Mark Scalzo | CiO

Mark is responsible for the creation and implementation of Validus’ investment strategies and he provides actionable insights through his regular blog. He leads fundamental bottom-up and systematic research on individual investment selection and portfolio construction. And he is the Co-Portfolio Manager of the Destra Multi-Alternative Fund, a closed-end publicly traded interval fund. 

Prior to founding Validus, Mark was Co-Portfolio Manager and Director of Research for Aletheia Research and Management, Inc., where he was responsible for long-only model portfolios of over $7 billion in assets under management at the company’s peak. As Director of Research, Mark institutionalized and maintained the integrity of the investment process while managing a staff of seven research analysts. Before Alethea, Mark lead M&A for Fisher Investments where he created a consolidation strategy for Fisher’s investment platform. 

Mark began his investment banking career at Salomon Brothers, Inc., In 1989. 3 years later he joined Putnam Lovell NBF, a premier boutique investment banking firm focusing on the asset management industry. During his 15 years at Putnam Lovell, Mark held various positions including Associate, Vice President, Managing Director and Regional Manager. Some of Mark’s most memorable assignments include representing Nuveen Investments in the acquisition of NWQ Investment Management, the LBO of Numeric Investors led by TA Associates, the sale of Kayne Anderson Rudnick to Phoenix, the sale of Symphony Asset Management to Nuveen Investments, the reverse merger of New England Investment Companies into a publicly-traded MLP, Reich & Tang, and the sale of Miller Anderson & Sherrerd, L.L.P. to the Morgan Stanley Group. 

Mark graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Science in Economics from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. Mark is Series 65  licensed.  

Mark and his wife of 25 years have three sons. All three boys are Suzuki violinists, car enthusiasts, avid readers of classic literature. All family members are active participants in their Catholic parish and in a variety of community service activities.