Get to Know Our Senior Management Team
HCM is led by a team of experienced and knowledgeable financial experts who help individuals and companies to preserve and grow their wealth. Many of our senior management members also have positions in Highlander Capital Group, Inc (HCG), a FINRA-registered broker/dealer and an affiliate of HCM. You can have peace of mind knowing you have the assistance of reputable professionals who have your best interests in mind.
Douglas A. MacWright
Founder, President, and Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
Mr. MacWright is the founder, president, and CEO of HCM, an SEC-registered investment advisory firm based in Short Hills, NJ. He has over 39 years of direct investment management and banking experience.
Company Responsibilities
Mr. MacWright is directly responsible for developing and implementing the firm’s portfolio management strategies and has assembled and organized a team of senior investment professionals to manage high net worth client assets on its separately managed account platform.
Other Work Experience and Affiliations
He began his career in 1980 at the firm Ryan, Beck & Co., where he developed an expertise in analyzing and investing in the bank and financial service companies. He is also a principal of HCG and has been its president and CEO since 1990. He is also Managing Member of Highlander Realty Advisors, LLC, and a principal and managing member of various real estate entities.
Education
Mr. MacWright has a B.S. in Accounting from Rutgers University.
Ellen D. Sandler
Senior Managing Director, Senior Portfolio Manager
Ms. Sandler is a senior managing director and senior portfolio manager of HCM. She has more than 39 years of direct investment and portfolio management experience.
Company Responsibilities
Ms. Sandler is directly responsible for the portfolio management of equity, tax-exempt, and taxable fixed-income accounts. She constructs and maintains a wide range of portfolios, including income-oriented accounts, balanced accounts, and long-term growth accounts. In addition, Ms. Sandler manages several private partnerships that invest in the financial services sector.
Other Work Experience and Affiliations
She began her career at Ryan, Beck and Co., where she developed an expertise in analyzing bank and financial service companies. Prior to joining HCM, Ms. Sandler was a vice president of sales for Smith Barney. She is also a senior vice president of sales and an employee of HCG.
Education
Ms. Sandler graduated Cum Laude from Harvard College.
Eckart A. Weeck
Senior Managing Director, Senior Portfolio Manager
Mr. Weeck is a senior managing director and senior portfolio manager of HCM. He has more than 36 years of direct investment and portfolio management experience.
Company Responsibilities
Mr. Weeck is directly responsible for portfolio management and analyses on behalf of a wide range of clients.
Other Work Experience and Affiliations
Prior to joining HCM, Mr. Weeck held management positions with various regional brokerage firms. He is also a senior vice president of HCG.
Education
Mr. Weeck has a BA in Economics from Fairleigh Dickinson University.
Visit the Highlander Report website for more information about what we do.
Ryan B. MacWright, CFP®
Managing Director, and Portfolio Manager
Mr. MacWright is a Certified Financial Planner, managing director and portfolio manager who has been with HCM since 2007.
Company Responsibilities
He works with a team of professionals to identify and research unique value-oriented investment opportunities and strategies in the US equity markets.
Affiliations
Mr. MacWright is a vice president of HCG. He is also the managing member of Highlander Futures Management, LLC (HFM), which is an investment fund that employs an array of option and equity trading strategies.
Education
He received a BS in Business Administration with a concentration in finance from the University of Rhode Island.
Cindy E. Blustein
Senior Manager and Client Support Services
Ms. Blustein is the senior manager of client support services of HCM. She has over 33 years of sales support and operations experience.
Company Responsibilities
Ms. Blustein is directly responsible for all client inquiries, and she is the liaison between HCM’s portfolio managers and Pershing’s Client Services Group.
Other Work Experience and Affiliations
Prior to joining HCM, Ms. Blustein was with Smith Barney, first as part of their Corporate Services Group specializing in Rule 144 transactions and later as a senior registered sales assistant. Ms. Blustein is the operations manager of HCG.
Education
Ms. Blustein has BA in Elementary Education with a minor in Business Administration from Wilkes University.
Richard K. Martino
Director
Mr. Martino is a director of HCM. He has over 36 years of direct investment and portfolio management experience.
Company Responsibilities
Mr. Martino is directly responsible for portfolio management and analyses on behalf of a wide range of clients.
Other Work Experience and Affiliations
Prior to joining HCM, Mr. Martino held management positions with various regional brokerage firms, including IDS/American Express. Mr. Martino is a senior vice president of sales and an employee of HCG.
Education
Mr. Martino has a BS in Pharmacy with a minor in Business Administration from Long Island University.
Philip Kiernan, Jr.
Senior Managing Director
Phil entered the securities industry in 1994. Quickly realizing that the “cookie cutter” approach may not serve people’s best, long-term interests, he opened his own practice focusing on providing objective, long-term financial planning, and asset management. Phil maintains FINRA Series 6, 7, 24, 63, and 66 licenses. He has been interviewed by The New York Post and CNBC.com.
Interests
He is a lifelong Giants fan and season ticket holder.
Visit the Highlander Report website for more information about what we do.
Steven S. Caruso, EA, MBA
Managing Director
As Florida remains a popular retirement destination, Steve continues to provide expert tax and financial-planning services from his Melbourne office.
Steve has over 20 years of financial-planning experience and more than 30 years of business management experience. Highly proficient in financial, retirement, tax, and estate planning, Steve maintains FINRA Series 6, 7, 63, and 66 licenses, as well as New York and Florida state insurance licenses. Steve is an Enrolled Agent (EA) and, as such, is authorized by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to represent individuals and businesses before the IRS.
Steve has spoken at financial and wealth-management workshops for Certified Public Accountants (CPA) and individual investors. He is an active member of The Nature Conservancy and Arbor Day Foundation.