Multi-Asset Strategies & Solutions Team

Paul Zemsky, CFA

Paul Zemsky is the Chief Investment Officer, Multi-Asset Strategies with responsibility for traditional and alternative investment solutions. Under his leadership, traditional funds are supported by asset allocation, manager research, and multi-manager capabilities. Within alternatives, fund-of-funds and private equity report to Paul. His team has capabilities in derivatives/financial engineering, risk management, portable alpha, asset allocation, liability modeling and pension accounting, and multi-manager portfolio structuring. Paul joined ING Investment Management in 2005 as Head of Derivative Strategies. In this role, he oversaw derivative strategies for credit, interest rate, and equity products, and supported the organization on a number of key areas, including product development and risk management for both proprietary and third-party businesses. Paul spent 18 years at JPMorgan Investment Management, where he held a number of key positions, including Head of Investments for over $300 Billion of Fixed Income assets. He was one of the first on Wall Street to identify the potential for portable alpha strategies and liability targeted portfolios. Prior to his role at ING, he co-founded CaliberOne Private Funds Management, a macro hedge fund. He holds a dual degree in finance and electrical engineering from the Management and Technology Program at the University of Pennsylvania and holds the Chartered Financial Analyst® designation.

Frank van Etten

Frank is the Deputy Head of the Multi-Asset Strategies and Solutions (MASS) team. In this role, he manages the research and investment teams that design and implement investment products and solutions with asset allocation, manager selection and/or structured investment components. Frank also drives product development and business management. He joined ING Investment Management in Europe in 2002 on the Structured Investment Strategies team, where he initially carried out research in equity derivatives markets. Subsequently, as a portfolio manager, he oversaw two investment teams that managed a range of liability-driven investment solutions, structured funds and alternative investments and executed hedging programs and derivatives trading. Frank obtained his master’s degree in econometrics from Tilburg University in the Netherlands, specializing in quantitative finance.

Nigel Francis

Nigel Francis is the Chief of Staff for the Multi-Asset Strategies and Solutions group. In this role he provides dedicated support for the senior managers of the team, with focus on project management and business management. He joined ING Investment Management in 2005 as a project manager working for the Chief of Staff office to the Chief Investment Officer. He later joined the Global Quantitative Strategies team as a portfolio manager where he was responsible for overseeing the implementation for a number of active, enhanced index and passive strategies. Prior to joining ING, he worked in the Technology Department at JPMorgan Asset Management in London and New York, where he worked as a business analyst. Nigel received a B.S. with honors in Computer Science from Staffordshire University in England.

Elias Belessakos, Ph.D.

Elias Belessakos is a member of the Asset Allocation and Multi-Asset Solutions team and portfolio manager to the ING Tactical Asset Allocation Fund. Prior to joining ING Investment Management, he was a senior portfolio manager and director of quantitative research for New York Life Investment Management (NYLIM). Prior to NYLIM, Elias was at Bankers Trust/Deutsche Asset Management and JPMorgan Investment Management. Elias earned a B.A. in economics and finance from The American College of Greece in Athens and an M.A. and Ph.D. in economics and from the University of Pennsylvania.

Ben Chen, Ph.D., CFA

Ben Chen heads the Strategy Research team within the Multi-Asset Strategies and Solutions (MASS) Group. In this role, Ben has responsibility for strategy research and design for the MASS group’s multi-asset and structured products, including risk-based, target-date, portable alpha and structured closed-end funds. His team also provides quantitative due diligence on the managers in the investment platform. Additionally he participates in new product development and customized investment solutions for both retail and institutional investors. Most recently, Ben worked for the Structured Derivatives Strategies Group at ING Annuities where he designed a sophisticated quantitative fund analytics framework to evaluate fund managers and constructed multi-asset fund portfolio for variable annuity business, developed hedging strategies for performance guarantees offered in variable annuity products. Prior to that, he was a vice president responsible for portfolio and risk management at Starview Capital Management, a fund of hedge funds. Previously he worked as a senior quantitative analyst for Guzman & Company in Miami, FL. Ben holds a B.A. in Economics from Xiamen University and a M.A. in Economics from Peking University, both in China. He earned his Ph.D. in Economics from Syracuse University and holds the Chartered Financial Analyst® designation.

Pierre Couture, A.S.A., E.A., M.A.A.A.

Pierre Couture joined ING in March 2007 as a senior actuary in the Multi-Asset Strategies and Solutions group. He is responsible for developing customized investment solutions using traditional investment products, alternative investments, portable alpha strategies, and long duration strategies to address sponsors’ investment objectives. Prior to joining ING, Pierre was with Mercer Investment Consulting and consulted to U.S. (public, Taft-Hartley and corporate) and multinational clients seeking integrated financial risk management advice for their pension plans. He specialized in asset/liability modeling, strategic asset allocation, funding, and accounting policy analysis. Before joining Mercer’s New York office in 1994, Pierre worked in the Mercer’s Montreal office for over four years. Pierre holds a BSc in actuarial sciences from Universite Laval in Quebec City. He is an Associate of the Society of Actuaries, an Enrolled Actuary under ERISA, and a Member of the American Academy of Actuaries.

Richard Yuen, CFA

Richard Yuen, CFA joined ING Investment Management in 2008 and is currently a Quantitative Analyst in the Multi-Asset Strategies and Solutions group. Previously, Richard was a vice president at Beecher Investors, a fundamental equity investment firm and hedge fund, where he worked for five years with responsibilities in research, operations, and IT. Richard earned a B.S.E. in Computer Science and Engineering from the University of Pennsylvania and an M.B.A. in Accounting, Finance and Economics from Columbia Business School, where he attended the Value Investing Program. Richard holds the Chartered Financial Analyst® designation and is a member of the Association for Computing Machinery, Beta Gamma Sigma, and the New York Society for Security Analysts.

Wilmer E. Henao

Wilmer Henao joined ING Investment Management in July 2005 as a Quantitative Research Analyst. He graduated in May 2005 from Columbia University with a M.A. in mathematics of finance. He received a B.S. in mathematics and B.S. in economics from Universidad de Los Andes in Bogota, Columbia.

William Evans, CFA

Bill Evans is the Head of Manager Research and Selection within the Multi-Asset Strategies and Solutions Group (MASS). His team is responsible for manager due diligence and selection for all of the MASS team’s multi-manager products, including risk-based, target date, portable alpha and other asset class fund of funds solutions. The team is also responsible for the investment due diligence of all ING sub-advised funds for the Mutual Fund Boards. Bill is a key member of the Investment Committee, responsible for all of ING’s asset allocation products that are distributed through variable annuity, variable life, defined contribution, rollover payout and retail channels. He joined ING as Senior Fund Analyst in 2002. Prior to joining ING, Bill worked at Fleet Investment Advisors as a Portfolio Manager for high net worth and institutional clients. Bill holds a B.A. magna cum laude from Providence College. He is a FINRA registered representative, a Registered Investment Advisor and holds the Chartered Financial Analyst® designation.

Bindu Patel

Bindu Patel is a Senior Fund Analyst for the Manager Research and Selection Group within the Multi-Asset Strategies and Solutions Group (MASS). Bindu is the hybrid analyst for the group. She is responsible for the research and selection of both domestic and international managers within the large growth and specialty asset classes, for a variety of Multi-Asset Strategies products. Such Strategies including target-date, risk-based and collective trust asset allocation products as well as portable alpha strategies. In addition Bindu is responsible for the fund oversight and reporting on the investment options associated with the ING Funds Board and the ING Unified Board’s Domestic Equity and International, Balanced and Fixed Income Investment Review Committees. Prior to joining ING in 2005, she spent over nine years with Bank of America and its predecessor, Fleet National Bank. She held successive positions within both the retail and private bank divisions, the last of which was in the capacity of portfolio manager of high net worth and institutional clients within the Wealth Management Division. Bindu earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from the University of Connecticut. She is a FINRA registered representative.

Michael F. D'Andrea, CFA, CPA

Michael D’Andrea is responsible for the research and selection of global, international and emerging equity managers within the Multi-Asset Strategies and Solutions Group (MASS). His manager due diligence and selection activities cover all of the MASS team’s multi-manager products, including risk-based, target date, portable alpha and other asset class fund of funds solutions. In addition Mike is responsible for the fund oversight and reporting on the investment options associated with the ING Unified Board’s International, Balanced and Fixed Income Investment Review Committee. Prior to joining ING in 2005, Mike was the Director of Fund Management for the Travelers Life & Annuity Company where he managed a team of analysts responsible for fund oversight and due diligence. At Travelers, he also held a senior credit analyst position. Prior to joining Travelers, Mike was a senior analyst with Barclays Bank and began his career as an auditor with PriceWaterhouse. Mike holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from Southern Connecticut State University and the Chartered Financial Analysts® designation. He is also a Certified Public Accountant, FINRA registered representative, and a Registered Investment Advisor.

Patrick Chrysler, CFA

Patrick Chrysler joined ING in August 2011, responsible for manager research and selection within the international and global equity asset classes. Prior to joining ING, he spent six years at Rogerscasey and served as a member of the manager research team covering domestic and international equity managers. Earlier in his career, he worked for three years at Thomson Financial, now Thomson Reuters. Patrick holds a B.S. in Business Administration from Georgetown University. He also earned a M.S. in Finance from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and was a participant in the Applied Security Analysis Program. He holds the Chartered Financial Analyst® designation.

Robert E. Harris

Bob Harris is responsible for the research and selection of domestic large cap value, large cap blend, and moderate allocation managers within the Multi-Asset Strategies and Solutions Group (MASS). His manager due diligence and selection activities cover all of the MASS team’s multi-manager products, including risk-based, target date, portable alpha and other asset class fund of funds solutions. Bob joined the Manager Research and Selection Group in 2007. He has been with ING (and predecessor firms Pilgrim Funds and Northstar Funds) since 1998 in various roles, including Equity Research Associate, Trading Operations Manager, and Senior Investment Risk Analyst. He graduated with Phi Beta Kappa honors from Swarthmore College with a B.S. degree in Engineering and a B.A. degree in Psychology. He also earned a M.B.A. degree in Finance from the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University.

Matt Babcock, CFA

Matt Babcock joined ING in 2006. In his role as Senior Fund Analyst, Matt is responsible for covering the fixed income asset classes. Prior to joining ING, he spent seven years in relationship management roles at Charles Schwab, which included providing plan investment support to clients. Prior to that, he worked as an investment analyst at Moskal Klein Inc., a retirement plan administration firm in Cleveland, Ohio. Matt earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance from the University of South Florida and holds the Chartered Financial Analyst® designation.

Chalese Dalton

Chalese Dalton is responsible for the research and selection of small and mid-cap domestic equity managers within the Multi-Asset Strategies and Solutions Group (MASS). Her manager due diligence and selection activities cover all of the MASS team’s multi-manager products, including risk-based, target date, portable alpha and other asset class fund of funds solutions. Chalese joined ING as a Senior Fund Analyst in 2003. Prior to joining ING, she worked at BG Associates as an investment partner managing accounts for high net worth clients. She earned a B.S. in Finance magna cum laude from Arizona State University.

Heather Hackett, CFA, CAIA

Heather Hackett is the Portfolio Manager for the Multi-Asset Strategies group primarily responsible for outcome oriented asset allocation products and customized portfolios for institutional clients. She joined ING Investment Management in 2005 as a Portfolio Specialist supporting the International Equity and Asset Allocation teams. Prior to joining ING, Heather was an analyst in the Consulting Group of Smith Barney and she was a registered associate with Schroder & Co. Heather graduated Magna Cum Laude with a B.S. in business economics from State University of New York and holds the Chartered Financial Analyst® and Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst designations.

Jody Hrazanek

Jody Hrazanek is a portfolio manager for the Multi-Asset Strategies and Solutions group. She is responsible for overseeing the implementation of a variety of investment solutions including asset allocation, derivatives/financial engineering, risk management, portable alpha and structured products. Jody joined ING Investment Management in October 2005 as a derivatives trader with responsibility for ING’s third-party business as well as the firm’s general account. Prior to joining ING she was a convertible bond trader at Advent Capital Management. She had previously been a bond and risk arbitrage trader at Merrill Lynch Quantitative Advisors and Deutsche Bank Asset Management and an analyst at Goldman Sachs. Jody graduated Summa Cum Laude from Fairfield University with a B.S. in mathematics and a M.S. in statistics and operations research from New York University.

Jason Rausch, CFA

Jason Rausch joined ING Investment Management in April 2007. He came from Jennison Associates where he most recently worked as a Portfolio Assistant. In his current role, Jason is part of the team responsible for trading derivatives for ING’s third-party accounts. He graduated with a B.S. in Finance from Marist College and a B.B.A. in Accounting from Dowling College. Jason holds the Chartered Financial Analyst® designation and is a member of the New York Society of Securities Analysts.

May Tong, CFA

May Tong is a Portfolio Manager for the Multi-Asset Strategies and Solutions group. She joined ING Investment Management in June 2006 as a Portfolio Manager for the Global Quantitative Strategies team which managed approximately $16 billion in active and passive quantitative funds. Prior to joining ING, she was a Trader and Associate Portfolio Manager for five years for the Quantitative Advisors group within Merrill Lynch Investment Managers with oversight of $60 billion of passive and enhanced strategies. She graduated Magna Cum Laude in 2001 with a B.S. in Finance and Accounting from Boston College. She also earned an M.B.A. from Columbia in 2010 and holds the Chartered Financial Analyst® designation.

Steve Sedmak

Steve Sedmak is a Portfolio Manager for the Multi-Asset Strategies and Solutions group. He joined ING Investment Management in November 2006 as Portfolio Manager on the quantitative investment team, where he was responsible for overseeing the implementation for a number of active, enhanced index, and passive strategies. Prior to joining ING, Steve was a trader in the portfolio and algorithmic trading group at Stifel Nicolaus. He also worked in portfolio trading at Legg Mason and CIBC World Markets. In addition, Steve worked on the equity derivatives strategy team at Merrill Lynch. Steve earned a B.A. in Mathematics and a B.S. in Business Administration from the University of Southern California, and an M.S. in Mathematics of Finance from New York University.

Seth D. Finkelstein, CFA

Seth Finkelstein is a Client Portfolio Manager in the Multi-Asset Strategies and Solutions group covering asset allocation products, target date/lifecycle funds, pension risk management solutions and portable alpha mandates. In addition to his responsibilities within MASS, Seth leads the Investment Services team which is comprised of client portfolio managers and portfolio specialists residing within ING's various investment boutiques. Seth joined ING Investment Management in 2005 as Senior Portfolio Specialist for Fundamental Equity. Seth brings many years of investment experience spanning a variety of traditional and alternative asset classes, and has worked with a broad spectrum of retail and institutional client segments. Prior to joining ING, Seth was with Seneca Capital Management where was a portfolio advisor on growth equity and domestic fixed income strategies. Earlier in his career, he was lead product manager for JPMorgan Investment Management’s retirement business. Seth graduated summa cum laude with a B.B.A. in finance and holds the Chartered Financial Analyst® designation.

Tom Applegate, CFA

Tom Applegate is a Senior Portfolio Specialist with the Multi-Asset Strategies and Solutions Group which manages multi-asset portfolios from target date retirement funds and discretionary asset management programs to complex portfolios using sophisticated risk management and hedging techniques to help pension plan sponsors improve the correlation of assets to liabilities while managing inherent market risks. Tom also focuses on product development initiatives, such as retirement income solutions, and supports institutional and advisor marketing efforts. Tom has experience in investments and financial services most recently managing the investment solutions and consulting team for the Merrill Lynch Retirement Group where he oversaw a staff of plan consultants and actuaries focusing on risk management strategies for pensions and optimal plan design structures for 401(k) plans. He also served as an Institutional Investment Consultant and held roles in sales and marketing of retirement plan record keeping and investment services during his 18 year tenure with Merrill Lynch. Tom holds a B.A. in business and accounting from Muhlenberg College. He holds the Chartered Financial Analyst® designation and is a member of the New York Society of Security Analysts.

Rachael Camargo

Rachael Camargo is a Portfolio Specialist within ING Investment Management’s Multi-Asset Strategies and Solutions team. She is responsible for driving asset growth and retention activities for traditional asset allocation products, portable alpha strategies and customized solutions with ING’s distribution, external parties and key clients. Rachael manages the business and commercial aspects of the investment team in partnership with product management, sales and client service groups. Previously, Rachael was responsible for the firm’s fundamental equity strategies, including Large Cap Core, 130/30, and sector-specific portfolios such as global natural resources, technology and financials. Her experience also extends to closed-end funds from concept through launch. Rachael joined ING Investment Management in 2001. Prior to joining ING, she worked at Grey Global Group and Wechsler Ross & Partners. She received a B.F.A. from Carnegie Mellon University and an M.B.A. from New York University’s Stern School of Business. Additionally, she holds the Series 7 license with FINRA.

Susan Viston

Susan Viston is a Senior Portfolio Specialist for ING Investment Management’s Multi-Asset Strategies and Solutions team. She is responsible for managing the business activities associated with ING’s target date and risk based products, including customized target date solutions. Prior to this role, she was the lead portfolio specialist for several of ING’s fundamental equity strategies, including large cap core, equity income, 130/30 and sector-specific strategies. Susan joined ING Investment Management in 2002 and worked as an investment risk specialist in the ING Investment Risk Department. She received a B.A. in economics from Drew University.

Jianyuan Shang, Ph.D.

Jianyuan Shang is a quantitative analyst in the Multi-Asset Strategies and Solutions group. Prior to joining ING investment Management in 2011, Jianyuan was a quantitative analyst with Public Service Enterprise Group and Constellation Commodity Group. Jianyuan received her Ph.D. in Physics and M.S. in Statistics from University of Michigan, Ann Arbor and her B.S. in Physics from Tsinghua University, Beijing, China.