Investment Management Team - AIQ

Jean Paul Lagarde is Chief Investment Officer, co-founder of AIQ Asset Management, and the lead portfolio manager on several of the firm’s investment strategies. Jean Paul has more than 20 years of financial services experience beginning with institutional equity research and sales where he advised hedge funds, mutual funds, and trusts on their equity holdings. He later conducted private investment abroad and then transitioned to the buyside where he served as a Senior Analyst for a hedge fund/RIA focusing on options and risk management.

Jean Paul graduated from the University of Dallas with a BA in Economics and earned an MBA in Corporate Finance focusing on Investment Analysis.

When he is not in the office, Jean Paul actively participates in various community projects and enjoys cooking, traveling, and experiencing foreign cultures and cuisines.

Investment advice offered through Advisor Resource Council, a registered investment advisor.
 

Michael L. Thomas is a co-founder of AIQ Asset Management and serves and Senior Portfolio Manager and the Director of Research at the firm. Michael has nearly 30 years of financial services experience and joined AIQ’s predecessor, ARC Asset Management, in 2020 from Falcon Point Capital, LLC where he was a Senior Portfolio Manager and one of the founding partners. He managed more than $1 billion in assets across both small cap equity and high yield strategies for some of the largest pension funds and asset allocators in the U.S. and in Europe while also working with several smaller pension plans, foundations, endowments, and high net worth individuals.

Prior to joining Falcon Point, Michael worked as part of a team managing small cap equity strategies for Dresdner RCM Global Investors (now part of Allianz Global Investors). He also worked as a sell side research analyst covering various segments of the computer services industry for both Salomon Smith Barney and Montgomery Securities and as a consultant for Andersen Consulting (now known as Accenture).

Michael earned a BA, Magna Cum Laude in Finance from Loyola University in Maryland and an MBA with Honors from Columbia Business School.

Outside of work, Michael works with disadvantaged children, spends time with his wife and five sons, and enjoys sports.

Investment advice offered through Advisor Resource Council, a registered investment advisor.
 

Nick Moore is AIQ’s Director of Trading and Alternative Investment Research, working together with the Chief Investment Officer and Senior Portfolio Manager to provide best execution for the company and its asset management clients. Nick joined AIQ from Artemis Capital Management where he was a member of the Investment Committee and served as Head Trader, overseeing all the firm’s institutional trading activities and counterparty relationships. Before Artemis, Nick started his career at Charles Schwab in various client service roles before transitioning to Schwab’s trading operations team. He brings with him a process-oriented approach to execution that aims to reduce risks, avoid errors, and minimize transaction costs during each trade’s life cycle. Additionally, Nick utilizes his professional experience in exchange traded derivatives and risk overlays as part of the team’s approach to managing clients’ market exposure when appropriate.

Nick graduated Magna Cum Laude from Southwestern University in Georgetown, TX with his BA in Business and minor in Economics. He is a CFA Charterholder and member of the CFA Society of Dallas/Fort Worth.

When he isn’t in the office, Nick enjoys spending time with his wife, Laura, and their family. Together they enjoy traveling, eating new foods, and searching for the perfect coffee.

Investment advice offered through Advisor Resource Council, a registered investment advisor.

As Director of Asset Management Operations, Shana oversees all processes for the AIQ group. She started her career in finance in 2003 when she was recruited to the industry while volunteering at church. She has worked for firms such as Southwest Securities, JP Morgan Wealth Management, and most notably RBC Wealth Management where she spent over 10 years serving as a Senior Registered Client Associate and then Investment Associate after becoming a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER®.

Shana holds her Series 7 and 9/10 licenses through LPL Financial and Series 66 through Advisor Resource Council
and earned her bachelor’s degree from Arkansas State University. In her previous role as a paralegal within the Securities Litigations group at Crowe and Dunlevy law firm, Shana furthered her knowledge in multiple areas including the mediation and arbitration process as well as the need for documentation, record keeping, and compliance. As Director of Asset Management Operations, Shana’s goal is to enhance efficiency and communication with advisors and their clients by creating consistent processes to foster a best-in-class asset management program.

Shana lives in Oklahoma City with her husband, Lt. Col. Kevin R. McHaffey (Ret.) and their dogs. When Shana isn’t assisting advisors, she enjoys home improvement projects, reading, and spending time with her family.