FOI Partners:

Rainford M. Knight, Ph.D., CFOS has over 15 years of practical experience in finance including investment analysis, venture capital valuation, mortgage pool analytics and mergers and acquisitions. Since 1997, Dr. Knight has provided investment education and portfolio advice to individuals on a variety of topics related portfolio construction, asset allocation and risk reduction. In his capacity as a co-founder of the Florida Institute of Finance, Dr. Knight has given seminars to individuals managing their personal portfolios and individuals managing institutional portfolios in the areas of: dynamics of fundamental and technical analysis, asset allocation model development, diversification, assessing portfolio performance, stock market dynamics, debt and equity trading strategies, hedge fund strategies and fund of fund strategies. Dr. Knight is also a Vice President of Portfolio Management at Virtus Capital, a fund of funds.

Academically, Dr. Knight is an adjunct professor of finance at Florida Atlantic University and the University of Miami, where he teaches at both the undergraduate and graduate (MBA/Executive) level including: Investment Analysis, Investment Management and Portfolio Construction. Dr. Knight holds a Ph.D. in Finance from Florida Atlantic University with a doctoral thesis in the area of initial public offerings (IPOs).

Internationally, Dr. Knight spent 6 months as part of a consulting team advising a government on the restructuring of its financial sector after a financial crisis – failure of the banking and insurance sectors. He helped to manage the sale of a $1 billion non-performing loan portfolio. To date, this is the largest loan sale transacted in the Caribbean. Dr. Knight has also made presentations regarding financial sector restructuring to central banks and state owned banks in Latin America and the Caribbean including world organizations such as the Inter-American Development Bank (IADB).

Dr. Knight has been chosen to be included in the Who’s Who in Finance and Industry; he is a member of the Financial Management Association International and a member of the Society of Quantitative Analysts.

Joel M. DiCicco, Ph.D., CPA, PFS, CFF, CFOS a partner at the Florida Institute of Finance, LLC, has over 20 years extensive experience in the valuation of sophisticated financial products and their applicable tax treatment. As an adjunct professor at Florida Atlantic University, Dr. DiCicco has taught numerous finance and accounting courses at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. He was instrumental in the establishment of the simulated trading floor at Florida Atlantic University. Dr. DiCicco is also a Vice President of Portfolio Management at Virtus Capital, a fund of funds.

Dr. DiCicco earned his Ph.D. at Florida Atlantic University with a degree in public administration with a concentration in finance and budgeting with a special emphasis on tax policy and structured financial products. He holds a Master of Business Administration in Finance from Manhattan College and a Master of Science in Taxation from Florida International University. Dr. DiCicco is a licensed Certified Public Accountant in the states of New York and Florida and holds both the Personal Financial Specialist and Financial Forensics certificates from the AICPA.

Dr. DiCicco, a partner at the Florida Institute of Finance, LLC, has extensive experience in the valuation of sophisticated financial products and their applicable tax treatment. He has conducted seminars on financial topics, including monetizations, financial synthetics, hedge funds, and fair value accounting, just to name a few. Dr. DiCicco was twice invited to speak before Senate Finance Committee staffers on hedge funds and other emerging financial products issues.

Roger L. Shaffer, JD, CFOS Mr. Shaffer has extensive experience in the financial services industry including roles as general counsel and chief compliance officer for private and publicly traded broker-dealers. Mr. Shaffer began his career in the financial services industry over 20 years ago with Securities Consultants, Inc. (later acquired by BISYS Group, Inc., now part of Citigroup Financial) providing compliance consulting services to broker-dealers and bank brokerage subsidiaries. Mr. Shaffer continues to advise financial services companies providing specialized legal and consulting services to hedge funds, CPOs, registered investment advisers, broker-dealers and other institutional money managers. Mr. Shaffer assists his financial services clients with compliance and regulatory matters as well as formation, expansion and divestitures. Mr. Shaffer’s provides seminars on compliance and securities law matters through the Florida Institute of Finance.

Mr. Shaffer received his Juris Doctorate cum laude from the University of Miami School of Law in Coral Gables, Florida and his Bachelor’s degree in Finance with Honors from Florida Atlantic University.

Francis Brennan, MS, RFC, CFOS is the President of Brennan Financial Services, Inc., an independent financial firm specializing in asset management, estate planning, retirement planning, insurance planning, all phases of financial services, equity products and investment banking. Mr. Brennan and his firm serve as wealth advisors to some of the country’s most affluent families and are known nationally for their efforts in the insurance and financial services industries. Brennan Financial Services, Inc. is one of the oldest independent financial planning firms in the area. Mr. Brennan is also President of Virtus Capital, a fund of funds.

Mr. Brennan holds a B.S. Degree from the State University of New York and a M.S. Degree from Indiana University. He also attended Bucknell University as a National Science Foundation Grant recipient and was awarded a Graduate Fellowship at Indiana University. Mr. Brennan is a Registered Financial Planner, a Certified Senior Advisor and an Investment Advisor Representative. He holds a Series 7, 63, 65 Securities licenses and is a licensed Life and Health Insurance Advisor.