Established in 2009 to develop quantitative investment strategies for the life insurance industry, Applied Investment Strategies (AIS) specializes in commodities-based strategies, with a focus on rigorous, disciplined research and the development of proprietary insights and models.
Our team has an average of 25+ years of experience and the team members have each enjoyed successful careers at recognized financial services firms.
J.P. Steele has more than 35 years of experience in insurance and financial services and currently leads AIS as Co-Founder, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Compliance Officer. His previous experience includes roles as President of IFS Financial Services and AIG American General Domestic Life Companies, also serving as the latter’s President of the International Structured Settlements Annuities Division. In addition to Applied Investment Strategies, J.P. is a partner at Index Methodologies, an innovator of quantitative investments for the U.S. life insurance industry. J.P. received a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Business Administration from West Texas A&M University.
John Manley brings more than 35 years of experience to the AIS team and is responsible for raising capital in the AIS investment strategies and managing on-going investor relationships. Prior to joining AIS, John held senior institutional business development and relationship management positions with Fidelity Investments, State Street Global Advisors, BNY, AQR Capital Management, and Windham Capital Management. John received a Bachelor of Arts in American Government from Clark University.
Yury Zusman brings more than 18 years of experience to the AIS team and is involved in the research and management of AIS’s investment strategies. Before AIS, Yury was a strategist and economist at Pharo Management. He was part of the investment team that managed $10bn in AUM across FX, rates, credit and commodities. Prior to Pharo, he traded physical and financial crude oil and refined products at Nobel Group. Yury is also the founder of Leonidas Macro, a research and consulting firm, and the author of EM Dynamics, a quantamental EM macro research series. He received his Bachelor of Science in Economics from Carnegie Mellon University and his Master of Science in Finance and Economics from The London School of Economics, graduating with Distinction. Yury also holds the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation.
Jeff Bowers has over 39 years of experience and is a Co-Founder of AIS. He is responsible for AIS’ financial operations as Chief Finance Officer and Chief Operating Officer. Prior roles include leading the country’s largest structured settlements group of companies, most recently as President and CEO of Integrated Financial Settlements. Since 2010, Bowers has also been a partner in Alpha Artists, LLC and Index Methodologies, LLC. Prior to joining IFS in 1984, he was the CFO for a regional foodservice distribution company, and before that was an Industrial Engineer at General Motors Corporation. Jeff attended General Motors Institute, graduating Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering, followed by a Master of Science designation from the University of Michigan in Industrial Engineering and Operations Management.
The Head of Trading is a senior leadership role responsible for directing all trading activities within the hedge fund. The individual’s position involves overseeing the execution of trades, managing the trading desk, and aligning trading strategies with the fund’s investment objectives. The role requires deep market expertise, strong risk management skills, and the ability to lead a team in a high-pressure, fast-paced environment. The candidate should have 10+ years experience in the industry with a strong background in hedge fund trading across most asset classes.
Thomas Hertog has over 25 years of experience and leads AIS’s compliance strategy and operations. He co-founded WHI, a compliance consulting firm, in 2008. Prior to WHI, Thomas served as chief compliance officer of Zacks Investment Management and Zacks & Co. Before that he was a manager with Global Best Practices Arthur Andersen. Earlier in his career he served in the roles of controller, accounting manager and auditor for several privately operated entities. Thomas received his B.S. degree in Business and Accounting from Edison State University.
