Warren Buffett once advised, hang out with people who are better than you: “Pick out associates whose behavior is better than yours and you’ll drift in that direction.” Of course, we couldn’t agree more. It’s the people you work with that make you better. That’s why we’re excited to introduce three recent arrivals at H+D – all of whom make us better. Starting with the most recent arrival, here they are:
Evan Pemberton started with H+D right after New Year’s Day in 2024 as a Portfolio Manager to work closely with clients on their investments and financial planning. We’ve known Evan a long time, since we’ve watched him build his nearly two decades of industry experience here in Vermont. Most recently, Evan was Vice President of Operations and Chief Compliance Officer at Maple Capital in Montpelier, and before that, he worked as an operations manager and portfolio manager at Rock Point Advisors in Burlington. Evan is a CFA® Charterholder and a CFP® Certificant, and he earned his BSBA in Finance from the University of Vermont.
We’ve long admired Evan’s breadth of knowledge across investment portfolio management, compliance, and systems and technology. But we’ve also known Evan as a people person – someone who genuinely enjoys getting to know new people and is a natural at putting them at ease. We’re delighted that our clients will get to enjoy his company too. Evan lives in Richmond, Vermont with his family and enjoys golf, snowboarding, and playing guitar. In fact, Evan met his wife of over 13 years playing guitar in the pit orchestra while she performed on stage in Stowe Theater Guild’s Little Shop of Horrors.
Neil Macker joined us last November as Associate Director of Research to advance our investment research and security selection.
Neil has over 15 years of experience as an equity analyst — most recently at Morningstar Research in Chicago, where we got to know him for his first-rate coverage of media, entertainment, and video game companies. Before Morningstar, Neil also worked as an analyst at FBR & Co. and R.W. Baird. His undergraduate degree is in economics and history from Carleton College, and he has an MBA from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. Neil also is a CFA® Charterholder.
We’ve always enjoyed talking to Neil about not just stocks, but also everything under the sun. Spend a few minutes with Neil, and you’ll find out how wide-ranging his interests are across pop culture, sports, technology, and more. From Korean dramas to UK Premier League soccer, Neil will have something to say. Neil recently moved to Burlington from Chicago, but Burlington is not new to him, as he’s long been a frequent visitor to close family members here.
Jason Shi joined us last May as a Portfolio Administrator and is a key member of our client services and account management team. Jason’s friendly voice may be the first you hear when you call in, and he’ll often be a first point of contact when you come in to see us.
Before coming to H+D, Jason worked as a program manager and financial officer with an educational organization where he managed exchange programs between the U.S. and Asia. Jason grew up in Shenyang, China, got his undergraduate degree in Management at Dalian Jiaotong University, and then came to the U.S. to get his MBA from Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio before making his way to Vermont 10 years ago.
Jason enjoys snowboarding, plays basketball several times a week, and is involved in organizing cultural events for the Vermont Chinese School. As an aside, he’s also a connoisseur and collector of sneakers, should you have any questions on the value of your rare sneakers. Jason lives in Williston with his wife and three young children.
