Equity Research

Listed below are the contact information and specific categories pertaining to all areas of the Research department.

Business Services | Consumer | Financial | Healthcare | Technology | China

Robert Newman
Robert Newman
Manager and Director of Research
312.364.8783
Kyle Harris
Kyle Harris
Operations Manager
312.364.8230
Tony Zimmer
Tony Zimmer
Media Contact
312.364.8611

Business Services

Industrial

Jeff Germanotta
Jeff Germanotta
Co-Group Head–Business Services
312.364.5411
Nate Brochmann
Nate Brochmann
312.364.5385
Brian Drab
Brian Drab
312.364.8280

Global Services

Brandon Dobell
Brandon Dobell
Co-Group Head–Business Services
312.364.8773
Timothy McHugh
Timothy McHugh
312.364.8229
Robert Riggs
Robert Riggs
312.364.8610
Christopher Shutler
Christopher Shutler
312.364.8197

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Consumer

Mark Miller
Mark Miller
Group Head–Consumer
312.364.8498
Jon Andersen
Jon Andersen
312.364.8697
Meggan Friedman
Meggan Friedman
312.364.8664
Jack Murphy
Jack Murphy
312.364.8584
Sharon Zackfia
Sharon Zackfia
312.364.5386

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Financial

Mark Lane
Mark Lane
Group Head–Financial
312.364.8686

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Healthcare

Ben Andrew
Ben Andrew
Group Head–Healthcare
312.364.8828
Ryan Daniels
Ryan Daniels
312.364.8418
John Kreger
John Kreger
312.364.8597
Amanda Murphy
Amanda Murphy
312.364.8951
John Sonnier
John Sonnier
312.364.8224
Corey Tobin
Corey Tobin
312.364.5362
Brian Weinstein
Brian Weinstein
312.364.8170

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Technology

Jason Ader
Jason Ader
Co-Group Head–Technology
617.235.7519
Laura Lederman
Laura Lederman
Co-Group Head–Technology
312.364.8223
Jim Breen
Jim Breen
617.235.7513
Anil Doradla
Anil Doradla
312.364.8016
Jonathan Ho
Jonathan Ho
312.364.8276
Ralph Schackart III
Ralph Schackart III
312.364.8753
Bhavan Suri
Bhavan Suri
312.364.5341

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China

Liping Cai
Liping Cai
+86 21 2327 2222

 


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Robert D. Newman
Robert D. Newman
Manager and Director of Research

BNewman@williamblair.com
312.364.8783
Robert D. Newman, CFA, CPA, a member of William Blair & Company's executive committee, has served as the Director of Equity Research and Manager of the Equity Research Group since 2001. Newman, who previously was Director of Research in Investment Management from 1999 to 2001, joined the firm in 1989 as a securities analyst in that group, and became a principal in the firm in 1993. He has chaired the firm's annual United Way Campaign since 2004. Newman earned a B.S. in Accounting from the University of Illinois in 1983 and an M.B.A. from Northwestern University's Kellogg Graduate School of Management in 1987. Newman is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the CFA Society of Chicago and the Economic Club of Chicago. He has started up and/or served on the boards of several educational foundations.

Tony Zimmer
Tony Zimmer
Media Contact

TZimmer@williamblair.com
312.364.8611
William Blair & Company equity research analysts, portfolio managers, and investment bankers are of the highest caliber, renowned for expertise in their respective sectors and for their winning investment strategies. Our mission is to help you meet your deadlines and provide fast, direct access to key professionals at the firm.

Tony Zimmer joined William Blair & Company in 1991 and has served as the media contact since 1999. He spent the previous eight years with the firm's human resources group and holds his series 7, 24, and 63 licenses. Mr. Zimmer received his B.S. in management from DePaul University and attended SIFMA's Securities Industry Institute at the Wharton School of Business. While at DePaul, he was captain of the division I soccer team for two years and team MVP one year, and was awarded the Father Edward Riley, C.M. Memorial Award in recognition of excellence in leadership, community service, and academics.

Jeff Germanotta
Jeff Germanotta
Co-Group Head–Business Services
Diversified Industrials, Industrial Distribution

jgermanotta@williamblair.com
312.364.5411
Jeff Germanotta, principal, co-group head–business services, joined William Blair & Company in 2000 as an equity analyst focusing on industrial and transportation stocks. Mr. Germanotta previously spent six years at Robert W. Baird & Co. as an analyst covering wholesale distributors and diversified manufacturers. He also has experience in capital markets, corporate planning, and commercial banking with Bank One (now JPMorgan Chase) and U.S. Bank. Mr. Germanotta has been consistently recognized in the Financial Times/StarMine "World's Top Analysts" listing. He holds a B.A. in business administration from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and an M.B.A. from Marquette University.

Nate Brochmann
Nate Brochmann
Commercial Services, Logistics/Transportation

NBrochmann@williamblair.com
312.364.5385
Nate Brochmann, CFA, joined William Blair & Company in 2000. Mr. Brochmann is an industrial services analyst with a focus on logistics and transportation companies. Previously, he worked as a management consultant at Andersen in its strategic valuation services group. Mr. Brochmann holds a B.S. in finance from the University of Illinois at Urbana/Champaign and an M.B.A. from the University of Chicago.

Brian Drab
Brian Drab
Filtration and Water Management, Industrial Technology

BDrab@williamblair.com
312.364.8280
Brian Drab joined William Blair & Company in 2006. Mr. Drab covers the filtration and water management and industrial technology industries. Previously, he worked as an engineer at Motorola, with mechanical design and manufacturing responsibilities. Mr. Drab graduated summa cum laude with a B.S. in mechanical engineering from Washington University in St. Louis and earned an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School.

Brandon Dobell
Brandon Dobell
Co-Group Head–Business Services
Educational Services, Real Estate Services

BDobell@williamblair.com
312.364.8773
Brandon Dobell, principal, co-group head–business services, specializes in the educational and real estate industries. Mr. Dobell was previously group head–global services research at Credit Suisse. He also worked in equity research at Bank of America Securities. Mr. Dobell has won two awards in the Financial Times/StarMine "World's Top Analysts" listing, including the No. 2 earnings-estimator for 2008 in diversified consumer services and the No. 1 earnings-estimator for 2009 in real estate management and development. Mr. Dobell has an M.B.A. in finance from the University of Southern California Marshall School of Business and B.A. degrees in history and political science from the University of California, San Diego.

Timothy McHugh
Timothy McHugh
Consulting, Staffing

TMcHugh@williamblair.com
312.364.8229
Timothy McHugh, CFA, joined William Blair & Company in 2002. Mr. McHugh is a business services analyst specializing in the consulting, employer services, and staffing sectors. Previously, Mr. McHugh was a senior research analyst at the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago. Mr. McHugh was named the No. 1 earnings-estimator in professional services for 2008 in the Financial Times/StarMine "World's Top Analysts" listing. He graduated from Wabash College with a bachelor's degree in economics and received an M.B.A. in finance and accounting from the University of Chicago.

Robert Riggs
Robert Riggs
Business Process Outsourcing, Information Services

RRiggs@williamblair.com
312.364.8610
Robert Riggs, CFA, focuses on the business process outsourcing and information services industries. Mr. Riggs joined William Blair in the summer of 2007 from Credit Suisse, where he worked in the business services space. Mr. Riggs has an M.B.A. from the University of Southern California and B.A. degrees in economics and business administration from Vanderbilt University.

Christopher Shutler
Christopher Shutler
Transaction Processing Services

CShutler@williamblair.com
312.364.8197
Christopher Shutler, CFA, joined William Blair in 2007 and specializes in the transaction processing industry. Previously, Mr. Shutler worked at Credit Suisse as an associate analyst covering educational and business services companies. Mr. Shutler received his B.B.A. degree in finance and business economics from the University of Notre Dame.

Mark Miller
Mark Miller
Group Head–Consumer
Discount Stores, Energy Retail and Refining, Health and Beauty

MMiller@williamblair.com
312.364.8498
Mark Miller, principal, group head–consumer sector, CFA, joined William Blair & Company in 1999. His coverage includes broadline retailers, drug stores, and the health-and-beauty sector. Previously, Mr. Miller covered branded consumer companies at Merrill Lynch and the restaurant industry at CS First Boston. Mr. Miller was recognized by The Wall Street Journal's "Best on the Street" in 2003 for his coverage of broadline retailers. He has also received four awards in the Financial Times/StarMine "World's Top Analysts" listing, including both the No. 1 stock-picker and No. 1 earnings-estimator in 2009 in food and staples retailing. He graduated from Columbia University with a B.A. in political science and he received his M.B.A. in finance and marketing from Kellogg Graduate School of Management, where he graduated with distinction.

Jon Andersen
Jon Andersen
Consumer Products

JAndersen@williamblair.com
312.364.8697
Jon Andersen, CFA, joined William Blair & Company in 2005 to cover the consumer products sector, including household, personal care, and packaged food companies. Previously, Mr. Andersen was a senior manager in the strategy practice of Accenture, where he provided strategic consulting services to leading consumer packaged goods and retail companies. Mr. Andersen was recognized by The Wall Street Journal's "Best on the Street" for his coverage of household and personal products in 2009. He graduated from Colorado College with a B.A. in economics, and he received his M.B.A. in finance and strategic management from the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business, where he graduated with honors.

Meggan Friedman
Meggan Friedman
Marketing and Media Services, Packaging and Signage

MFriedman@williamblair.com
312.364.8664
Meggan Friedman joined William Blair & Company in 2005. She is an analyst in the consumer sector with a focus on the media and marketing services industry. Ms. Friedman was recognized by The Wall Street Journal's "Best on the Street" for her coverage of the advertising and publishing industry in 2009. Previously, she worked with General Mills and Sears Holdings in operating and corporate roles. Ms. Friedman has a B.A. in mathematical methods in the social sciences and economics from Northwestern University and earned an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School.

Jack Murphy
Jack Murphy
E-commerce, Hardlines Retailers

JMurphy@williamblair.com
312.364.8584
Jack Murphy, principal, CFA, joined William Blair in 2005 and covers e-commerce and hardline retailers. Previously, Mr. Murphy worked at Credit Suisse First Boston for nearly six years as an equity research analyst covering a broad range of retail companies. Before CSFB, he worked as an equity research analyst at Lehman Brothers and as an equity research associate at Salomon Brothers. Prior to sell-side research, Mr. Murphy worked as a financial analyst for General Electric Capital, having graduated from GE's Financial Management Program. Mr. Murphy earned his bachelor's degree in economics from Villanova University, where he graduated magna cum laude.

Sharon Zackfia
Sharon Zackfia
Apparel, Leisure, Restaurants

SZackfia@williamblair.com
312.364.5386
Sharon Zackfia, principal, CFA, joined the equity research group of William Blair & Company in 2000. She focuses on the restaurant, leisure, and apparel industries. Previously, Ms. Zackfia worked in research at Credit Suisse First Boston and with the Nasdaq Stock Market and Jennison Associates. Ms. Zackfia was recognized by The Wall Street Journal's "Best on the Street" for 2009 for her coverage of restaurants, ranking No. 1 overall. She also won an award in the Financial Times/StarMine "World's Top Analysts" listing as the top stock-picker in restaurants for 2009. Ms. Zackfia received a B.A. from Yale University.

Mark Lane
Mark Lane
Asset Management, Brokerage, Commercial P/C Insurance, Exchanges

MLane@williamblair.com
312.364.8686
Mark Lane, principal, group head–financial sector, joined William Blair & Company in 1998. He specializes in asset management, brokerage, exchanges, and investment banks. He covered the insurance sector from 1998 to 2010. From 1992 to 1995, Mr. Lane worked as a senior underwriter for The St. Paul Companies, analyzing specialty property-casualty insurance risks. From 1995 to 1998, Mr. Lane worked at Goldman Sachs in Chicago as an analyst in the high-net-worth money management group. Mr. Lane has been recognized by The Wall Street Journal's "Best on the Street" two times, most recently in 2007 for his coverage of investment services. He has also received two awards in the Financial Times/StarMine "World's Top Analysts" listing, most recently as the No. 2 earnings-estimator for 2009 in the insurance industry. He received a B.A. in economics from Northwestern University and an M.B.A. in finance and accounting from the University of Chicago.

Ben Andrew
Ben Andrew
Medical Devices

BAndrew@williamblair.com
312.364.8828
Ben Andrew, principal, group head–healthcare sector, joined William Blair & Company in 1998 as a medical technology analyst covering cardiovascular, orthopedics, sleep disorders, blood products, and other sectors. Previously, Mr. Andrew was an equity research analyst at Vector Securities International, worked in product development at Baxter International, and was a synthetic organic chemist at Abbott Laboratories. He received a B.S. in chemistry and B.A. in rhetoric from the University of Illinois at Urbana/Champaign, graduating Phi Beta Kappa, and also holds a Master of Management degree in finance and healthcare services from the Kellogg Graduate School of Management.

Ryan Daniels
Ryan Daniels
Healthcare and Veterinary Services

RDaniels@williamblair.com
312.364.8418
Ryan Daniels, principal, CFA, joined William Blair & Company in 2002 as a healthcare services analyst with a focus on healthcare and veterinary services. Previously, he worked with Deloitte Consulting's M&A Advisory Services Group. Mr. Daniels was recognized by The Wall Street Journal's "Best on the Street" for his coverage of healthcare providers in 2009, ranking No. 3 overall. Mr. Daniels holds a B.A. in economics from Northwestern University and earned an M.B.A. from the Kellogg School of Management.

John Kreger
John Kreger
Distribution, Outsourcing, Pharmacy Benefit Management

JKreger@williamblair.com
312.364.8597
John Kreger, principal, joined William Blair & Company in 1999 as a healthcare services analyst. He provides coverage of pharmaceutical outsourcing, healthcare distribution, and pharmacy benefit management. Previously, Mr. Kreger worked as a healthcare services analyst at Vector Securities International for five years, where his research coverage encompassed disease management, managed care, and pharmaceutical outsourcing. Mr. Kreger has been recognized by The Wall Street Journal's "Best on the Street" four times, most recently ranking fourth in 2007 for his coverage in the healthcare provider industry. Before becoming an analyst, he was a biotechnology research associate at Vector for three years. Mr. Kreger received a B.B.A. from the University of Michigan and an M.B.A. from the University of Chicago.

Amanda Murphy
Amanda Murphy
Diagnostic Services, Pharmacy Benefit Management

AMurphy@williamblair.com
312.364.8951
Amanda Murphy joined William Blair & Company in 2006. Ms. Murphy is a healthcare analyst with a focus on diagnostic services and pharmacy benefit management. Previously, Ms. Murphy worked at Caremark as a business analyst and as a senior consultant within PricewaterhouseCoopers's strategy consulting division. She received a B.S. in biology from Boston College's honors program and holds an M.B.A. in finance, accounting, and economics from the Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University.

John Sonnier
John Sonnier
Biotechnology

JSonnier@williamblair.com
312.364.8224
John Sonnier, principal, joined the William Blair & Company, L.L.C. equity research group as a biotechnology analyst in September 2005. He previously worked for nine years with Prudential Equity Group, LLC and Vector Securities International, where he was a biotechnology analyst. Before his move to Vector Securities in 1996, Mr. Sonnier spent eight years in the industry at Johnson & Johnson and Baxter International's biotechnology group, where he served in several commercial and strategic positions, including North American product manager for Recombinate, one of the biotechnology industry's first approved biotechnology drugs.

Brian Weinstein
Brian Weinstein
Diagnostic Products

BWeinstein@williamblair.com
312.364.8170
Brian Weinstein, CFA, joined William Blair & Company in 2001. Mr. Weinstein is a healthcare analyst with coverage in the diagnostics arena. Before joining William Blair & Company, Mr. Weinstein was a senior analyst at Casas, Benjamin & White, L.L.C., where he worked on restructurings and workouts in the healthcare services space. In addition, he worked at Baxter International/Allegiance Corporation in a variety of finance roles, including manager of investor relations at Allegiance. He received his B.S. in business with concentrations in both finance and marketing from Indiana University, and also holds an M.B.A. from the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business.

Jason Ader
Jason Ader
Data Networking

JAder@williamblair.com
617.235.7519
Jason Ader, CFA, co-group head–technology sector, focuses on data networking and storage technology. Mr. Ader joined William Blair & Company in September 2008 after serving as a managing director at Thomas Weisel Partners, LLC for more than eight years and as a research analyst at H.C. Wainwright & Co. for three years. Before joining the financial services industry, he worked for three years as an information officer at the Embassy of Israel in Washington, D.C., where he was a speechwriter and project manager for U.S.-Israel bilateral programs. Mr. Ader holds a B.A. in comparative religion from Duke University and an M.A. in international relations from the Fletcher School at Tufts University.

Laura Lederman
Laura Lederman
Business Software & Services, IT Services, Software as a Service

LLederman@williamblair.com
312.364.8223
Laura Lederman, principal, CFA, co-group head–technology sector, joined William Blair & Company as an equity research analyst in 1990. She specializes in the information technology and business software industries. Previously, she worked at Duff & Phelps and Texas Instruments. Ms. Lederman was named the No. 1 stock-picker in U.S. software for 2007 in the Financial Times/StarMine "World's Top Analysts" listing. She graduated from the University of Texas with a B.A. in economics and an M.B.A. in MIS and statistics.

Jim Breen
Jim Breen
Telecom Services

JBreen@williamblair.com
617.235.7513
Jim Breen, CFA, joined William Blair & Company in 2010 as a communication services analyst. Previously, Mr. Breen spent 10 years as an analyst at Thomas Weisel Partners, LLC. He has been recognized several times in recent years by The Wall Street Journal's "Best on the Street" and the Financial Times/StarMine "World's Top Analysts" listing, the latter of which recently ranked him the No. 3 stock-picker for 2009 in diversified telecom services. Mr. Breen also worked as a high-yield fixed-income analyst at BancBoston Robertson Stephens and as a civil engineer at Modern Continental Construction Company. He holds a B.S. in civil engineering from Tufts University and an M.B.A. from the Carroll School of Management at Boston College.

Anil Doradla
Anil Doradla
Electronic Components, Wireless Communications

ADoradla@williamblair.com
312.364.8016
Anil Doradla joined William Blair & Company in 2008 to cover communication semiconductors, wireless communications, and electronic components. He previously had 15 years of experience in the wireless industry, including positions in consulting, R&D, strategy, product design, and international operations. Mr. Doradla worked with SBC Labs (now AT&T Labs), participating in several key initiatives that shaped both SBC Wireline and Cingular. He received a master's degree in electrical engineering from Virginia Tech, where he was part of the mobile and portable radio research group. He also holds an M.B.A. from the McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas at Austin.

Jonathan Ho
Jonathan Ho
Cybersecurity, Security Technology

JHo@williamblair.com
312.364.8276
Jonathan Ho joined William Blair & Company in 2005. Mr. Ho is a technology analyst with a focus on cybersecurity and security technology. Previously, he worked as a lead software engineer and information technology project manager for seven years in the government/defense contracting industry. Mr. Ho holds a B.S. in finance and a B.S. in management science and statistics from the University of Maryland at College Park, an M.S. in information and telecommunications systems from the Johns Hopkins University, and an M.B.A. in finance and accounting from the University of Chicago.

Ralph Schackart III
Ralph Schackart III
Digital Media

RSchackart@williamblair.com
312.364.8753
Ralph Schackart, principal, CFA, joined William Blair & Company in 2000. He is a technology analyst specializing in the digital entertainment/media sector. Previously, he worked as a management consultant at Andersen in its strategic valuation services group. Mr. Schackart served four years of active duty as a commissioned officer in the U.S. Marines after receiving an NROTC scholarship. He holds a B.S. from Purdue University and an M.B.A. from Webster University.

Bhavan Suri
Bhavan Suri
Business Software & Services, IT Services

BSuri@williamblair.com
312.364.5341
Bhavan Suri joined William Blair & Company in 2007 and specializes in the IT services and enterprise software industries. Previously, he worked in venture capital and early-stage-technology commercialization. Before joining the financial services industry, he co-founded and managed a Boston-based enterprise software company. Before that, Mr. Suri was a director at AnswerThink, an IT services firm that specialized in systems integration and enterprise software implementation. He received a B.Sc. in physics from Brown University and an M.B.A. from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.

Corey Tobin
Corey Tobin
Healthcare Information Technology

CTobin@williamblair.com
312.364.5362
Corey Tobin, principal, joined William Blair & Company in 2002 and specializes in healthcare IT. Before joining William Blair, he was an associate at the private-equity firm Willis Stein & Partners, an analyst in the M&A investment banking group of Merrill Lynch, and an associate in the financial advisory services practice at Coopers & Lybrand. Mr. Tobin was recognized by The Wall Street Journal's "Best on the Street" for his coverage in software in 2005, ranking No. 2 overall; he also was recognized the same year in the Forbes.com/StarMine Analyst Awards for his coverage in the healthcare providers and services industry. More recently, Mr. Tobin was named the No. 2 stock-picker in healthcare technology for 2009 in the Financial Times/StarMine "World's Top Analysts" listing. Mr. Tobin holds a B.S. in business administration from the University of Michigan, an M.B.A. from Northwestern's Kellogg School of Management, and an M.S. in computer science from the University of Chicago.

Liping Cai
Liping Cai
China-Based Companies

LCai@williamblair.com
+86 21 2327 2222
Liping Cai, CFA, joined William Blair & Company in 2006. Ms. Cai is an analyst based in our Shanghai office, co-covering (with U.S.-based analysts) Chinese companies in several sectors. Previously, she worked as a manager in the healthcare business strategy consulting practice of Fair Isaac Corporation, a senior market analyst at Abbott Laboratories, a research associate at Genentech, and a research technician at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University. Ms. Cai has a B.S. in biological sciences and biotechnology from Tsinghua University (Beijing, China), an M.S. in chemistry and biochemistry from the University of Delaware, and an M.B.A. from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. Ms. Cai has also co-authored a number of scientific journal publications.

Kyle Harris
Kyle Harris
Operations Manager

KHarris@williamblair.com
312.364.8230
Kyle Harris, principal, CFA, joined William Blair & Company in 1994 and has served as operations manager in the Equity Research Group since 2002. He spent the previous eight years on the buy side at William Blair as a generalist equity associate and analyst. Before joining the firm, Harris held positions in mutual fund operations and commercial banking. He received a B.S. in finance from the University of Iowa and an M.B.A. in finance from DePaul University.
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