EARNEST Partners is an asset manager dedicated to generating risk-adjusted returns for its clients
Founded
1998
Assets ($bn)*
$50+
Ownership
100%
Employee Owned
*Over $50B in assets includes assets under management and assets under advisement.
Analyst Rigor
Our dual-lens approach evaluates opportunities as both analysts and industry practitioners.
Diversity of Thought
Diversity of experience and perspective is a hallmark of how we construct our team and approach investments.
Practitioner Background
Team members bring operational expertise from logistics, credit analysis, engineering, and accounting backgrounds.
We are EARNEST PARTNERS
A seasoned team with decades of experience, investing through cycles to identify fundamentally sound, long-term opportunities.
Becky Do
Chief of Staff, Partner
Ms. Do is the Chief of Staff at EARNEST Partners. She has more than fifteen years of financial experience. She began her career as an equity analyst with The Retirement Systems of Alabama. She later joined a global investment management firm as a senior professional, where she was responsible for research, trading and portfolio management. She has an MBA in Finance from Auburn University and is a member of The Institute of Management Accountants (IMA) and The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM). Ms. Do is fluent in Vietnamese.
Paul E. Viera
CEO & Partner
Paul Viera is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of EARNEST Partners, a global investment advising on over $50 billion for municipalities, states, corporations, endowments, and universities. He conceived and developed Return Pattern Recognition®, the investment methodology used to screen equities at EARNEST Partners. Mr. Viera has a BA in Economics from the University of Michigan, an MBA from the Harvard Business School, and has over thirty years of investment experience. He was a Vice President at Bankers Trust in both New York and London. He later joined Invesco, where he became a Global Partner and senior member of its investment team. Mr. Viera serves as a member of the following Boards: the Board of Managers and minority owner of the San Antonio Spurs, the Board of Take-Two Interactive (TTWO), the Board of Dean's Advisors for Harvard Business School, the Board of Directors for the University of Michigan Alumni Association, the Investment Advisory Committee for the University of Michigan’s Endowment, and a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. Additionally, he serves as a Trustee of the Woodruff Arts Center. In the past, Mr. Viera has made significant contributions as a member of the Board of Foreign Advisors of Haitong Securities, the Carter Center Board of Councilors, the Emory University Board of Visitors, and the Cristo Rey Atlanta Jesuit High School Board. See Form ADV, Part 2B, for additional information.
Carsten Fiege
Chief Operating Officer, Partner
Mr. Fiege is the Chief Operating Officer at EARNEST Partners. With over twenty years in financial services, he has managed fund distribution, negotiated client agreements, advised on corporate governance, designed systems, and overseen regulatory issues across multiple jurisdictions. Earlier in his career he served as senior counsel at William Blair & Company and as an associate at Cleary Gottlieb in New York. He also sat on the board of an Irish UCITS fund and is fluent in German.
Trey Greer, CFA, CPA
Partner
Mr. Greer is a member of the investment team at EARNEST Partners. He has a BS in Business Administration and a Master of Accounting from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and an MBA from Emory University. He has over 20 years of investment experience and began his career in public accounting. He later joined AMVESCAP PLC where he was an Investment Manager with assignments in London, Houston, and Atlanta. He is a member of the CFA Institute, the CFA Society Atlanta, and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.
Chris Hovis, CFA
Partner
Mr. Hovis is co-head of the equity investment team at EARNEST Partners. Prior to joining EARNEST Partners, he served as a Senior Analyst with Morgan Keegan where he was an analyst in US Software. His extensive background also includes experience in the information technology industry as well as in Equity Research with SunTrust Robinson Humphrey and CQ Partners. Previously, he was VP of Marketing and Business Development at Lancope, and a senior software engineer at Intel and Alliance Semiconductor. He holds an MBA with Distinction from The Wharton School of Business and Bachelor degrees with Highest Honors in Electrical Engineering from Georgia Tech and in Physics from Centre College. Mr. Hovis is also a member of the CFA Institute and the CFA Society Atlanta. See Form ADV, Part 2B, for additional information.
Dinkar Singh, Ph.D.
Partner
Dr. Singh is co-head of the equity investment team at EARNEST Partners. Prior to joining EARNEST Partners, he worked at the IBM Watson Research Center in the Silicon Technology group. Leading a team of Ph.D.s/engineers, he helped develop semiconductor technology for next-generation electronic chips, resulting in the first demonstration of an advanced memory and world record chip speed and was awarded five U.S. patents with four additional patent applications pending. Dr. Singh has a Ph.D. from Stanford University in Applied Physics, an MBA with high honors from the University of Chicago, and studied previously at the Indian Institute of Technology. Dr. Singh is fluent in Hindi. See Form ADV, Part 2B, for additional information.
Chris Fitze, CFA
Partner
Mr. Fitze is a member of the investment team at EARNEST Partners. He holds an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School Of Business and a BA in Economics from Emory University, where he was an Academic All-American in golf and a member of the International Economics Honor Society. His graduate studies concentrated on the impact of fiscal and monetary policy on interest rates along with other areas of finance and economics. He is also a member of the CFA Institute and the CFA Society Atlanta. See Form ADV, Part 2B, for additional information.
Patmon Malcom, CFA
Partner
Mr. Malcom is responsible for product management at EARNEST Partners. Prior to joining EARNEST Partners, he worked for J.P. Morgan Chase in New York. He was a member of the Global Investment Bank providing corporate finance coverage to natural resource companies. He is a graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point and holds an MBA from Emory University, where he was a Donald Keough Scholar. Mr. Malcom led the Varsity Football team at West Point in scoring for three consecutive years. In his senior year, he was named the “Chevrolet Player of the Game” in the annual Army-Navy game. He also served as a helicopter pilot in the United States Army for more than seven years, an experience that included commanding a Blackhawk Helicopter Company along the demilitarized zone between North and South Korea. Mr. Malcom is a member of the CFA Institute and the CFA Society Atlanta.
Leticia Lazaridis
Partner
Ms. Lazaridis leads the client & business insights team, steering firmwide strategic initiatives. With 20+ years in investments, data analytics, and consulting, she leverages advanced technologies to streamline operations, enhance client service, and develop innovative investment solutions. Ms. Lazaridis is a former member of EARNEST Partners’ investment team. She also served as COO of a data analytics company, where she launched AI-driven investment tools. Earlier, she founded a healthcare enterprise that evolved from an analytics platform to a multi-service provider. Her thought leadership is highlighted by a published chapter on value-based payment models for Brazil's National Health Agency. Ms. Lazaridis holds an MBA from The Wharton School, where she received the Fundação Estudar Scholarship and Kaiser Grant. Outside of work, she is active on the board of the Wharton Health Care Management Alumni Association, mentors emerging leaders, and enjoys golfing in her downtime.
Sunna Choi
General Counsel, Partner
Ms. Choi is the General Counsel at EARNEST Partners. She is responsible for the legal affairs of EARNEST Partners. Prior to joining EARNEST Partners, Ms. Choi was a senior vice president and associate general counsel at Pathway Capital Management, LP, where she was responsible for various legal and compliance issues on behalf of Pathway and its investors, including structuring and negotiating fund formations, direct credit investments and other private equity investment transactions. Previously, Ms. Choi was a shareholder at Greenberg Traurig, LLP and practiced at O’Melveny & Myers LLP. She also practiced at Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP, focusing on finance, corporate and capital markets transactions. Ms. Choi received a JD from Vanderbilt Law School, an MBA from the University of Southern California, and a BA in Sociology from Yonsei University in South Korea. Ms. Choi is fluent in Korean.
Yugeng Sun, CFA
Partner
Mr. Sun is a member of the investment team at EARNEST Partners. As a contributing member of the fixed income portfolio management team, he serves as a portfolio manager and analyst. As an analyst, he follows existing credits and identifies new ones. Additionally he monitors the status of such US Agency programs as SBA DCPC and FNMA DUS. With the other members of the team, he trades for all client portfolios. Other duties include attribution analysis and cash flow testing. He is an honor graduate of the University of Michigan with a Bachelor of Science in Financial Mathematics and Economics. During his tenure at the University of Michigan, he worked with two asset management firms with duties including the use of statistical methods such as multi-factor linear regression and Monte Carlo simulations to identify and understand the drivers of mutual fund performance. Mr. Sun has an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, where he serves as a Booth Ambassador and a member of the Admission Committee. He is a member of the CFA Institute and the CFA Society Atlanta.
James "Jay" M. Wilson, CFA, CIPM, CPA, CSCP
Director, Chief Compliance Officer
Mr. Wilson is the Chief Compliance Officer at EARNEST Partners. He has over twenty years of financial experience. He began his career working for KPMG Peat Marwick (KPMG) in its Tax Practice. He then joined Deposit Guaranty National Bank (Regions) as a credit analyst and he later joined the Bank’s Asset Management Group, where his responsibilities included the accounting, valuation, and reporting of fixed income and derivative portfolios. He holds a BS in Accounting from Belhaven College and is a member of the CFA Institute and the CFA Society Atlanta, the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, and the National Society of Compliance Professionals.
Richard Burgess, CFA
Director
Mr. Burgess is a member of the investment team at EARNEST Partners. Prior to joining EARNEST Partners, Mr. Burgess served as an Artillery Officer in the United States Army, with duties ranging from tactical planning for combat operations to intelligence gathering and dissemination. His military experience includes a combat tour in Iraq, during which he earned the Bronze Star Medal for meritorious service. A graduate of the Army Ranger School, he also commanded a stateside detachment, where he was responsible for logistical planning and support for a deployed 900-person infantry battalion, as well as for training 200+ soldiers in battlefield survival skills. He holds a BS in Engineering Physics from the United States Military Academy at West Point, where he was ranked in the top 3% of cadets in terms of academic standing and was awarded the Lieutenant General Leslie R. Groves Memorial Award for the highest overall achievement in Nuclear Physics. Mr. Burgess also holds an MBA from the Harvard Business School and is a member of the CFA Institute and the CFA Society Atlanta.
Thomas Venezia, CFA
Director
Mr. Venezia is a member of the investment team at EARNEST Partners. Prior to joining EARNEST Partners he was a professional in energy trading, risk management and business valuation advisory. His responsibilities included financial statement analysis, financial risk modeling, portfolio risk monitoring, derivative valuation, and the development of hedging strategies. He holds an MBA from Emory University and is a magna cum laude graduate of the University of South Carolina. He is a member of the Global Association of Risk Professionals, having completed the first of two sections of the Financial Risk Manager examination. He is a member of the CFA Institute and the CFA Society Atlanta.
Jeffrey Jackson
Director
Mr. Jackson is a member of the product management team at EARNEST Partners. Prior to joining EARNEST Partners, he worked for the global investment bank, Evercore, in New York where he helped lead their Real Estate advisory practice as a Managing Director. His extensive background also includes experience in acquisitions, development and debt restructuring within Real Estate. He is a graduate of the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth where he holds an MBA and was a Consortium Fellow and he holds a BS in Finance from Hampton University where he was a Presidential Scholar. Mr. Jackson was a member of the SEO Career Program and later served as a member of the SEO Junior Leadership Board. Mr. Jackson is a former collegiate basketball player and maintains an active lifestyle with his passion for cycling.
Marcia Abbott
Director
Ms. Abbott is a member of the client results team at EARNEST Partners. She holds a BS in Business Administration from Mississippi College and has over eleven years of financial industry experience. Prior to joining EARNEST Partners, she was an Assistant Vice President and Trust Officer for Trustmark National Bank. She later joined an investment management and consulting firm as an Operations Manager. She also taught English as a foreign language in Stuttgart, Germany.
Michael Auzenne
Associate Director
Mr. Auzenne is a member of the investment team at EARNEST Partners. Prior to joining EARNEST Partners, Mr. Auzenne was a Senior Director of Brand Insights and Analytics for Buffalo Wild Wings (BWW) and Baskin Robbins (BR). In this role, he managed stakeholder relationships and led the analysis of internal and external data to generate insights for improving business performance. In 2021, he was named one of the 28 Young Restaurant Leaders to Watch by QSR Magazine. Previously, Mr. Auzenne worked for The Boston Consulting Group (BCG). on consulting engagements. Mr. Auzenne was also an Investment Banker in the Financial Institutions Group (FIG) with Bank of America Merrill Lynch in New York. Mr. Auzenne holds a BA in Mathematical Economics from Colgate University where he played on the varsity football team. He also holds an MBA from the Harvard Business School. In his spare time, Mr. Auzenne enjoys running and non-profit work, including PowerUP, an organization he co-founded to serve at-risk Atlanta youth, and Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS).
Haley Moskal, CFA
Associate Director
Ms. Moskal is a member of the investment team at EARNEST Partners. Her responsibilities include continuing research on government, municipal, mortgage and corporate issuers, including relevant ESG updates. Ms. Moskal brings experience using R for statistical analysis to the team with potential portfolio applications. She graduated magna cum laude from Wake Forest University, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology with Honors and a minor in Statistics. She is also listed as a co-author on a published psychological study related to her senior thesis. Ms. Moskal is a member of the CFA Institute and the CFA Society Atlanta.
Ralph Saturné
Associate Director
Mr. Saturné is a member of the investment team at EARNEST Partners. He holds an MBA from Babson College’s Olin Graduate School of Business and a Bachelor of Science from Babson College. He has extensive experience across a wide breadth of structured products that include explicit and implicit government-guaranteed, commercial mortgage-backed, and asset-backed securities. Prior to joining EARNEST Partners, Mr. Saturné spent nearly a decade on the investment team at Income Research and Management, and prior to that, Mr. Saturné spent several years at US Bank’s Corporate Trust division covering primarily non-agency residential mortgages. Mr. Saturné is fluent in English and French.
Nadia Barnes
Associate Director
Ms. Barnes is a member of the client results team at EARNEST Partners. Having begun her career as a mutual fund specialist with Deposit Guaranty National Bank and later joining Right Management Consultants as a Client Service Associate, she has more than 15 years of industry experience. She holds an Associates of Arts degree from Hinds Community College and a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration from Belhaven College.
Damaris P. Hodge
Associate Director
Ms. Hodge is a member of the compliance team at EARNEST Partners. Her responsibilities include investment guidelines maintenance and compliance, code of ethics administration and compliance, regulatory reporting and client reporting. She holds a BS from Duke University and has ten years of experience with wrap asset management. Prior to joining EARNEST Partners, she was an Assistant Manager of Investment Operations for a global money management company.
Derek Tubbs
Associate Director
Mr. Tubbs is a member of the product management team at EARNEST Partners. He has extensive experience in the institutional financial services industry serving in institutional business development and client service roles with both institutional “buy-side” asset managers and “sell-side” investment banks. Prior to joining EARNEST Partners, he worked for an Atlanta based boutique asset manager to build the firm’s institutional business as a senior relationship manager and product specialist. Early in Mr. Tubbs’s career, he worked on the sell-side for both CIBC and Prudential with increasing responsibilities and management roles covering institutional managers of all types. Mr. Tubbs received his MBA from the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University before starting his career in investments and earned his undergraduate degree with honors from Texas A&M. In his spare time, he enjoys trail running, backpacking and cooking.
Eric Peterson
Investment Management
Mr. Peterson is a member of the investment team at EARNEST Partners. Prior to joining EARNEST Partners, Mr. Peterson was a Director of Capital Management at Santander, where he led capital forecasting, capital stress testing, and macroeconomic analysis. He also oversaw financial modeling for the firm’s securitizations and led the analysis for the firm’s capital allocation and balance sheet optimization strategies. Mr. Peterson previously held roles in Accounting, Financial Planning & Analysis, and Investor Relations at Santander, and spent time with the Global Internal Control team in Madrid. Mr. Peterson holds a BS in Business Administration from Babson College where he was a member of the lacrosse team, earning all-conference honors. He also holds an MBA from the Boston University Questrom School of Business. In his free time, he enjoys golfing, running, skiing, and traveling with family. He is also a music fan and plays the electric guitar.
Christopher Lee, Ph.D.
Investment Management
Dr. Lee is a member of the investment team at EARNEST Partners. Prior to joining EARNEST Partners, he was a Scientific Strategy Analyst at CytoAgents, a clinical-stage biotechnology company associated with COVID-19 and oncology CAR-T cell therapy. In that role, Dr. Lee developed Core propositions for treating candidate diseases, and helped raise capital to fund pre-clinical and Phase I trials. Prior to that, Dr. Lee worked as a consultant advising the CDC, where he developed protocols for its Viral Vaccine-Preventable Branch. Dr. Lee holds a Ph.D. in Microbiology and Immunology from the University of Pittsburgh, where he co-authored multiple scientific publications and developed programs to computationally analyze RNA sequencing and imaging datasets. Dr. Lee also holds a B.S. in Microbiology from the University of Georgia. He speaks fluent Korean and enjoys cycling, cooking, fantasy football and piano in his spare time.
Naomi Lynch
Investment Management
Ms. Lynch is a member of the investment team at EARNEST Partners. Prior to joining EARNEST Partners, she worked at Nike as a strategist within the Footwear and Apparel Innovation team where she guided the development and launch of several footwear and apparel products. Previously, Ms. Lynch worked at the ticketing platform Eventbrite where she leveraged analytics to generate customer acquisition and retention insights. She also served as a technology consultant at Accenture and technology innovation researcher within the Accenture Labs. Ms. Lynch holds an MBA from Harvard Business School as well as a MS in mechanical engineering and a BS in aerospace engineering from Massachusetts Institute of Technology. In her spare time, Ms. Lynch enjoys weight lifting and live music.
Regina Martyanova
Product Management
Ms. Martyanova is a member of the product management team at EARNEST Partners. She began her career with the firm before earning an M.B.A. in finance from Emory University’s Goizueta Business School and working at Delta Air Lines, where she advised executive leadership in financial planning and analysis and enhanced the company’s understanding of non-fuel costs. She has since rejoined EARNEST Partners, bringing broader experience to her work with clients. In addition to her M.B.A., Ms. Martyanova also holds a B.L.A. in Mathematical Economics from Wesleyan College. She is fluent in Russian and enjoys tennis, cooking, and life with her two young children.
Chris Blake
Capital Deployment
Mr. Blake is a member of the capital deployment team at EARNEST Partners. Prior to joining the firm, Mr. Blake worked at Macquarie Group as an Institutional Equity Trader. There he covered equity execution, risk trading, and the management of electronic trading platforms for both local and international clients. Born and raised in South Africa, he earned his Bachelor of Commerce in Accounting from the University of Cape Town. Mr. Blake enjoys traveling and trail running in his spare time.
Nal Umrao
Capital Deployment
Mr. Umrao is a member of the capital deployment team at EARNEST Partners. He holds a BA in Accounting from Baruch College and has extensive experience in wrap asset management. Prior to joining EARNEST Partners, he was a lead trader and Senior Portfolio Manager for more than fifteen sponsor firms at a major global management company. He is a member of the Cricket League of Atlanta.
Henrique Berger
Capital Deployment
Mr. Berger is a member of the capital deployment team at EARNEST partners. Prior to joining EARNEST Partners, he gained experience as an intern with BTG Pactual, a leading Latin American investment bank, where he worked in multiple roles across institutional clients and wealth management divisions. He holds a degree in Economics from Georgia Institute of Technology with a Certificate in Finance. In his spare time, he enjoys running, playing tennis and watching Formula One races. Henrique also enjoys visiting his hometown of São Paulo, Brazil and is fluent in Portuguese.
Ben Surasky
Senior Associate
Mr. Surasky is a member of the client & business insights team at EARNEST Partners. He holds dual BBA degrees in Economics and Management Information Systems from the University of Georgia. Mr. Surasky is experienced in data analytics and visualization. Prior to joining EARNEST Partners, he gained experience as part of a deal advisory team, focusing on industry-specific insights using custom workflows, databases, and procedures. Outside of work, he enjoys playing music, mainly the guitar, traveling, and playing golf.
Hunter Straus, CFA, CIPM
Client & Business Insights
Mr. Straus is a member of the client & business insights team at EARNEST Partners. He holds a Bachelor of Science from the University of Wisconsin where he majored in Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences. Mr. Straus also holds an MBA from the University of Pittsburgh, with a focus in finance. Mr. Straus started his career at a software company that provided meteorological solutions for on-air weather reporting. Prior to joining EARNEST Partners, he worked as an equity analyst conducting research on initial public offerings, bankruptcy reorganizations and equity spin-offs. Mr. Straus is an avid runner.
Jordan Krueger
Client & Business Insights
Mr. Krueger is a member of the client & business insights team at EARNEST Partners. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics with minors in Data Analytics and Business Administration from Berry College, where he served as captain of the men’s basketball team. Prior to joining EARNEST Partners, he worked as a portfolio analyst, supporting investment reporting, client account analysis, and financial modeling. Outside of work, he enjoys playing basketball and golf, traveling, and cooking.
Rafaela Bastos-Costa
Client & Business Insights
Ms. Bastos-Costa is a member of the client & business insights team. Prior to joining EARNEST Partners, she developed data pipelines to streamline workflows across organizations. She played a key role in the design and implementation of data warehouses and ETL pipelines. Ms. Bastos-Costa holds a Bachelor of Science in Computational Sciences with concentrations in Data Sciences & Statistics and Contemporary Knowledge Discovery from Minerva University.
Minjeong Seok
Client & Business Insights
Ms. Seok is a member of the client & business insights team. Prior to joining EARNEST Partners, she worked at Kraft Heinz on the People Zero-Based Budgeting and Analytics team, where she led the People Analytics function. In this role, she designed and implemented Power BI dashboards to deliver actionable insights for business leaders. Ms. Seok graduated summa cum laude from Emory University, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Mathematics. She also earned a Master of Analytical Finance degree from Emory University's Goizueta Business School. She is fluent in Korean and enjoys reading, baking, and knitting in her spare time.
Brad Heath
Head of Information Technology
Mr. Heath is head of information technology at EARNEST Partners. Prior to joining the firm, he was a technology Manager at RBM of Atlanta, a group of Mercedes-Benz dealerships, where he led a team that supported 600 employees. He managed help desk operations, designed and maintained the IT infrastructure, and consolidated processes to reduce operating costs. Throughout his career, Mr. Heath accumulated substantial experience in the management of network infrastructure, end-point security, and software implementations. Mr. Heath earned his AA in Computer and Electrical Engineering Technology as well as several industry certifications including Comptia Sec+ and CYSA+, ITIL foundation and Fortinet NSE level 3.
Jack Brabant
Senior Associate
Mr. Brabant is a member of the client results team at EARNEST Partners. He holds a BA in Economics from St. Lawrence University and an MBA from Pace University. Mr. Brabant has over 15 years of financial operations experience. Prior to joining EARNEST Partners, he worked as a portfolio analyst at MetLife Investment Management providing performance and attribution analysis across an array of financial products. Mr. Brabant is a former college football player and maintains an active lifestyle.
Anna Kovalevska
Client Results
Ms. Kovalevska is a member of the client cesults team at EARNEST Partners. Prior to joining the firm, she worked in finance at a German automotive company and brings over six years of experience in the global travel industry. Ms. Kovalevska was born and raised in Ukraine, earning Master's degrees in Management and Linguistics from Pereyaslav-Khmelnitsky Hryhorii Skovoroda State Pedagogical University. She is fluent in Ukrainian and Russian and is intermediate in German. Ms. Kovalevska enjoys hiking, biking, and traveling to exciting and novel places in her spare time.
Karen Mulloy
Client Results
Ms. Mulloy is a member of the client results team at EARNEST Partners. She holds a BA in Sociology from the University of Massachusetts where she graduated Magna Cum Laude and received an Honorary Award for Departmental Distinction. Prior to joining EARNEST Partners, Ms. Mulloy spent over 20 years in the financial services industry including over a decade with State Street Corporation in Boston where she held positions in Retail Banking and Global Trade Processing. During her time in Boston, Ms. Mulloy also volunteered throughout the greater Boston area to support community awareness programs and initiatives that focus on mentoring at-risk youth.
Jarrett Walden
Client Results
Mr. Walden is a member of the client results team at EARNEST Partners. He was born and raised in Atlanta before attending the University of Wisconsin-Madison where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Economics. Prior to joining EARNEST Partners, he gained valuable experience with database creation and data transformation for a revenue cycle vendor management firm in Milwaukee. Outside of work, he enjoys reading and running.
Wesley Elkins
Client Results
Mr. Elkins is a member of the client results team at EARNEST Partners. He attended the University of Georgia where he earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in Economics from the Terry College of Business. Prior to joining EARNEST Partners, Mr. Elkins worked in commercial real estate management, where he supported the management of medical office properties across Atlanta. Outside of work, Wesley enjoys taking wildlife photography, hiking, and spending time outdoors.
Patrina Thomas
Logistics
Ms. Thomas is a member of the administration team at EARNEST Partners. She attended West Virginia University and The Boyd School, where she obtained her travel industry certification. With more than twenty years industry experience, she has been responsible for implementing and managing travel management operations for major financial and technology companies. Prior to her work with EARNEST Partners, Ms. Thomas was instrumental in migrating various General Electric owned companies into a centralized travel management program. She is a member of the American Society of Travel Agents.
Susan Muthee
Accounting
Ms. Muthee is a member of the accounting team at EARNEST Partners. Prior to joining EARNEST Partners, Ms. Muthee worked for Atlanco, a military personal equipment manufacturing company as an accountant and data analyst. She earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance from Kennesaw State University and also obtained a Data Analytics Certificate. Ms. Muthee is passionate about traveling and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Ms. Muthee is a Kenyan native and fluent in Swahili.
Xinyi (Sophia) Xue
China Division
Ms. Xue is a member of the China Division at EARNEST Partners. Prior to joining EARNEST Partners, Ms. Xue was Senior Director at FTI Consulting and Vice President at AlixPartners focusing on enterprise improvement and conducting commercial due diligence for private equity funds. She received an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, a Master of Project Management from Northwestern University, and a BE in Investments from the Central University of Finance & Economics in Beijing, China.
Guohong (Lynn) Dai
China Division
Ms. Dai is a member of the China Division at EARNEST Partners. Prior to joining EARNEST Partners, Ms. Dai was a core member of a start-up autonomous driving company in China where she was responsible for leading corporate management, securing grants and investor financing, and maintaining government relationships. Before her start-up experience, she was a news editor for a city government near Beijing and was responsible for interviewing government officials, editing government communications, and organizing media coverage during leadership transitions. Ms. Dai studied both in Mainland China and in Taiwan earning her bachelor’s degree in Communication.
