H. Kent Baker - Equity Markets, Valuation, and Analysis

Joseph McBride, CFA, Head of Commercial Real Estate Finance at Trepp, is a key leader of the firm's product development and market research initiatives. He leads Trepp's Commercial Real Estate and Banking businesses that support clients who invest, lend, broker, value, and risk manage commercial real estate (CRE) assets. Mr. McBride works closely with clients and industry groups to build and enhance data, models, and analytics that drive client investment decisions and streamline their work. His market analysis is frequently cited in publications and other media that monitor the CRE market. Mr. McBride is often quoted in publications such as Crain's, The Wall Street Journal, and various regional business journals. Mr. McBride holds a BS and MBA with a concentration in finance and is an Adjunct Assistant Professor of Finance at Fordham University.

David Craig Nicholsis an Associate Professor of Accounting at the Whitman School of Management, Syracuse University. He specializes in financial statement analysis, valuation, and financial modeling. His research appears in such journals as the Journal of Accounting Research , Journal of Accounting & Economics , Review of Accounting Studies , Contemporary Accounting Research, Accounting Horizons , and Financial Analyst Journal . He has a bachelor's degree in accounting and a master's degree in tax accounting from the University of Alabama as well as an MBA and PhD in accounting from Indiana University.

Ehsan Nikbakht, CFA, FRM, is the C. V. Starr Distinguished Professor of Finance and International Financial Services in the Frank G. Zarb School of Business at Hofstra University and previously served as department chair and Associate Dean. He served on the Advisory Board of the International Association of Financial Engineers and Chair of Derivatives Committee of the New York Society of Security Analysts. Professor Nikbakht currently is on the editorial board of Global Finance Journal . He has published in Journal of Applied Finance , Financial Decisions , Global Finance Journal , and other refereed journals, and also authored Finance , published by Barron's, and Foreign Loans and Economic Performance . Professor Nikbakht received a BA from the Tehran School of Business, an MBA from the Iran Center for Management Studies, and a DBA in finance from the George Washington University.

Randolph D. Nordby,CFA, FSA, is a Professional Lecturer in the Kogod School of Business at American University. He has more than 15 years of managing and monitoring investments, investment research, security valuation, economic analysis, preparing customized investment policy statements, and portfolio implementation. Professor Nordby previously served as a member of the CFA Society of Washington's Board of Directors and a subject matter expert for derivatives regulations at the Commodities Futures Trading Committee. He holds an MS in finance from American University, an MA in economics from George Mason University, and an MBA from Shenandoah University. He is currently pursuing a doctoral degree in finance at Temple University.

Michael Pain, CFA, CFP, has of over 15 years of financial advisory experience assisting family offices and high-net-worth individuals to identify, analyze, and select suitable investments. Mr. Pain has provided high-level supervisory and management oversight of registered representatives and their supervisors for a multinational bank. He has extensive experience in both the domestic U.S. markets and the international equity markets. Mr. Pain holds a B.Com in accounting from the University of Cape Town, South Africa, and an MBA with a concentration in finance from Brigham Young University.

Shailendra Panditis an Associate Professor of Accounting at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Previously, he taught at The Ohio State University and Tulane University. His research interests include financial reporting, capital market intermediaries, and firm-level relationships. He has published in leading academic journals such as The Accounting Review , Review of Accounting Studies , and Contemporary Accounting Research . Professor Pandit's teaching interests include introductory and intermediate financial accounting and financial statement analysis. He received a BS in electronics engineering from Jiwaji University, India, an MBA in finance from the University of Indore, India, and a PhD in accounting with a minor in finance from the University of Rochester.

Dianna Preece, CFA, is a Professor of Finance at the University of Louisville. She has published in such journals as the Journal of Banking and Finance and Financial Review, co-authored two practitioner books on investments, and written book chapters on topics ranging from hedge fund performance to the future of private equity. Professor Preece also provides consulting and training to banking associations, including the American Bankers Association and the Kentucky Bankers Association. She holds a BBA and MBA from Marshall University and a DBA from the University of Kentucky.

Michael C. Sinodinos, CFA, works in wealth management and advises high-net-worth individuals, foundations, and institutions in financial planning, portfolio management, and investment strategy. Mr. Sinodinos and his team manage a total of $1.6 billion in assets for their clients. He is a member of the CFA Society of New York. He is also active in the community and works with high school students from low-income areas to ensure they graduate while providing guidance and academic assistance to mentees. Mr. Sinodinos earned a BS in business management from Stony Brook University.

Andrew Siwois the Director of Sustainable Investments and Climate Solutions for the New York State Common Retirement Fund. He is charged with providing leadership and oversight of sustainable investment efforts across the Fund's $220 billion portfolio. Previously, Mr. Siwo was an Investment Director and Head of Mission-Related Investments at Colonial Consulting, an investment consultancy to over 150 leading foundations and endowments. Before joining Colonial Consulting, Mr. Siwo was a manager at the Global Impact Investing Networking (GIIN). In his capacity, he was responsible for the operation, sourcing, and development of ImpactBase, the largest platform of impact investment funds globally. Mr. Siwo also spent five years in the investment banking division at J.P. Morgan. He was a member of the Corporate Finance and Real Estate Strategy Group at Victoria's Secret, leading project finance initiatives. He holds a BA in accounting from Morehouse College and completed an MPA in finance and fiscal policy at Cornell University. He has held FINRA Series 7, 63, and 24 licenses.

Andrew C. Spieler, CFA, CAIA, FRM, is the Robert F. Dall Distinguished Professor of Business in the Frank G. Zarb School of Business at Hofstra University. He has published in Real Estate Economics , Journal of Real Estate Finance and Economics , Journal of Real Estate Portfolio Management , Global Finance Journal , Journal of Applied Finance, and other journals. He served as Chair of the Derivatives Committee at the New York Society of Securities Analysts. Professor Spieler is also the co-director of the annual real estate conference sponsored by the Wilbur F. Breslin Center for Real Estate Studies. He received undergraduate degrees in math and economics from Binghamton University (SUNY), an MS in finance from Indiana University, and an MBA and PhD from Binghamton University (SUNY).

Raisa Varejaoworks at a credit rating agency as an associate analyst in the Structured Finance, Residential Mortgage-Backed Securities group. She is a CFA Level III candidate and holds a BS in accounting and economics from the FUCAPE Business School (ES, Brazil) and an MS in finance from the McCombs School of Business at The University of Texas at Austin.