About SpiderRock

Working together to solve investor's most challenging problems

SpiderRock Advisors is an asset management firm focused on providing customized option overlay strategies to investors. Combining world-class technology with comprehensive derivatives expertise, we are making it easy for Institutions and Financial Advisors to add option strategies to their investment portfolios.

Mission

To help investors manage risk and improve the after-tax outcomes of their portfolios as the industry’s leading derivatives fiduciary.

Philosophy

Derivatives have a place in almost all portfolios, with volatility as an asset class serving as a core holding. Risk-adjusted returns and tax-aware portfolios are often best achieved utilizing derivatives solutions. Combining world-class technology with comprehensive derivatives expertise, we provide unparalleled personalization to investors and their advisors. With increasing challenges to tax and retirement planning, SpiderRock is leading the industry forward with new technology, commitment to education, and novel solutions to risk management.

Values

As a fiduciary, we are committed to acting in our client’s best interest. This applies to our highly personalized investment decisions, as well as our aspiration to lead the industry forward by improving upon antiquated standards. We seek to serve clients with investment allocations of all sizes, democratizing a formerly exclusive asset class.

Eric Metz

President, Chief Investment Officer

Eric oversees all investment strategies and portfolio management activities at the firm. Prior to joining SRA, Eric was the Derivatives Strategist and Portfolio Manager at RiverNorth Capital Management, managing both mutual fund and hedge fund assets. He began his career with the Chicago Trading Company on the floors of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) and the Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE). After the trading floors, Eric was a senior trader and partner at both Ronin Capital and Bengal Capital, proprietary trading firms specializing in volatility arbitrage.

Eric graduated, Magna Cum Laude, from the University of Michigan with a B.S.E in Industrial and Operations Engineering. He earned his M.S.E., with honors, in Industrial and Operational Engineering, and was enrolled in the program’s PhD program. Eric is a CFA Charterholder, a member of the CFA Institute, the CFA Society of Chicago and a board member of the OIC Institutional Advisory Council.

Dave Donnelly

Managing Director

Dave is responsible for business development and client portfolio management at SpiderRock Advisors. He began his career at Lord, Abbett & Co. in 2003, and has since worked closely with advisor and institutional clients across a range of products, including traditional equity and fixed-income, managed futures, volatility arbitrage and private equity. Prior to SpiderRock Advisors, Dave was the Founder and President of the quantitative strategy firm Strategic Alpha. Dave earned his undergraduate degree in Mathematics and Economics from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and received an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.

Bruce Mumford

Chief Financial Officer, Chief Compliance Officer

Bruce is responsible for leading financial oversight and management at SpiderRock Advisors. He has over 30 years of executive experience within financial services and asset management. In his most recent role prior to SpiderRock Advisors, Bruce served as a Partner at Emerging Edge, LLC, where he was an Advisor and investor to multiple alternative investment funds. Bruce previously held executive leadership roles at ABN AMRO, including as the President and CEO of its U.S. Broker Dealer unit, and Executive VP of its Clearing & Execution Services division. Bruce has his BSE, summa cum laude, in Industrial and Operational Engineering from the University of Michigan, and received an MBA from Harvard Business School.

Fred Sloneker

Deputy CIO & Chief Quantitative Strategist

Fred joined SpiderRock Advisors in 2019 and now serves as Deputy Chief Investment Officer as well as Chief Quantitative Strategist. Prior to joining SRA, Fred was the Head Quantitative Trader for a series of volatility-focused proprietary trading funds in Chicago. He began his career as a Trader and Portfolio Manager for hedge funds JMG Triton Offshore and Claire Capital Management in San Francisco, specializing in convertible arbitrage strategies. He later created and managed a volatility strategy for Toronto Dominion (TD) Securities. Fred graduated from the California Institute of Technology with a B.S. in Economics.

Benjamin Severson

Chief Technology Officer

Ben oversees software development and technology for SpiderRock Advisors. Previously, Ben spent the last 15 years working in the financial industry at Peak 6 Investments and Bengal Capital, both proprietary trading firms based in Chicago. His technology roles over the years have included Quantitative Developer, Director of Data and Analytics, and Chief Technology Officer. Ben brings deep experience in developing quantitative options strategies and in creating and managing custom portfolio management applications. Ben has a Ph.D in chemical engineering from Northwestern University with a focus on computational chemistry and simulation and a B.S. in chemical engineering from Brigham Young University.

Mike Kessling

Director of Operations & Head of Product

Mike is responsible for business operations and ongoing development at SpiderRock Advisors. In 2005, he began his career at thinkorswim and worked as the project lead for the institutional trading and risk management software, “thinkpipes.” In 2009, TD Ameritrade purchased thinkorswim for $600 million, and thinkpipes was modified to suit the TDA investment advisor community. Prior to SpiderRock Advisors, Mike was a managing partner responsible for trading and operational efficiency at alternatives manager Two Fish Management. Mike earned his undergraduate degree in finance from Bradley University.

Annie Northrop

Head of Risk Management

Annie leads risk management at SpiderRock Advisors, overseeing the risk monitoring process for all SRA investment mandates. Prior to joining, Annie was the Director of Options Strategy for First Republic Investment Management, where she created customized option strategies for Wealth Managers in addition to developing and managing supervisory procedures for the use of options and related instruments. She began her career as an options and ETF market maker for Susquehanna International Group on the New York and American Stock Exchanges in New York City. She later moved to the hedge fund space and spent 12 years trading volatility arbitrage strategies for Parallax Volatility Advisors, BlueFin Trading, and Walleye Trading Advisors. Annie earned her BA in Economics, with honors, from the University of California at Berkeley, and an MBA from Cornell University. She is also a CFA Charterholder and a CFP™ professional.

Blake Dinger, CFA

Portfolio Manager

Blake joined SpiderRock Advisors in 2016 and serves as a portfolio manager on the SRA investment team. His responsibilities include assisting with the construction, implementation and oversight of SRA strategies. Prior to joining SRA, Blake was a financial advisor and investment analyst on a prominent Raymond James Financial Services team in southeast Michigan. Blake earned his undergraduate degree in Economics from the University of Michigan and is a CFA Charterholder, a member of the CFA Institute and the CFA Society of Chicago.

Mark Lutz

Portfolio Manager

Mark joined SpiderRock Advisors in early 2017 and serves as a portfolio manager on the SRA investment team. Mark is responsible for implementation and oversight of the SpiderRock strategies as well as equity research. Prior to joining SpiderRock, Mark attended the University of Southern California, where he earned his B.S. in Industrial and Systems Engineering and an M.S. in Financial Engineering.

Maisie Hughes

Head of Family Office Services

Maisie is responsible for business development and client portfolio management for SpiderRock’s family office clients and prospects. She began her career at Goldman Sachs Asset Management, and since 2006 has worked with institutional clients in a business development capacity in both traditional and alternative asset classes. Prior to joining SRA, Maisie was a Vice President and Business Development Manager at Wellington Management Company in Boston where she worked to broaden the scope and scale of the firm’s engagement with family offices, wealth advisors and private investors. Prior to Wellington, Maisie spent 7 years on the business development team at AQR Capital Management in Greenwich, ending as a Vice President responsible for institutional sales and relationship management in the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic United States as well as Canada.

Adam Butterfield

Regional Consultant

Adam is responsible for business development, client service and outside marketing efforts at SpiderRock Advisors. In addition to his business development & client service responsibilities, Adam co-manages the internal analyst desk for the firm. Prior to joining SpiderRock, Adam began his career at Stout Risius Ross, Inc. providing financial valuations on fairness and solvency opinions for both corporate acquisitions and divestitures including mergers and acquisitions, equity offerings, and leveraged buy-outs in regard to privately-held ESOP companies. Adam earned his undergraduate degree in Public Policy specializing in Economics from the University of Chicago and is a Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst (CAIA) Charterholder.

Austin Smith, CFA

Austin Smith, CFA

Austin is responsible for business development and client service efforts at SpiderRock Advisors as well as assisting with investment research, portfolio modeling and product development. Austin began his career at The Vanguard Group and has since worked at Verus, an investment consulting firm, helping to manage institutional OCIO portfolios. Most recently Austin worked at Uber Technologies.

Austin graduated Summa Cum Laude from Washington State University with a B.A. in Finance and is a CFA Charterholder.

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