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Rich began his distinguished career in the investment business at the Insurance Company of North America (INA) in Philadelphia. Starting in the investment department, he quickly rose through the ranks, serving initially as a processor, then as a municipal bond trader, and eventually as a portfolio manager. In 1977, Rich left INA and spent the next 7 years working for a variety of Wall Street broker dealers, including the American Securities Corporation. In 1984, Rich founded R. Seelaus & Co., Inc. in Summit, New Jersey. With Rich at the helm, the firm has experienced phenomenal growth, starting out as an institutional municipal bond dealer, only to become the full-service broker dealer it is today. Along the way, Rich has worn many hats, serving as trader, salesman, compliance officer, FINRA designated financial principal and FINRA executive representative. R. Seelaus & Company currently has offices located in Summit, NJ and Boston, MA. In 2003, Rich earned his Certified Financial Planner designation (CFP) and is currently an adjunct professor at Farleigh Dickenson University where he teaches an investment course for CFP certification. Locally, Rich has served his community as a member of the board of directors at the Oak Knoll School, the Summit Child Care Center and the Beacon Hill Club. Recently, he was elected by the FINRA member firms to serve a three-year term on the FINRADistrict 9 Committee. Rich is a U.S. Army veteran and holds a BS in economics from Villanova University and a JD from the Delaware Law School at Widner University.
Bernard Garruppo is Partner, Managing Director, Head of Institutional Sales and Trading and Head of the Insurance Division, RSC Financial Products, LLC. Mr. Garruppo was recruited by the firm in 1993 to manage the Municipal Bond Department, and for the past 20 years has helped to guide the expansion of the firm’s institutional and investor client base. Mr. Garruppo’s career in municipal bonds began nearly 30 years ago as a municipal bond trader for Moore, Schley, Cameron & Company. He later joined W. H. Mell & Company where he focused on institutional sales and trading and developing relationships within the investing community which have endured throughout his career. As a portfolio manager, Mr. Garruppo brings a wide range of experience that enables him to guide our fixed income clients to a superior risk-adverse return. Together with the executive team at R. Seelaus, he supports a vision for the firm that is focused on continually moving forward and expanding to meet the needs of the firm’s clients. A graduate of Temple University, Mr. Garruppo earned his Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Class of 1985. He is licensed in life and health insurance through the New Jersey State Department of Banking and Insurance and holds FINRA licenses 7, 24, 27, 53, 63 and 65. Mr. Garruppo is an avid cyclist and runner and has successfully completed the New York and Boston Marathons numerous times. A passionate competitor, he is also a regular participant in “Ironman” distance triathlons. On the golf course, he maintains a low single digit handicap. Mr. Garruppo resides in Bedminster, NJ, with his wife and three children where he also enjoys serving his community as a volunteer athletic coach.
Karolina is Partner and Chief Financial Officer for R. Seelaus & Co. In addition to the finances, Karolina also manages the compliance and office operations for the entire firm. Karolina was originally recruited as a finance and operations administrator and came to the firm upon graduation from Rutgers in 2001. Her dedication, hard work and acumen were quickly recognized and led to her rise through the company and ultimately to her role as CFO. Born in Poland and raised in the United States, Karolina first completed her Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from the State University of New Jersey at Rutgers in 2001. She went on to receive her Master’s Degree in Business Administration also from Rutgers in 2009. Fluent in Polish, she served as a president of the Rutgers University Polish Club during her time as an undergraduate. Karolina is licensed in life and health insurance through the New Jersey State Department of Banking and Insurance and is a Financial & Operations Principal. Committed to serving the greater community and to maintaining close ties to the polish community, Karolina volunteers as a liturgy teacher at St. Bernard’s and Stanislaw Kostka Church in Plainfield, NJ. Karolina currently resides in Colonia, NJ with her husband and two children.
Michael Cornell is Partner, Managing Director and Head of the Municipal Bond Department for R. Seelaus & Co. He is responsible for overseeing all trading operations and managing the liability of the entire firm. Mike joined the company in 1996, and since that time he has worked tirelessly to help build and shape the firms’ day to day operations. Mike adheres to the principle that municipal bonds, unlike other types of bonds, cannot be commoditized, and in order to truly understand the value of an individual credit you must understand the history of the issuing municipality. Over the past 16 years, Mike has acquired a depth of knowledge and understanding of the municipal bond market that has earned him a reputation as an expert in the field, and as such he is regularly called upon by recognized repository ratings organizations to provide his valuable opinion. Mike is a Registered Principal and a member of the Municipal Bond Club of NJ. A Connecticut native, Mike earned his Bachelors in Business from Skidmore College, Class of 1992. During his time as an undergraduate, Mike also played Men’s hockey and earned a place on the College’s Athletic Hall of Fame as one the top players in Skidmore history. He continues to be a dedicated supporter of the sport and serves his community as a volunteer hockey coach at the Beacon Hill Club. Mike resides in Summit, NJ with his wife Athina and their four daughters.
As Managing Director and Head of Corporate Institutional Trading, Annie Seelaus is responsible for leading the firm’s taxable trading department. Annie’s 13 years of experience covering financial markets have been diverse, and she brings a wealth of big firm experience to the trading desks at R.Seelaus & Co., Inc. Annie spent 9 years with HSBC beginning in the Graduate Training program at HSBC London. She spent two years rotating through various fixed-income departments where she covered insurance companies, money managers and worldwide hedge funds. Her skills, hard work and diligence did not go unnoticed and upon completion of the program she was invited to join the Credit Sales Desk in London covering major institutional accounts. A promotion to Credit Sales in New York City soon followed where she worked as a Senior Vice President on both the Credit Sales and Emerging Markets Desks. Prior to joining R. Seelaus she covered top emerging market asset managers in multi-currency fixed-income products specializing in Latin America, South America and Asia. Annie’s extensive knowledge of the credit markets, her trading ability and contacts within the corporate and investment communities enhance her ability to serve the firm’s expanding taxable trading department. Since joining the firm in 2009, she has built a team of sales people and traders who are rapidly gaining a reputation for excellence from both institutional and individual investors. Annie became Partner in 2011. She holds FINRA licenses 17, 24 & 63. Annie grew up in Summit where she attended Oak Knoll School. She earned her Bachelors Degree in History from Princeton University, Class of 2000 and during her time as an undergraduate played for Princeton’s Division 1 Women’s Ice Hockey team. Annie currently resides in Short Hills, NJ.
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Richard Seelaus
Bernard Garruppo
Karolina Pajdak
Mike Cornell
Annie Seelaus