Management Team
Broadmark's management team members have been with the firm for an average of 10 years, with most having had prior professional relationships with founding CIO and Co-CEO, Christopher Guptill. Together, and with our talented staff, we are committed to building and leading a dynamic organization dedicated to excellence.
Christopher J. Guptill
CIO and Co-CEO
Mr. Guptill, founder and Chief Investment Officer of Broadmark Asset Management LLC, is responsible for the development of Broadmark’s investment management strategies as well as the implementation of all portfolio management decisions. As Co-CEO, Mr. Guptill shares in the oversight of the firm’s business operations. Mr. Guptill began his career in 1979 at Paine Webber, Jackson & Curtis. Over the next 15 years he developed a methodology for identifying risk in the market which led to the creation of a tactical investment process. In 1994, Mr. Guptill joined McKinley Capital Management, Inc., as a Senior Portfolio Manager and continued his tactical investment approach as the firm’s Chief Equity Strategist. While there, he developed, launched and co-managed the firm’s highly successful alternative investment portfolios. Mr. Guptill is a 1979 graduate of California State University, Chico with a B.A. in Economics.
Ricardo L. Cortez, CIMA®
Co-CEO
Mr. Cortez is primarily responsible for business development as well as management of the firm’s sales and marketing efforts. As Co-CEO, Mr. Cortez shares in the oversight of the firm’s business operations. In addition, he is a member of the Investment Team and serves as the firm’s chief risk officer. Mr. Cortez joined Broadmark in September 2009 as President, Global Distribution and was named Co-CEO in June 2013. Before Broadmark, he was President of the Private Client Group for Torrey Associates, LLC. Additional prior roles include Vice President at Goldman Sachs serving as Product Manager of the firm’s Global Multi-Manager Strategies program, and Senior Vice President with Prudential Investments overseeing product development and sales for the Investment Management Services Division. Mr. Cortez graduated cum laude from Queens College, City University of New York with a B.A. and is former Chairman of its Business Advisory Board. He was awarded the Queens College President’s Medal in 2020, the college’s highest administrative honor. Mr. Cortez is also an adjunct faculty member at Harvard University and has been a guest lecturer on Investment Policy and Hedge Funds at the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania. Mr. Cortez was awarded the Certified Investment Management Analyst® designation in 1993 and is the author of numerous published articles on hedge funds.
Laura A. Hespe
Chief Operating Officer
Ms. Hespe is responsible for managing Broadmark’s day-to-day business activities including oversight of the financial, investment operations, compliance, legal and technology functions. She works closely with Broadmark’s CEOs on development and implementation of the firm’s strategic plans. She joined Broadmark in January 2000 as Director of Investment Operations, and assumed the role of Chief Operating Officer in January 2010. Ms. Hespe has over 25 years of experience in the financial industry including five years with Kidder Peabody Asset Management where she became Director of Wrap-Fee Administration. Immediately prior to joining Broadmark, she was Vice President of McLaughlin Capital Markets, Inc., a broker-dealer specializing in institutional equity trading. There her responsibilities included oversight of operations, compliance and administration. Ms. Hespe holds a B.S. in Management from the State University of New York at Binghamton and serves on its School of Management West Coast Advisory Council.
Michelle R. da Luz
Director of Investment Operations
Ms. da Luz is responsible for directing and managing Broadmark’s investment operations team and back and middle office functions encompassing process improvement and automation, relationship management and systems implementation. She works closely with the COO on strategic management, policies and processes, and is a member of internal leadership teams for compliance and new business. Ms. da Luz joined Broadmark in August 2004, and served as Investment Operations Manager prior to becoming Investment Operations Director in 2010. Ms. da Luz has over 17 years of experience in the investment industry, including consumer brokerage and advisory services at Citigroup. She holds a B.S. in Corporate Finance and Financial Services from San Francisco State University, San Francisco.