Bill Baker, CFA, Founder & Portfolio Manager

Bill Baker founded our predecessor, GARP Research Corporation, in late 1995 after gaining portfolio management experience by managing in excess of $100 million for nine years.  Bill has performed investment management and research for over 25 years.  Bill was a portfolio management professional at Oppenheimer Mutual Funds for nearly five years, managing stock investing for several funds totaling over $500 million. One of these funds, Oppenheimer Asset Allocation, was awarded Morningstar’s 5-Star mutual fund rating in November 1990 shortly before he left the firm.  Subsequently he joined Reich & Tang as one of four portfolio investment managers until founding Gaineswood (GARP).  Bill received his Master of Business Administration from the Amos Tuck School at Dartmouth College in 1980, and he was granted a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics in 1978 from the University of Pennsylvania.

Michelle England, Compliance Manager

Michelle joined Gaineswood’s investment management team in May 2006. She is an operations specialist with over a decade of experience in the financial and brokerage industry and in general principal and financial operations licenses. Most recently she was the compliance coordinator at H. Beck. From 2003-2005 she was an operations specialist at Provident Bank, and held the same title before leaving Allfirst Financial in 2003, having risen through the ranks since 1995. She holds an AA degree from City Colleges of Chicago, European Division, and speaks fluent German.

Rob Furlong, CFA, Analyst, Director of Research

Rob Furlong joined Gaineswood’s investment management team in February 2000. He initiated ideas on over 50 companies in a dozen different industries, including restaurants, specialty retailers, medical device manufacturers, aerospace & defense contractors, business service providers, and biotechnology companies. As director of research, Rob helps determine the scope and direction of coverage, primarily by leading screening efforts that result in roughly 100 conversations per year with small and mid-cap companies, as well as enforcing Gaineswood’s heritage of in-depth, fundamental analysis. Prior to Gaineswood, Rob worked at Institutional Shareholder Services where he was responsible for analyzing corporate governance issues. He received his Masters of Science degree in Finance from the University of Baltimore and his Bachelor of Arts degree from York College.

Steve Saunders, Senior Analyst

Steve Saunders came to Gaineswood in September 2012. He has 9 years of generalist buyside experience originating investment ideas and performing deep journalistic due diligence. Most recently, Steve was Director of Research of Cacti Asset Management, a $300m concentrated, core equity strategy. He was fundamental in the development of the firm's strategy and investment process, which outperformed the S&P 500 TR seven out of the last nine years. Prior to the investment business, Steve was a turnaround consultant for FTI and PricewaterhouseCoopers advising troubled companies and bank-groups on business models, strategy and valuation. He received his B.S. in Economics from Penn State University where he was both a scholarship soccer goalkeeper and University Scholar.

Ann Weadock, Office Manager

Ann Weadock joined Gaineswood in April 1999. Ann received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Barry College in Miami in 1973. Ann also received a Masters of Science degree from the Johns Hopkins University in 1978 as a reading specialist. Ann held the position of Office Manager at Seneca Harbor Development Corporation from 1985 to 1996. Ann taught English from 1973 to 1977 to Miami sixth graders, and later Reading and English from 1978 to 1982 at the McDonogh School in Baltimore .