Steven Singer – Managing Member/FINOP
Steven has spent over 20 years in the financial services arena. After obtaining his Accounting degree, Steven successfully passed the CPA exam in New York. He then spent 3 years in the financial services audit practice of PriceWaterhouseCoopers (formerly Coopers & Lybrand). Steven spent the next 10 years working his way up the accounting and finance ladder first as an assistant controller, then as a controller, and eventually as a CFO in the securities brokerage arena. Early on in his broker/dealer years, Steven obtained his FINRA Series 27 FINOP license. Prior to starting Maven Strategic in 2004, Steven spent 2 years as the President and CEO of a subsidiary of a publicly traded company, which provides core financial services to small businesses.
In addition to a primary focus on broker-dealers, Steven also advises companies in the media publishing, human resources, and online training spaces.
Steven’s technical skills coupled with his interpersonal and communications skills makes him a unique resource to his clients. Steven resides in Palm Beach County, Florida with his wife, 2 children, and their Bernedoodle.
Work/Life Balance Interests – Steven has never met a golf course or a tennis court he didn’t like. While he is from NY, he is passionate about the Boston Red Sox and Baltimore Ravens, having the honors of attending his team’s championship victories in the final game of the 2007 World Series in Colorado, 2018 World Series in Los Angeles, and Super Bowl XXXV in New Orleans. Most of his remaining free time is spent enjoying time with his family, and volunteering as treasurer of a local not-for-profit organization.
Richard Feldman, CPA – Principal/FINOP
Rich heads up Maven’s New York practice, and has worked in the financial services industry for over 20 years. He began his career as an auditor for a “Big Four” accounting firm, then served as FINOP and Chief Financial Officer for a wide variety of Broker/Dealers and Investment Advisors, both on an outsourced and in-house basis.
Rich began his career with Deloitte (formerly Deloitte & Touche) as a Senior Manager in the financial services audit practice, serving such notable names as Merrill Lynch, Dean Witter and Bear Stearns. Rich then became the CFO of Waterhouse Securities, a large discount brokerage firm, and has since served as CFO and FINOP of a wide variety of B/D’s, ranging from household names like Muriel Siebert and GKN Securities to small one person organizations. Rich has a particular expertise in, and affinity for, small to medium-sized entrepreneurial firms, including start-ups. Rich has direct hands-on experience in many facets of the broker-dealer industry, including retail, institutional, discount, investment banking (including minority-owned) and proprietary trading. Rich has been a very active member of the NYS Society of CPA’s Broker/Dealer Committee, organizing industry wide seminars and frequently serving as an expert speaker on net capital issues.
Rich also has significant experience with investment advisory firms, having served as CFO of firms that advise to both investment partnerships (i.e. hedge funds) as well as privately managed accounts. In addition, Rich has served as Chief Financial Officer of three publicly traded companies (all in the financial services sector).
Rich is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts at Amherst – Isenberg School of Management. Rich lives in Port Washington, NY with his wife, 2 children and poodle.
Work/Life Balance Interests – Rich can often be seen sailing his boat in the summer, schussing the slopes in the winter, or serving his community year round as Trustee of a local not-for profit organization.
Andrew Labadie, CPA – Senior Regulatory Consultant
Prior to serving Maven Strategic Solutions as a consultant, Andrew worked for the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), serving thirteen years as a senior financial analyst providing financial regulatory and accounting analysis and advice to securities brokerage and investment banking firms across the country, and six years as an investigative/listing Analyst with the Nasdaq Stock Market researching problematic disclosure practices of public companies.
At FINRA, Andrew dealt with a variety of accounting recognition and measurement policy questions, gave speaking presentations regarding the application of the Securities and Exchange Commission’s broker-dealer financial responsibility rules and related accounting guidance and contributed and assisted in editing the annual AICPA Audit and Accounting Guide for Broker and Dealers in the Securities Industry. Prior to working with FINRA and the Nasdaq Stock Market, Mr. Labadie served as an operations analyst and internal auditor with a fully-computing broker-dealer for which he held a Series 27 license.
Mr. Labadie is a licensed C.P.A. and a graduate of Carleton College with Bachelor of Arts in History. He lives in Washington D.C. with his wife and two daughters.
Emily Abbruzzese – Consultant/FINOP
Emily joined the firm in 2012 as a consultant providing outsourced accounting and FINOP services to our clients. Emily’s background includes work in both public and private accounting. Prior to joining the firm, she worked as an assistant controller at a broker/dealer.
Emily began her career at PricewaterhouseCoopers in the Assurance and Business Advisory Services group, where she provided audit and financial statement services to SEC registrants and private companies. Her public accounting experience also includes performance of financial statement reviews, compilations, and employee benefit plan audits. She also has inactive FINRA Series 7 and 66 licenses.
Emily earned a Master of Accounting degree from Florida Atlantic University and a Bachelor of Science degree with honors in Business Administration/Finance from the University of Florida. She is a Certified Public Accountant (currently inactive) and holds a FINRA Series 27, Financial and Operations Principal license. Emily currently resides in South Florida with her husband, daughter, and two dogs.
Work/Life Balance Interests – Emily and her family recently returned to her native Florida after experiencing the fast pace of New York living. Emily spends her free time raising her young daughter, and reacquainting herself with the warm weather activities of South Florida.
Alex Baltovski – Consultant/FINOP
Alex has been a licensed FINOP since 1993 and has served as CFO and Controller for several broker-dealers. From 2006 to 2014, Alex worked for a major provider of outsourced financial services. He provided regulatory reporting, Fed reporting, and acted as a subject matter expert to clients including several top-tier financial service companies.
From 1985 to 1992, Alex was a member of the New York and American Stock Exchange where he served as an Options Market Maker and Specialist and was responsible for deploying firm capital and executing various trading strategies. Prior to becoming a trader, Alex launched his career at a Big 8 accounting firm.
In addition to holding the Series 27 license, Alex also holds the Series 7 and 24 licenses.
Alex and his wife reside in NYC, and have three children and two dogs; a Labradoodle and a Goldendoodle (Cady and Max).
Work/Life Balance Interests – Alex is an avid kayaker and saltwater fly-fishermen, and enjoys attending hockey games and concerts with his family.
Douglas Colombo – Consultant/FINOP
Doug has over 25 years of financial consulting and industry experience. During this time he has managed, advised and worked directly for broker-dealers, hedge funds and investment advisors regarding federal, state and SRO rules and regulations.
Doug specializes in financial reporting, compiling full financials, Net Capital, and FOCUS reports. He also has experience with UK financial reporting. His past clients include small to mid-sized broker dealers as well as large financial institutions.
Doug has managed internal staff and supervised financial filings for over 120 firms. Furthermore he has advised firms on issues related to supervisory and compliance policies, procedures, surveillance, regulatory interaction, licensing AML and CE training. On the international side, Doug has worked with USAID and NASDAQ establishing new financial market structures which included the development of a trading system for local broker-dealers, as well as development of a working equity depository system.
Work/Life Balance Interests – Doug enjoys listening and playing music most of all. He sings, plays guitar and writes his own music despite what others might think about it. He is a hometown sports fan rooting for the Mets, Giants, Rangers and Knicks, in no particular order. Doug is married to the love of his life and has two grown daughters from a previous marriage.
Robert Gilman – Senior Consultant/FINOP
Robert, a licensed Series 27 FINOP, has over 20 years of financial consulting and industry experience. Prior to joining Maven in 2006, Robert’s experience included Membership on the American Stock Exchange trading options, working for a top-tiered investment bank, and providing accounting and tax services for a NY based CPA firm. Robert is a graduated of the Syracuse University School of Management.
Robert provides Maven’s clients with superior outsourced FINOP, CFO, and accounting services with expertise in retail, institutional, advisory, and proprietary trading firms. Robert services clients spanning the East Coast, with a particular focus on Latin-American owned broker/dealers in the Southeast.
Work/Life Balance Interests – Robert spends his free time exercising, going to the beach, playing tennis and pickleball, and spending quality time with his wife, 2 children, and 2 golden doodles.