeder funds, institutional seed investments and managed account agreements. She is also guiding many of her clients through the more complex regulatory environment for hedge funds ushered in by the Dodd-Frane Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010.
Ms. Davidoff is a frequent speaker at industry events including those sponsored by Lipper, Financial Research Associates, Maples Investment Funds Forum and Info Vest 21.
She holds an AB, with High Distinction from the University of Michigan and a JD from New York University School of Law.
Diane Keating
Diane Keating has worked in the nonprofit sector in development since 2005, as Development Director for the Equal Justice Initiative and as Director of Growth Finance for Growth Philanthropy Network. Ms. Keating has also served on the Board of Directors for Justice Works Community and currently serves as Board Treasurer for New York City Audubon. Prior to joining the nonprofit sector, Ms. Keating had a career in the entertainment industry as a sales and distribution executive. Ms. Keating holds an MBA in Finance from Columbia Graduate School of Business and an MA in Comparative Literature from New York University.
Elanor Brand
For over 25 years Elanor Brand has worked for nonprofit organizations in varying capacities. Her positions have ranged from Development Associate to Executive Director. Some organizations she has been involved with over the years are: Breakthrough New York, General Theological Seminary, Variety Children’s Lifeline, and Visiting Nurse Association of Brooklyn. In addition to working for High Water Women she is a Vacation Travel Consultant with CruisingCo.com.
Elanor received her BS in Human Development and Family Studies from Cornell University and attended University College, University of London.