Jackie Hallihan
Executive Director
Jackie is the Co-Executive Director of CSS’s Compliance Services team and has over 25 years’ regulatory and risk management experience. She was the founder of National Regulatory Services (NRS) which started the compliance resource business and served as its President for over 20 years.
She also founded the National Society of Compliance Professionals (NSCP), a non-profit organization for compliance officers, staff and lawyers serving the compliance industry. It now boasts over 2000 memberships. Jackie has been a leading speaker to compliance professionals, including in-house training programs and various other industry association conferences, and has received numerous industry awards.
Jackie also serves as Director, Clerk of the New England Broker Dealer Investment Adviser Association (NEBDIAA), a non-profit organization, incorporated in 1997. The purpose of NEBDIAA is to provide a forum for the professional exchange of information among investment advisers, broker dealers, and persons who provide services to investment advisers and broker dealers, and to direct communication among its members which will improve their ability to serve the needs of their respective clients. The forum will help NEBDIAA’s members meet the increased regulatory demands placed on investment advisers, broker dealers, and persons who provide services to investment advisers and broker dealers.
Matt Calabro
Executive Director
Matt leverages his compliance and operations experience in the investment management industry to assist advisers and investment companies in advancing the effectiveness of their compliance programs.
Matt’s experience gives him a broad view of an organization’s business, enabling him to develop compliance solutions that support an organization’s strategic goals. He has developed and enhanced annual compliance review processes for investment advisers, mutual funds and broker-dealers. Further, he has implemented due diligence oversight programs for third parties, including investment sub-advisers, transfer agents, fund administrators and technology providers. As part of CSS’s Compliance Services team, Matt assists organizations with annual compliance reviews, risk assessments and compliance policy development.
Matt is an experienced chief compliance officer, having served as CCO for registered mutual funds, investment advisers and a family of UCITS funds.
Before joining CSS, Matt was Deputy CCO at Delaware Investments, where he led the daily activities of the firm’s compliance department covering advisory, fund and distribution activity. Under his leadership, Delaware implemented specific improvements in its guideline compliance, advertising review and Code of Ethics programs. Prior to Delaware, Matt spent 20 years in Raymond James’ investment advisory business, where he led mutual fund operations. While there, he implemented and upgraded controls, processes and technology and also served as the first full-time CCO to the mutual funds following the adoption of the Compliance Rule. Matt began his career as an auditor at Price Waterhouse.
Matt earned his B.S. in Accounting and his Masters of Accountancy from the University of Florida – Fisher School of Accounting. He is a certified public accountant.
Allison Fraser CFE
Director, Institutional and RIC Services
Allison provides compliance consulting services to investment advisers, registered investment companies and private investment funds, including conducting annual compliance program reviews and testing, developing risk assessments and preparing for SEC examinations.
She also assists clients with drafting policies and procedures and preparing regulatory filings. On behalf of, the Compliance Services division of CSS, Allison served as the Chief Compliance Officer for a family of alternative funds registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940.
Prior to joining CSS, Allison served as a Senior Vice President of Compliance at Northern Trust Investments, Inc. (“NTI”), the asset management subsidiary of The Northern Trust Company. In this capacity, she managed and administered the compliance due diligence program for NTI’s Multi-Manager Solutions and Outsourced Chief Investment Officer businesses. Allison also was the Chief Compliance Officer of two registered funds of hedge funds advised by NTI as well as a member of the funds’ Pricing and Disclosure Committees. Before joining NTI, Allison served as the Compliance Director for General Motors Asset Management, where she assisted with the administration of the compliance program for this registered investment adviser.
Allison earned a B.S. from the University of Vermont and a Legal Assistant Certificate from The George Washington University. Allison has also obtained the designation as a Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE). The CFE credential denotes proven expertise in fraud prevention, detection and deterrence.
John Gentile
Director, Private Fund and Broker-Dealer Services
John Gentile is responsible for overseeing various types of broker-dealer and investment adviser consulting engagements, including conducting SEC/FINRA internal control reviews, anti-money laundering testing, written supervisory policy and procedures testing, and other consultation services.
John is a frequent speaker at industry conferences on various compliance topics, including “Effective Supervision,” “Large Firm Testing,” FINRA Supervisory Control Rules” and “Anti Money Laundering Requirements for Broker Dealers under the PATRIOT Act.”
In 1987 John joined the SEC as a Securities Compliance Examiner, becoming a Branch Chief in 1991. He became Assistant Regional Director in 1993, supervising a team of 20 broker-dealer managers and examiners. He also planned and conducted financial, operational, and sales practice examinations of the largest broker dealers and was among those responsible for a review of hedge funds’ impact on broker dealer internal controls.
Before joining the SEC, John was a Financial Damage Analyst with PaineWebber Inc. Most recently from 2000-2007 John was an Executive Consultant, Broker-Dealer Services, at National Regulatory Services. John has an MBA from Fordham University and a BS in Finance from Central Connecticut State University. From 1995 to 2002, John was also a member of the Securities Industry Continuing Education East Coast Content Committee.
E.J. Yerzak CISA, CISM, CRISC
Director, Cybersecurity Services
E.J. assists advisers to hedge funds, private equity funds, funds of funds, pension advisers, and retail investment advisers in bridging the gap between compliance and cybersecurity risk management.
In addition to conducting compliance program annual reviews, risk assessments, and mock exams, E.J. is Director of Cyber IT Services of the technology team at CSS which provides cybersecurity consulting services to its clients. In this capacity, E.J. assists firms in assessing and managing their cybersecurity risk – from network vulnerability scanning and penetration testing to onsite cybersecurity assessments and assistance in implementing the NIST cybersecurity framework.
E.J. has authored articles and alerts on emerging regulatory and technology issues, and is regularly requested to speak as a cybersecurity expert at industry conferences and events throughout the country. He is a Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA®), Certified Information Security Manager (CISM®), and Certified in Risk and Information Systems Control (CRISC™).
E.J. holds a Bachelor of Arts in both English and Computer Science, Magna Cum Laude, from Colgate University, a Master of Science degree in Computer Information Technology from Central Connecticut State University, as well as a J.D., Magna Cum Laude, from Quinnipiac University School of Law. He is licensed to practice at the State Bar of Connecticut and in federal court before the U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut.
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