Our Team

As a member of Canterbury’s Research Group, Mr. Amador is responsible for sourcing, evaluating, and monitoring private capital managers. He serves on Canterbury’s Fixed Income and Private Equity Manager Research Committees. Prior to joining Canterbury, Mr. Amador was an associate at TorreyCove Capital Partners, LLC, where he managed client operations for institutional investors with a focus on investment performance reporting and analysis. Mr. Amador double majored in finance and economics with a specialization in quantitative analysis at San Diego State University, where he received a Bachelor of Science in Applied Arts and Sciences.  

As a wealth management associate, Mr. Arteaga assists families with portfolio construction, asset allocation, and performance reporting. Mr. Arteaga serves on Canterbury’s Micro-Venture Capital and Fixed Income Asset Class Committees. Mr. Arteaga joined Canterbury in 2019 as a portfolio administrator serving institutional and taxable clients. Prior to Canterbury, Mr. Arteaga was a financial analyst for Tetra Tech, Inc, where he was assigned to the government services group. Mr. Arteaga received a Bachelor of Arts in business administration with a focus in management from Concordia University Irvine.  

Mr. Asmus is a shareholder and part of Canterbury’s Research Group. He is responsible for the sourcing, due diligence, and monitoring of public market investment managers. He serves as chair of Canterbury’s ESG, Fixed Income, and Real Assets Manager Research Committees, and vice chair of the Hedge Funds Committee. He also sits on the Capital Markets Committee. Mr. Asmus joined Canterbury in 2013 as an analyst serving institutional and taxable clients. Prior to Canterbury, Mr. Asmus was an institutional fixed income representative for Mutual Securities, LLC, where he provided fixed income solutions for county and city municipalities. Mr. Asmus graduated with a Bachelor of Arts from California State University, Fullerton, where he double majored in business administration, finance, and music performance, jazz studies. He is a CFA® charterholder and a Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst. Mr. Asmus is the Vice Chair of the Board and treasurer for Choral Arts Initiative, a non-profit choir organization.  
Published articles for Loren Asmus, CFA, CAIA

As the director of research and a shareholder of the firm, Mr. Blair is responsible for all functions related to research on investment managers, asset classes, and capital markets. Mr. Blair oversees the activities for all five of Canterbury’s Asset Class Committees, serving as chair of the Hedge Funds and vice chair of the Private Equity Manager Research Committees, as well as the Capital Markets and the Canterbury Outsourced CIO Committees. Prior to joining Canterbury, Mr. Blair was the director of public equity and research at Sobrato Capital, the securities investment platform of The Sobrato Organization. There his responsibilities included broad asset class research, manager due diligence on public and private assets, and tax optimization of both taxable investment pools and a large charitable foundation. Prior to Sobrato Capital, Mr. Blair was a senior analyst at Canterbury, where he focused on asset allocation, manager research, and capital market assumptions. Mr. Blair holds a Bachelor of Science in finance from California State University, Long Beach and is a Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst. Mr. Blair holds a position on the board of UCI’s Center for Investment & Wealth Management and is Chair of the LIFEvest Steering Committee.  
Published articles for Stuart Blair, CAIA

As a senior investment analyst, Mr. Brugman works with institutions and taxable clients, providing support for asset allocation, portfolio construction, and performance reporting. Prior to joining Canterbury full time, Mr. Brugman completed Canterbury’s investment analyst internship program. He graduated from California State University, Fullerton with a Bachelor of Arts in business administration, concentrating in accounting and finance.  

Mr. Chowdhury is the president of and an investment consultant at Canterbury, serves on the Board of Directors, and is a shareholder of the firm. In his role as president, Mr. Chowdhury is responsible for firm strategy, consulting, investment research, and business development. He consults directly to not-for-profit institutions in the key areas of investment policy, asset allocation, and portfolio construction. Mr. Chowdhury is a member of the ESG and Global Equity Research Committees. Prior to Canterbury, he was a contributor to the Human Genome Project while working in the Department of Pharmacology at the University of Minnesota. While there, he was lead author of a paper published in the Journal of Neuroscience Letters in 1995, Synaptotagmin I and 1B4 are identical: implications for Synaptotagmin distribution in the primate brain. Presently, he serves on the Board of Directors of the Child Abuse Prevention Center of Orange County, an international foundation based in Evanston, Illinois, as well as the finance committee of the Mission Hospital Foundation. Mr. Chowdhury received his Bachelor of Science degree in management and economics from the Carlson School of Management, University of Minnesota and is a CFA® charterholder.  

Mr. Cluck is a co-founder of Canterbury Consulting, Chair of the Board of Directors, and a shareholder of the firm. Mr. Cluck is also a member of the Canterbury Outsourced CIO Committee and sits on the ESG, Global Equity, and Hedge Funds Manager Research Committees. Prior to forming Canterbury in 1988, Mr. Cluck was a founder, principal, and vice president of the institutional consulting services of Kidder Peabody, Newport Beach. From 1978 to 1979, he was with Smith Barney Harris Upham & Company. Mr. Cluck is a trustee and serves as chair of the investment committee of the University of California, Irvine Foundation and co-authored “Asset Management for Endowments & Foundations.” He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics from the University of California, Irvine and a Master of Business Administration from Pepperdine University.  

Mr. Cruz is a member of Canterbury’s Research Group, responsible for sourcing, due diligence, and evaluating private equity managers. He also serves on Canterbury’s Global Equity and Private Equity Manager Research Committee. Prior to joining Canterbury, Mr. Cruz served as a research associate with Beacon Economics and as an associate with ICF International, assigned as a contract economist for the Department of Homeland Security. Mr. Cruz holds a Master of Business Administration from the University of California, Irvine. He earned a Master of Arts in economics from California State University, Fullerton, and a Bachelor of Arts in business management economics from the University of California, Santa Cruz.  
Published articles for Christian Cruz

As a member of Canterbury’s Research Group, Mr. Escalante is responsible for the sourcing, due diligence, and monitoring of public market managers. He serves as vice chair of Canterbury's Real Assets Committee and serves on the Fixed Income Manager Research Committee. Mr. Escalante holds a Bachelor of Arts in business administration-finance and a minor in economics from California State University, Fullerton. While at Fullerton, he was a member of Titan Capital Management (formerly Applied Security Analysis Program) and vice president of the Student Managed Investment Fund.  
Published articles for Christian Escalante

As chief operating officer and a shareholder of the firm, Mr. Ethridge is responsible for the development and implementation of Canterbury’s internal management strategy. He maintains oversight responsibility for operations, finance, human resources, and administration. Prior to his current role, Mr. Ethridge was Canterbury’s director of information technology from 2008 to 2013. His key responsibilities included developing and implementing a comprehensive IT strategy; managing vendor relationships, contracts, and agreements; and overseeing the data center and desktop support operations. Mr. Ethridge graduated from Arizona State University with a Bachelor of Science in political science.  
Published articles for Mike Ethridge

As a senior investment analyst, Ms. Flores works with institutions and taxable clients, providing support for asset allocation, portfolio construction, and performance reporting. Prior to joining Canterbury, Ms. Flores was a senior financial consultant at TD Ameritrade, where she analyzed client portfolios and advised in product and service selection. Her previous roles included business development and client service. Ms. Flores graduated from California State University, Long Beach with a Bachelor of Science in business administration.  

As a senior investment analyst, Mr. Jackson works with institutions and taxable clients, providing support for asset allocation, portfolio construction, and performance reporting. Prior to joining Canterbury full time, he completed Canterbury’s investment analyst internship program. Mr. Jackson graduated from California State University, Chico with a Bachelor of Science in business administration in finance.  

Mr. Laven is chief executive officer, a shareholder, and a member of Canterbury’s Board of Directors. He is also an investment consultant working primarily with endowments, foundations, and family offices on asset management and governance matters. Mr. Laven also serves on the Canterbury Outsourced CIO Committee, as well as the Global Equity and Private Equity Manager Research Committees. Prior to joining Canterbury in 1995, he was in charge of asset allocation consulting in the Western U.S. for corporate retirement services division of CIGNA Corporation. Mr. Laven serves on the Board of Directors of the Orange County School of the Arts (OSCA) Foundation, where he is a member of the finance committee and chairs the investment sub-committee. He graduated from Princeton University with a Bachelor of Arts and is a CFA® charterholder.  

Mr. Levey is an investment consultant advising clients on investment strategy, risk management, and portfolio construction. In addition to being a shareholder of the firm, Mr. Levey is the chair of Canterbury’s Capital Markets Committee and plays an integral role in determining the firm's macro investment views. Mr. Levey also sits on the Global Equity and Private Equity Manager Research Committees, and on the Canterbury Outsourced CIO Committee. Upon joining Canterbury in 2005, Mr. Levey partnered with senior consultants as an analyst performing asset allocations studies, implementing portfolio decisions, and conducting performance measurement. Previously, Mr. Levey was a financial advisor at Morgan Stanley. He is a member of the Orange County Community Foundation’s Impact Philanthropy Group and a member of the Project Hope Alliance advisory board. Mr. Levey received his Bachelor of Arts in business administration with a concentration in finance from California State University, Fullerton and is a Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst.  

As an investment consultant to institutions and families, Mr. LoPiccolo assists clients with investment strategy, asset allocation, and risk management. He is a shareholder of the firm and serves as vice chair of Canterbury's ESG Committee. He also sits on the Capital Markets and Real Assets Manager Research Committees. Prior to his current role, Mr. LoPiccolo was an investment analyst supporting institutional and private wealth clients with investment implementation and performance reporting. Before joining Canterbury, Mr. LoPiccolo was a sales associate for Union Bank Investment Services, providing private clients with investment and retirement planning solutions. He currently serves as a volunteer Board Member for the 49ner Foundation of California State University at Long Beach, as well as for Community Hospital Long Beach Foundation. Mr. LoPiccolo received his Bachelor of Arts in finance from California State University, Long Beach and is a CFA® charterholder.  

As a member of Canterbury’s Research Group, Mr. McIntyre is responsible for sourcing, evaluating, and monitoring private capital managers with a focus on micro venture capital. Before joining the research team, Mr. McIntyre was a Wealth Management Associate assisting families with portfolio construction, asset allocation, and performance reporting. Prior to joining Canterbury, Mr. McIntyre was part of the portfolio management group at Hall Capital Partners, working closely with family clients and their offices, accountants, and investment managers, and he completed an ESG research internship with Trillium Asset Management. While at Brown University, Mr. McIntyre participated in an engaged scholarship course that established the Sustainable Investment Fund within the Brown Endowment, interned at Brown Facilities Management with an emphasis on renewable energy, and served as the financial signatory for Brown's umbrella environmental organization, emPOWER. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in geology-physics/mathematics from Brown University. Mr. McIntyre is a board member of Brown University Club of Orange County.  
Published articles for Kyle McIntyre

Mr. Meek works with taxable clients and institutions with asset allocation, portfolio construction, and performance reporting. He is a shareholder of the firm and sits on both the Global Equity and Private Equity Manager Research Committees. Prior to joining Canterbury, Mr. Meek was an investment research intern at WCM Investment Management, where he was responsible for equity research and analyst support. Mr. Meek graduated from the University of Southern California with a Bachelor of Science in business administration and a minor in mathematical finance. He is a CFA® charterholder and a Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst.  

As a consulting associate, Ms. Miller works with institutions and taxable clients, providing support for asset allocation, portfolio construction, and performance reporting. Prior to joining Canterbury full time, Ms. Miller completed Canterbury’s investment analyst internship program. She graduated from Chapman University with a Bachelor of Science in business administration with an emphasis in finance, as well as a Bachelor of Science in accounting.  

Mr. Montgomery is a managing director, shareholder, and member of the Board of Directors; he drives the Family Office efforts at Canterbury by advising families in three key areas: strategy, organization, and measurement. In addition to providing core advice on asset allocation and manager selection, Mr. Montgomery brings value to his clients’ portfolios by developing wealth strategies that optimize tax considerations and by educating multi-generational families on financial stewardship. He also sits on the Hedge Funds and Private Equity Manager Research Committees. Prior to joining Canterbury in 1999, he worked as a financial advisor at American Express and spent six years managing his own practice at K.F.M. Mr. Montgomery graduated from Stanford University with an economics and political science emphasis and is a Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst.  
Published articles for JD Montgomery, CAIA

Mr. Murray assists clients with investment strategy, asset allocation, and risk management. He is a shareholder of the firm and sits on both the Fixed Income and the Private Equity Manager Research Committee. Prior to his current consulting role, Mr. Murray was a senior investment analyst, working with both institutional and family office clients. Also, Mr. Murray was previously a private equity fund analyst for TorreyCove Capital Partners, LLC, where he monitored and reported on the performance of funds for institutional investors. He graduated from California State University, San Marcos, with a Bachelor of Science in business administration with an emphasis in finance.  

As an investment analyst, Mr. Ono works with institutions and taxable clients, providing support for asset allocation, portfolio construction, and performance reporting. Prior to joining Canterbury full time, Mr. Ono completed Canterbury’s research internship as well as investment analyst internship programs. While at California State University, Fullerton, he gained hands-on experience in security analysis and portfolio management as part of a one-year program called Titan Capital Management. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration, Finance, minor in Economics.  

Ms. Parekh is a member of the Board of Directors, a shareholder of Canterbury, and directs the Canterbury Outsourced CIO platform, which caters to institutions and private clients who wish to outsource day-to-day management of their portfolios to Canterbury. In that role, Ms. Parekh is the chair of the Canterbury Outsourced CIO Committee and a member of each of the firm’s five Manager Research Committees. She joined Canterbury in 1996 as the manager of analytics with responsibility for directing the firm’s account analysts and client services group. In that role, Ms. Parekh secured many of the asset allocation modeling and research software tools we use today. In 2001, she became the director of manager research, responsible for oversight of all manager, fund, and product research; maintenance of Canterbury’s proprietary research database; and chairing the Investment Manager Research Committee. Ms. Parekh graduated from the University of Hong Kong with a Bachelor of Arts in economics. She completed her Master of Business Administration at Shenandoah University.  
Published articles for Poorvi Parekh, CFA

As a member of Canterbury’s Research Group and a shareholder of the firm, Mr. Podwill is responsible for sourcing, evaluating, and monitoring private capital managers. He serves as chair of Canterbury’s Private Capital and Private Capital Fund of Funds Manager Research Committees and also sits on the Micro-Venture Capital, Capital Markets, and Fixed Income Committees. Prior to joining Canterbury in 2018, Mr. Podwill was with Aksia TorreyCove Capital Partners, LLC, where he performed due diligence on private capital managers, with an emphasis on growth equity and venture capital. Mr. Podwill double majored in finance and business administration at the University of San Diego, where he received a Bachelor of Business Administration.  
Published articles for Erick Podwill

Mr. Shiras is a member of Canterbury’s Research Group and is responsible for sourcing, evaluating, and monitoring traditional, long-only equity managers. Mr. Shiras serves on Canterbury's Fixed Income and Hedge Funds Manager Research Committees, and as vice chair on the Global Equity Research Committee. He also serves on the Capital Markets Committee. Prior to joining Canterbury, Mr. Shiras served as a financial analyst with Apriem Advisors, where he conducted security and economic research, and was an investment analyst with NFP Retirement, where he contributed to strategy and market research. Mr. Shiras received a Bachelor of Arts in business administration from the University of California, Irvine. He is a CFA® charterholder and a Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst.  
Published articles for Emmett Shiras, CFA, CAIA

As a member of Canterbury’s Research Group, Mr. Sorenson is responsible for aiding in the evaluation, due diligence, and monitoring of private capital and public market investment managers. Prior to joining Canterbury full-time, Mr. Sorenson completed Canterbury’s investment research internship program. Mr. Sorenson holds a Bachelor of Science in finance from California State University, Long Beach. While at California State University, Long Beach, he gained hands-on experience in security analysis and portfolio management as part of a one-year honors program called Beach Investment Group.  

Ms. Splane, a shareholder of the firm, directs the analytics team and oversees the work done for both institutional and taxable clients. This work includes the development of investment policy statements; asset allocation and portfolio construction; manager search and due diligence; custodian bank review and search; portfolio cost analysis; portfolio rebalancing; and performance evaluation. Prior to joining Canterbury in 2014, Ms. Splane was director of portfolio implementation for Russell Investments. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in business administration with a finance concentration at the University of Washington.  

As an investment consultant to institutions and families, Mr. Stillman assists clients with investment strategy, asset allocation, and risk management. He is a shareholder of the firm and sits on both the Capital Markets Committee and the Hedge Fund Manager Research Committee. Prior to his current consulting role, Mr. Stillman was an investment analyst primarily serving institutional clients. Before joining Canterbury, he was a sales associate at KBS Capital Markets Group, where he provided advisors with commercial real estate solutions. Mr. Stillman currently serves on the board of South County Outreach. He graduated from California State University, Fullerton with his Bachelor of Administration in business administration.  

Ms. Sullivan is a shareholder of Canterbury, directs the firm’s marketing, and oversees all aspects of the company’s public and client communications, marketing, and client acquisition. This work includes: responsibility for developing and executing the firm’s marketing plan, enhancing the firm’s reputation and brand, leveraging external resources, and reinforcing a culture of marketing and client growth. Prior to joining Canterbury in 2015, Ms. Sullivan excelled in managing marketing, communications, and business development activities at for-profit and nonprofit companies, including Vertos Medical and the American Heart Association. Ms. Sullivan received her Bachelor of Arts in communications with an emphasis in business from Merrimack College in Andover, Massachusetts.  

Mr. Touhey is an investment consultant and shareholder who currently advises endowments, foundations, and families in key areas of investment strategy, asset allocation, investment manager selection, and portfolio construction. Mr. Touhey serves as vice chair of Canterbury's Fixed Income Manager Research Committee and sits on the Private Equity Manager Research Committee. He joined Canterbury in 2006 as a senior analyst responsible for quantitative and qualitative analytical work on client portfolios. Previously, Mr. Touhey was an analyst at Mercer Investment Consulting in Chicago, Illinois, and began his career as an analyst at The Rockwater Group, a boutique investment advisor in Newport Beach, California. Mr. Touhey received a Bachelor of Business Administration from Eastern Michigan University and is a Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst.  

Ms. Tseng brings more than 15 years of experience in the asset management industry to her work with institutional and taxable clients on asset allocation, portfolio construction, and investment implementation. She sits on the Fixed Income and Hedge Funds Manager Research Committees and is a shareholder of the firm. Prior to joining Canterbury in 2015, Ms. Tseng was a senior associate with Analytic Investors, a quantitative asset manager, focused on servicing a broad range of institutional clients. Before that, she worked with Western Asset Management Company as associate servicing eleemosynary clients. Ms. Tseng graduated from California State Polytechnic, Pomona, with a business administration and finance degree.  

As an investment analyst, Mr. Vendeth works with institutions and taxable clients, providing support for asset allocation, portfolio construction, and performance reporting. Prior to joining Canterbury full time, Mr. Vendeth completed Canterbury’s research internship as well as investment analyst internship programs. While at California State University, Fullerton, he gained hands-on experience in security analysis and portfolio management as part of a one-year program called Titan Capital Management. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration, Finance.  

Mr. Wood is a managing director and shareholder of the firm, and serves as an investment consultant to institutions and private families. In addition to managing ongoing relationships with his clients, Mr. Wood brings value to his clients’ portfolios through his work in developing investment policy statements, modeling asset allocation, and crafting custom portfolios. Mr. Wood sits on Canterbury’s Fixed Income, Private Equity, and Real Assets Manager Research Committees. Prior to joining Canterbury, he was a vice president at Nicholas Applegate Capital Management from 1999 through 2004. Mr. Wood received his Bachelor of Arts in economics from the University of New Mexico and is a CFA® charterholder.