Executive Board

Anthony Grek

President

Anthony Grek is a Senior majoring in Finance. This is his 4th semester in IA. Over the Summer he lived in Bermuda for a month interning at Warwick Capital. His hobbies include weightlifting, investing, and playing guitar. Two of his favorite investing topics are bitcoin and options. 

Duties: Attend every meeting (sit up front); Be prepared to lead discussion on topic/stock of the week; Find and email out links to articles relevant to topic/stock of the week over weekend prior to meeting (using President’s email account); Arrange final banquet; Lead elections at final banquet; Attend recruitment/open house/welcome days events; Organize, coordinate, advertise, prepare materials for, and host the NIUIA High School Valuation Challenge. president.niuia@gmail.com

Jess Brandes

Vice President

Jess is a senior at Northern Illinois University pursuing a Bachelor's in Finance and a minor in Art, to be earned May of 2024. She is also enrolled in the Accelerated Masters of Finance program with a certification in FinTech to be earned December 2024. Within the NIU College of Business, she holds several council positions such as Vice President of the Finance Student Advisory Board, Vice President of the Investment Association, and Vice President of Membership of the Financial Management Association. With analytical research skills and exceptional problem-solving abilities, she continuously advances her finance knowledge. This is her first semester as an intermediate analyst for the TMAC Student Managed Portfolio, where she gains practical experience. She is a driven and well-rounded student with a strong passion for finance, diverse interests, and active involvement in her university community. 

Duties: Attend every meeting (sit up front); Be prepared to lead discussion on topic/stock of the week; Find and email out links to articles relevant to topic/stock of the week over weekend prior to meeting (using President’s email account); Arrange final banquet; Lead elections at final banquet; Attend recruitment/open house/welcome days events; Organize, coordinate, advertise, prepare materials for, and host the NIUIA High School Valuation Challenge. president.niuia@gmail.com

Olivia Lockwood

Treasurer

Olivia is a senior studying finance with a minor in business innovation and entrepreneurship. She possesses a strong passion for management and problem-solving, which she applies to her academic pursuits. Currently pursuing an accelerated master's degree in finance and certificates in financial planning and fintech. She is also the president of the Financial Management Association and a finance peer tutor/graduate assistant. Olivia’s passion for finance has led her to hold an intermediate analyst role in the TMAC Student Managed Portfolio where she looks to continue to contribute to the Finance Department.

Duties: Attend every meeting (sit up front); Be prepared to lead discussion on topic/stock of the week; Find and discuss current events articles at beginning of each meeting; Arrange final banquet; Attend recruitment/open house/welcome days events; Organize, coordinate, advertise, prepare materials for, and host the NIUIA High School Valuation Challenge. 


Griffin Geary

Operations

Griffin Geary is an undergraduate student at NIU, pursuing a Bachelor's in May '26 in finance. He is looking to become a Financial analysist after completing his Bachelor's degree. Griffin is a newcomer to Investment Association as he has been a part of it for 2 semesters. He is also a member of the NIU Chess club and placed second in his first portfolio competition.

Duties: Attend every meeting; Explain portfolio competition at first few meetings (e.g., walk students through sample trades); Track (and backup) portfolio competition progress at the beginning of each meeting; Create the competition in WSS and handle issues with students pertaining to joining the competition; Update social media, website, and Barsema monitors on a weekly basis; Attend recruitment/open house/welcome days events; Organize, coordinate, advertise, prepare materials for, and host the NIUIA High School Valuation Challenge. 


Advisor: Gina Nicolosi, gnicolos@niu.edu