Mr. Paul Travlos
Managing Director, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Operating Officer
Mr. Travlos is a Managing Director, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Operating Officer for IRON Financial. Mr. Travlos joined IRON Financial in April of 2008 and is responsible for both the overall business strategy and daily execution of all operations within IRON. Mr. Travlos also chairs IRON’s Risk Committee which ensures the adherence to IRON’s policies and procedures in connection with the firm’s enterprise risk management.
Prior to joining IRON, Mr. Travlos was a Managing Director for Credit Suisse in New York where he was the Chief Information and Operations Officer within the U.S. private bank and asset management divisions. He was successful in leading initiatives around cost reduction, middle/back office process re-engineering and technology transformation. He is a former Co-Founder and COO of Volaris, a volatility management firm based in New York, which managed over $5 billion in notional assets for ultra-high net worth clients. The firm was acquired in 2003 through an M&A transaction by Credit Suisse.
Earlier in his career, Mr. Travlos had a business management consulting practice for nearly ten years focused on operations, technology and process re-engineering across the financial services, healthcare, manufacturing and automotive industries. Mr. Travlos started his career in financial services in operations and retail/private banking audit. He is also a former curriculum board advisor to a local college in Illinois.
Mr. Travlos received his M.B.A. in Finance and Accounting from Loyola University of Chicago, Graduate School of Business and his Bachelor of Science in Mathematics and Computer Science from Loyola University of Chicago.
Mr. Aaron B. Izenstark
Managing Director, Co-Founder and Chief Investment Officer
Co-Portfolio Manager, IRON Strategic Income Fund
Mr. Izenstark is a Co-Founder and Chief Investment Officer of IRON Financial. He is responsible for oversight of IRON’s investment management, research and trading capabilities and for the oversight and management of the firm’s approximately $1.8 Billion in current client assets.
Since IRON’s founding in 1994, Mr. Izenstark’s focus has been on designing specialized Fixed Income and Equity strategies that seek to reduce portfolio volatility and downside risk while earning competitive returns through full market cycles. Under the guidance of Mr. Izenstark, the IRON organization has grown from managing a small portfolio in 1994 to today managing approximately $1.8 Billion in assets for a range of Intermediary, Institutional and High Net Worth investors.
Prior to Co-Founding IRON Financial in 1994, Mr. Izenstark was a member of the Chicago Board of Trade and Chicago Mercantile Exchange where he specialized in the trading of Fixed Income and Equity derivatives. Mr. Izenstark began investing in High Yield fixed income securities in 1988 while a member of the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) – where he first developed the investment process that has evolved into the full investment methodology IRON uses today in managing the IRON Strategic Income Fund. Mr. Izenstark received his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Indiana University and he holds the FINRA Series 2 and 65 licenses.
Mr. Howard L. Nixon
Managing Director, Co-Founder and Managing Partner
Mr. Nixon is a Co-Founder and Managing Partner of IRON Financial. He is responsible for the firm’s key strategic relationships and for overseeing the strategic direction of the IRON Financial organization – a role he has played from the firm’s inception. Under Mr. Nixon’s guidance, the IRON organization has grown from managing a small portfolio in 1994 to today managing approximately $1.8 Billion in assets for a range of Intermediary, Institutional and High Net Worth investors.
Prior to Co-Founding IRON Financial in 1994, Mr. Nixon was a member of the Chicago Board of Trade for 14 years where he specialized in the trading of Fixed Income derivatives.
Mr. Nixon received his Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration from Arizona State University. He and the IRON Financial organization are involved in supporting a number of local and national charitable organizations.
Mr. Richard L. Lakin
Managing Director, Chief Compliance Officer
Mr. Lakin is the Chief Compliance Officer for IRON Financial. Mr. Lakin joined IRON Financial in 1996 and is responsible for leading all legal and compliance functions. In addition, Mr. Lakin is on the Risk Management Committee whose primary role is to monitor, assess and control organizational risk.
Prior to joining IRON, he was a practicing attorney, as well as an independent market maker on the Chicago Board Options Exchange where he specialized in volatility spread trading.
Mr. Lakin received his J.D. from Kent College of Law and his Bachelor of Arts from the University of Illinois. He holds the FINRA Series 65 license. He is also an assistant coach to Northwestern University Law School’s Bartlit Center Trial Advocacy Team.
Mr. Steven J. Weil, AIF®
Managing Director, Corporate Retirement Services
Mr. Weil is a Managing Director of Corporate Retirement Services for IRON Financial. Mr. Weil joined IRON in 1994 and is responsible for business development related to IRON Financial’s Corporate Retirement Services business. Prior to joining IRON, Mr. Weil was an independent market maker on the Chicago Board Options Exchange where he acted as a proprietary trader with a specialization in volatility spread trading.
Mr. Weil has earned the Accredited Investment Fiduciary® (or AIF®) professional designation from Fiduciary360 in 2010 and has received formal training in investment fiduciary responsibility. Mr. Weil is also a member of TD Ameritrade’s Advisor Direct Advisory Council and has been named one of the Top 300 Most Influential Retirement Services professionals by 401(k) Wire Incorporated.
Mr. Weil received his Bachelor of Science in Finance from Indiana University, Kelly School of Business. He holds the FINRA Series 2 and Series 63 licenses.
Mr. Richard P. Friedman, AIF®
Managing Director, Corporate Retirement Services
Mr. Friedman is a Managing Director of Corporate Retirement Services for IRON Financial. Mr. Friedman joined IRON Financial in 2002 and is responsible for business development related to IRON Financial’s Corporate Retirement Services business. In this role, he is responsible for developing channels where IRON’s ERISA Section 3(38) Fiduciary Services are offered as outsourced fiduciary solutions for a range of intermediary firms. Mr. Friedman has authored a series of research papers and “white papers” related to the changing regulatory environment for IRON’s Retirement Plan Solutions offerings.
Prior to joining IRON, Mr. Friedman spent five years in public accounting with Peat, Marwick and Mitchell where he was a Tax Manager. He left Peat, Marwick and Mitchell to work in the financial industry where Mr. Friedman spent 15 years as a market maker on the Chicago Board Options Exchange where he specialized in risk arbitrage.
Mr. Friedman received his Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Indiana University. Mr. Friedman is FINRA Series 65 licensed and has earned the Accredited Investment Fiduciary® (or AIF®) professional designation from Fiduciary360 in 2010. He has received formal training in investment fiduciary responsibility. Mr. Friedman has been named one of the Top 300 Most Influential Retirement Services professionals by 401(k) Wire Incorporated.