company

Management Team

Andrew Rudd, Ph. D. — Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
Andrew Rudd founded Advisor Software in 1995 to deliver world class analytics to the retail financial services market. He is an expert in asset allocation, modern portfolio theory, risk management, and performance measurement.  Mr. Rudd is also a co-founder and former chairman and CEO of Barra, Inc., where he served as CEO from 1984 to 1999. He is the co-author of two industry-leading books on institutional investing: "Modern Portfolio Theory: The Principles of Investment Management" and "Option Pricing".  Mr. Rudd was also Professor of Finance and Operations Research at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York.  In addition, he has written numerous journal articles and research papers on a wide range of domestic and international investment practices and theories.   Mr. Rudd received his Bachelor of Science degree with honors in Mathematics and Physics from Sussex University in England, and earned a M.Sc. in Operations Research, an M.B.A in Finance and International Business, and a Ph.D. in Finance and Operations Research from the University of California, Berkeley.

Neal Ringquist — President and Chief Operating Officer

Neal Ringquist oversees all aspects of Advisor Software’s operations and is responsible for setting and driving the overall company strategy. Most recently, Mr. Ringquist served as vice president of sales and marketing for Morningstar Associates, LLC, a registered investment advisor and wholly owned subsidiary of Morningstar, Inc. Prior to Morningstar, Mr. Ringquist was executive vice president of sales, marketing, and client service for mPower.com, Inc., a privately held San Francisco-based investment advisory firm that was acquired by Morningstar in July 2003.  He earned a Bachelor’s degree in economics from Middlebury College and an M.B.A. from the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business.

Nicolo G. Torre, Ph.D. CFA — Head of Research

As Head of Research for Advisor Software, Nicolo Torre is responsible for all of the company’s financial engineering, research and analytics capabilities. Prior to joining Advisor Software in 2003, Mr. Torre spent 10 years with Barra, where he was the managing director of research. He also spent two years as senior vice president of algorithmic trading with Greenwich Capital Markets.  Mr. Torre earned a Ph.D. in mathematics from University of California, Berkeley and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Harvard University.

Michelle Farmer, Esq. — Vice President, Administration

Michelle Farmer is responsible for overseeing the legal, financial and administrative affairs of Advisor Software and directing its regulatory strategy.  Ms. Farmer has worked in the financial services industry for over 15 years including positions as general counsel for mPower.com, Inc. and general counsel for Wealth Management Systems, Inc.  She is a member of the California and Massachusetts Bar.  Ms. Farmer earned a JD from Suffolk University and a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.

Michael Granger — Vice President, Implementation and Client Management

As Vice President, Implementation and Client Management, Michael Granger is responsible for management and maintenance of all of Advisor Software’s products and solutions, including client implementations and support.  Mr. Granger has over 20 years of experience in the financial services industry, most recently holding positions at Barra and as VP Systems Director at Bank of America.  Prior to Bank of America, he was Operations Director for CIBC World Markets in London.  He also held trading positions at institutions including Standard Chartered, a London-based, international bank.

Daron Smith — Vice President, Sales and Marketing

Daron Smith is responsible for Advisor Software sales, business development and marketing. Leading the direction of the company's sales organization, he has been instrumental in securing a number of top financial industry leaders as clients for Advisor Software. These leaders include TD Ameritrade Institutional and Charles Schwab. Mr. Smith has over ten years of sales and sales management experience in the software and financial arenas. Prior to joining Advisor Software in 2003, he held various sales and sales management positions at Bloomberg, Clarify and Merrill Lynch. Mr. Smith earned a Bachelor's degree from UCLA and an M.B.A. from Santa Clara University.