Team
Following President & CIO, team members are listed alphabetically by last name
William McLean has 39 years of industry experience and joined Spider in the beginning of 2021. He leads the investment and firm strategy, particularly related to portfolio management and oversight of all investment decisions. Will previously served as Vice President and Chief Investment Officer for Northwestern University's $12 billion endowment from 2002 to 2020, working on all aspects of asset allocation, manager selection, and team development. Prior to Northwestern, he was the Senior Managing Director for Asset & Investment Management at the Chicago-based John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation; and an Investment Officer for The Duke Endowment in Charlotte, North Carolina. Will holds a Master of Business Administration from the University of North Carolina and a Bachelor of Arts in economics from Davidson College. He is currently a board member for The Sherman Fairchild Foundation, and the Robert R. McCormick Foundation. He has served on the investment advisory committees of Father Flanagan's Trust Fund, the NCAA, Davidson College, TIFF Advisory Services, Inc., Mather Lifeways, and The Mayo Clinic. Will was also on the Board of Trustees of the University of Richmond from 2012 to 2020, serving on both the Investment Committee and Spider Board of Managers.
Robin Buterbaugh joined Spider Management in 2014. Her prior career history includes ten years of group health sales and marketing, as well as seven years as a retail store owner. As a former military spouse, she also had the opportunity to serve two years in the diplomatic community in Madrid, Spain. Robin is currently continuing her education at the University of Richmond.
Greg Ciaverelli has 26 years of investment industry experience and is joining Spider Management in January 2023 as Director, Operations. Prior to joining Spider, Greg served as Chief Administrative Officer and Head of Operations of Apogem Capital, overseeing private equity, private credit operations, and other strategic projects and initiatives. He was also a member of various committees including the senior leadership team, compliance team, and the valuation committee, which he chaired. Previously, Greg was Chief Operating Officer at PA Capital, with responsibility for operational due diligence, fund operations, fund accounting, client service, and technology. Greg also worked in diligence and operational roles at International Asset Management, Citigroup Private Bank, AIG Global Investment Corporation, Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan, and Legg Mason. Greg holds a BA in political science from Loyola University of Maryland.
Caroline Crawford joined Spider Management in 2021. Before joining Spider, Caroline worked as an associate in investment banking at Harris Williams focusing on sell-side mergers and acquisitions within the industrials space. Previously, Caroline worked as an account manager at Bloomberg in New York where she covered credit and structured products hedge funds. She holds a Master of Business Administration from the Darden School of Business and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Art History from the University of Virginia.
Megan DeMars joined Spider Management in 2020. Before joining Spider, Megan worked as a senior fund accountant at Route 66 Ventures. She also worked as a consultant at PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP in the Federal Practice group. Megan holds a Bachelor of Science in business administration from the University of Richmond.
Megan Dickerson joined Spider Management in 2009 and is the Compliance & Administration Manager. Prior to joining Spider, Megan worked at the private investment advisory firm, Lowe, Brockenbrough & Company. Megan holds a Master in Human Resource Management and a Bachelor of Science from the University of Richmond.
Rebecca Fender has 23 years of research, management, and investment experience and joined Spider Management in 2022. Prior to joining Spider, she published studies on the future of the investment industry as a member of the industry research team at CFA Institute, and she directed the organization's flagship annual conference. Previously, Rebecca worked at BlackRock managing client accounts for pension funds and endowments. She earned her undergraduate degree in economics from Princeton University and holds an MBA from the Darden School at the University of Virginia. She serves on the board of the Veritas School.
Jeff Hires has 24 years of investment industry experience and joined Spider Management in 2019. Jeff focuses on manager selection and asset allocation for the public markets portfolio. Prior to joining Spider, Jeff was a portfolio manager at Citadel Investment Group in New York where he led a team covering the financial services sector. Previously, Jeff worked as an analyst at Third Point and Chilton Investment Company, a portfolio manager for D.B. Zwirn, and was also the financials sector head at Partner Fund Management. Jeff holds a Master of Business Administration from Stanford University and a Bachelor of Science in commerce from the University of Virginia.
Cindy Kennon joined Spider Management in 2012. Prior to joining Spider, Cindy served as the chief financial officer of Monticello Area Community Action Agency, a regional nonprofit agency. She also worked at Keiter Stephens, specializing in the audits of not-for-profits and broker dealers. Cindy holds a Master of Accountancy and a Bachelor of Science in accounting from James Madison University.
Sherry Knapp joined Spider Management in 2012. Prior to joining Spider, Sherry was the executive assistant to the chief executive officer, chief financial officer, and director of investor relations with Albemarle Corporation. Sherry holds a Bachelor of Science in mass communications specializing in public relations from Virginia Commonwealth University.
Michael Loughran joined Spider Management in 2021 as an investment analyst. Michael graduated magna cum laude from the University of Richmond with a Bachelor of Science in business administration with a concentration in finance. Michael is a CFA Level 2 candidate.
Jonathan Moore rejoined Spider Management in 2018 after previously serving as the director of investment administration at Texas Children’s Hospital for two years. Jonathan leads Spider's financial reporting and compliance operations functions. During Jonathan’s prior tenure at Spider from 2011 through 2016, he held various roles including chief compliance officer and director of investment operations & accounting. Prior to 2011, Jonathan worked at KPMG LLP, where he specialized in audit and risk advisory services for not-for-profit, higher education institutions, and SEC-registered investment advisors. Jonathan holds a Bachelor of Science in accounting from Virginia Tech.
Ben Smith joined Spider Management in 2020 as an investment analyst. Ben holds a Bachelor of Science in business administration with concentrations in economics and finance from the University of Richmond. Ben is a CFA Level 2 candidate.
Bill has 11 years of investment industry experience and joined Spider Management in 2020 as an investment manager. Before joining Spider Management, he was an investment analyst at a single-family office. Bill's prior experience includes working within Fifth Third Bank's multi-family office division and the investment management group. He holds a Bachelor of Science in finance from Miami University.
Rob Stephens has 12 years of investment industry experience and joined Spider Management in 2022. Prior to Spider, Rob was a managing director at DAC Management in Hong Kong and New York where he specialized in China’s markets. Prior to DAC, Rob served as an analyst at Intelligence Macau in Hong Kong. He began his career with Dominion Energy. Rob holds a Master of Science in commerce from the McIntire School of Commerce and a Bachelor of Arts in history from the University of Virginia. He is a member of the Board of Trustees of Chesapeake Academy, serving on both the Investment and Finance Committees.
Tripp Taliaferro has 22 years of investment industry experience and is joining Spider Management in January 2023 as Director, Investments. Prior to joining Spider, Tripp was the President and Chief Investment Officer of a single-family office focused on opportunistic investments across public and private markets. Previously, Tripp worked as a Partner at Private Advisors, and during this time he was a board member in several private companies across industries, including software, industrials, and consumer goods. Tripp also worked at Quad-C Management, Wachovia Capital Partners, and Wachovia Securities. Tripp holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and completed an international business program at Maastricht University.
Karen Horn Welch has 23 years of investment industry experience and joined Spider Management in 2016. Karen works closely with the CIO in leading asset allocation and investment decisions across the portfolio. Prior to joining Spider, Karen worked at Stanford Management Company from 2007 through 2015 where she served as director, portfolio strategy and previously as director, public equity, leading asset allocation, strategy, and the endowment’s public equity and long/short hedge fund portfolio. Prior to Stanford, Karen worked at the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, Stanford Graduate School of Business, Harvard University, and J.P. Morgan. Karen holds a Master of Public Administration with a focus on international economics from Harvard University and a Bachelor of Arts with honors in economics and international relations from Bucknell University. She is a member of Phi Beta Kappa, and serves on the Investment Committee of CommonSpirit Health Board of Stewardship Trustees and the Board of St. Christopher’s School.