Every so often, we like to bring the people behind the scenes to the front pages. It has been a couple years since we last did so, and since then we’ve added some new faces and evolved some of our roles. We firmly believe the reason clients stay with us is for the people—they form the relationships that are everything in this business. So let’s take a look…
Client Services Team
If we were stranded on a desert island, these would be the most essential people to run the business and serve our clients. They are the glue for the firm, making sure everything works smoothly. Every time you didn’t notice something happening, it is our client services team that took care of it.
Jordan Lafayette is our Head of Operations, leading the day-to-day of client reporting, trading, and internal processes. She excels at sorting out the “edge cases” when things get complicated in the background—if you’ve never heard of those cases, Jordan is the reason why! She is a 2023 graduate of the Leadership Champlain program and lives in South Burlington with her husband, two daughters, and a Yorkie.
Kristen Audy Rich is our Office Manager, literally and figuratively keeping the lights on. She also runs our human resources and is our store of intuitional memory, having been with the firm since 1996! She lives with her family in Williston.
Alma Pilausic is our main Equity Trader and is also responsible for managing client accounts and requests. She serves on the board of Nordic soccer club and travels across New England with her kids for sporting events. She is an alumna of Champlain College and lives with her husband and three children in Williston.
Advisor Team
Our advisors are the people who build the trust that underpins our relationships with clients, making the arcane accessible in a real, personal, way. We believe it will always be human connection that survives any shifts in how society approaches money management or fancy new technologies (including AI). Our Advisor and Client Services teams are always thinking of how to better serve clients through the weekly Financial Planning Committee.
Sven Eklof is the Managing Partner and has been with the firm for nearly two decades. He loves helping people make sense of their financial situations and brings a nice balance of rigorous thinking and common sense to any issue. Sven has done just about every job at the firm and is very active outside of it as well, serving on boards of Essex United Soccer and Tree Farm Sports, and coaching many of his children’s sports. He lives in Essex with his wife and three children.
Art Wright is a Partner and leads the client relations efforts of the firm. He loves the coaching aspect of serving clients and extracting practical guidance from complex situations. He brings this ethos to pursuits outside of work as well, including teaching personal finance at the University of Vermont and (previously) serving on the board of Wake Robin Continuing Care Retirement Community. Art lives with his wife and three children in South Burlington.
Alex Watson is a Partner and responsible for client portfolio management and financial planning. He is one of the techiest among us and has the happy distinction of managing the firm’s IT resources. Outside of work, he serves as a Trustee for the UVM Health Network’s Home Health and Hospice organization. Alex lives with his family in South Burlington.
Liz Ford is our Chief Compliance Officer and also works closely with clients managing portfolios and on financial planning. She is passionate about helping people meet their socially responsible investment goals. When Liz isn’t at the office we often literally cannot find her—she spends most of her vacation time backpacking in the wilderness. Now that she has completed the Appalachian Trail, however, we’ll be even less sure of where she is! Liz serves on the board of the South End Arts and Business Association.
Sarah Cocina is a Financial Advisor responsible for portfolio management, financial planning, and nurturing client relationships. She loves to help bring new clients into the firm and find the best advisor “match”. Sarah is currently on the board of Wake Robin Continuing Care Retirement Community and volunteers as a Shelburne Recreation soccer coach. She lives in Shelburne with her husband and two daughters.
Evan Pemberton is a Financial Advisor who enjoys digging into the details of clients’ financial plans. He is also our main bond trader. Evan is modest, so we had to pull this detail from his wife, but he recently won Volunteer of the Year at his children’s middle school for his help with set building for the drama club and chaperoning the ski club at Bolton Valley. He lives in Richmond with his wife, two kids, and a chocolate lab.
Research Team
As we’ve grown, the firm has more officially designated the Research function, which oversees investments and related analysis through the Investment Committee. These are the people who dig into the nitty gritty on stocks, develop a view on the macroeconomic environment, and help contextualize what is going on in the wild world of global financial markets. Importantly, the Research team considers what it all means for our clients and their portfolios.
Mark Andrews is Co-head of Investment Strategy, running the Investment Committee alongside Neil and Anne. He is the editor of these pages and is always accepting feedback on their content! Mark brings his prior experience at the Federal Reserve to understanding the global macro picture. He serves on boards of the Vermont Council on World Affairs, Gifford Health Care, and the Randolph Area Community Development Corporation. Mark lives in Randolph with his family.
Neil Macker is Co-head of Investment Strategy, bringing a wealth of equity research experience to the role from his prior work for Morningstar Research. Neil, along with Jordan, is the firm’s resident repository of all things pop-culture and an avid consumer of all forms of entertainment. Recently, Neil has become active in the local cribbage community and on the weekends is often chasing after his four nieces and nephews.
Anne Doremus hardly needs an introduction to these pages. After stepping back from managing the firm in 2021, she continues as a Senior Advisor for Investment Strategy. Anne is a wellspring of experience in investment research and portfolio management. She is a founding member and past president of the Vermont CFA Society, sits on the Investment Committee of a number of Vermont non-profits, and is a Trustee of the University of Vermont Medical Center. Anne lives in Shelburne with her husband and the two have recently welcomed their first grandchild!
Yuliya Paylor is the newest addition to the team, joining in 2025 as an Associate Research Analyst. She contributes actively to the Investment Committee and is also involved with client services. Yuliya is a recent graduate of the University of Vermont’s MBA program where she continues to advise on the student-run investment fund. Prior to joining the firm, she worked in education and is also a practicing artist. Yuliya lives in Winooski with her husband.
Founder
Eric Hanson is the firm’s founder, establishing the DNA for how we work, and the understanding that we better serve our clients when we also serve our communities. While he is no longer employed by Hanson + Doremus, he still contributes to these pages. Eric continues to be actively involved in the community and currently serves on the board of VTDigger. He lives in Greensboro with his wife.
