Our Team Portfolio Management

Paul R. Martel is President and Founder of YHBIA.  He manages client portfolios and also serves as Trustee for many clients and their families.  Paul was also the founder in 2013 of YHB Charitable Endowment, Inc. This non-profit 501C(3) seeks to promote and facilitate the charitable interests of YHBIA clients through the use of donor advised funds. Prior to establishing YHBIA, Paul was a vice president of CIGNA, a major multi-line insurer and provider of investment products and services.  In their Individual Financial Division, he was responsible for the education of CIGNA staff and field force on investment issues, portfolio management, goal setting, and the role and use of investment securities.  In this capacity, he designed and evaluated hundreds of individual and pension investment portfolios.  Paul began his investment career in 1978 spending five years with a leading Wall Street firm where he gained broad experience in the stock and bond markets.

Mark Everette, a Chartered Financial Analyst, has over 35 years of financial, investment and accounting experience. Prior to joining YHB Investment Advisors, Mark acquired broad investment experience as a Vice President at CIGNA Investment Management, where he filled financial roles as Controller and Chief Account­ing Officer. Mark began his career at Arthur Andersen & Co., where he received his CPA designation. He assumed leadership at YHB upon becoming the Chief Executive Officer in 2009 and the Chief Compliance Officer in 2010.

Linda L. Morel has extensive experience in portfolio management, investment planning and analytics. Prior to joining YHB Investment Advisors in 2013, Linda spent 19 years in various financial roles at Cigna. In her last position she was Vice President with Cigna Investment Management where she was jointly responsible for a portfolio of mortgage investments on behalf of pension investors, valued at approximately $500 million.  Previously she developed and executed investment plans for Cigna’s equity real estate portfolios. Linda began her investment career at Cigna working in Portfolio Management as lead analyst on Cigna’s Open End Real Estate Fund.

Anne A. Space, a CFA^® Charterholder, began her career in investments in 2001, as a commercial mortgage analyst at CIGNA Investment Management. Before joining YHB as a Senior Portfolio Manager in 2018, she was a Director of Asset Management at UBS Real Estate & Private Markets, where she managed $850 million in U.S.-based investments held in various open-end real estate equity and debt funds.  She also worked as an Assistant Vice President in real estate investments at Hartford Investment Management Company, a division of The Hartford, where she analyzed and sourced investments for the insurance company’s investment portfolios.

Dennis Hannigan, a Chartered Financial Analyst, has over 35 years of investment, financial and accounting experience.  Prior to joining YHB in 2005, Dennis was a Managing Director at CIGNA Investment Management, where he was responsible for equity and fixed-income investment risk management.  Dennis started his career at Arthur Andersen & Co. where he passed the CPA examination.

Dennis graduated summa cum laude from the University of Connecticut and is a member of the Hartford CFA Society and the CFA Institute.  Dennis is a member of the Panama Canal Society and in his spare time enjoys coaching baseball.

Jessica Kott has a distinguished background in investments and private bank lending, with more than 35 years of in-depth knowledge and experience in the financial services industry. She has extensive experience in the analysis, construction and management of investment portfolios. Prior to joining YHB Investment Advisors in 2009, Jessica was a Senior Portfolio Manager at U.S. Trust/Bank of America Private Wealth Management, where she managed approximately $300 million in client assets. She holds a Certified Financial Planner certification.

T. Matthew Manning has over 13 years of investment, financial analysis and corporate finance experience. Before joining YHB in 2015, Matt was an Associate Vice President at State Street where he managed an international transaction management team for a global asset management firm. Prior to that, he was a fixed income portfolio manager and trader for SEI Investments where he developed portfolio strategies in investment grade credit and analyzed portfolio risk exposure across seprately managed accounts with over $750 million of AUM. Matt has passed the FINRA Series 65 exam and is a Registered Investment Advisor Representative in the State of Connecticut.

Matt is a graduate of Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia and earned his MBA from Villanova University. He and his wife have two children.

Karen Dootson joined YHB in January 2009 as an Assistant Portfolio Manager. Karen has over 20 years of analysis, accounting and investment experience. At CIGNA, she gained experience in the Retirement and Investment Services Division, working with company-sponsored retirement plans, defined benefit and defined contribution pension plans and related investment portfolios.

Elisha Defeo joined YHB Investment Advisors in January 2018 as a Senior Portfolio Manager with 18 years of investment experience. She began her investment career in 2000 at Morgan Stanley and was responsible for servicing and managing client investment portfolios. Through this position, she gained extensive investment experience including stock options and executive compensation. This position, along with her role at Northwestern Mutual, allowed her to utilize her skills in financial management and insurance planning to offer clients a holistic wealth management approach to ensure that they are meeting their financial objectives.  Elisha earned an MBA degree, passed the FINRA Series 7, 63, and 66 examinations and is a Registered Investment Advisor Representative in the State of Connecticut.

Judith P. Havard, a Chartered Financial Analyst, has over 35 years of investment experience. Before joining YHB in 2009, Judy was Vice President at the Johansen Group where she was responsible for portfolio management and equity analysis. Prior to the Johansen Group, Judy was a Vice President of Chase Asset Management Group at JP Morgan Chase in New York. She co-managed a $400 million small cap value fund as well as an additional $25 million in private equity accounts. Judy also held investment management and analysis positions at Massachu­setts Mutual Life Insurance Company and Hartford Steam Boiler Inspection and Insurance Company.

Diane joined the YHB team in 2011 after holding multiple management roles within CVS Pharmacy for 18 years. In these positions she was responsible for operations with annual sales of $5.2 million.

Diane is a graduate of Central Connecticut State University and earned her Master’s degree from the University of Hartford.  Diane has passed the FINRA Series 65 exam and is a Registered Investment Advisor Representative in the State of Connecticut.

Grace Petrarca has over 15 years of investment and financial analysis experience. Grace joined YHB Investment Advisors in February 2012 as an Assistant Portfolio Manager. She began her career with Shawmut Investment Advisors. As an Associate Vice President, she was responsible for advising and servicing client portfolios. She is an experienced relationship driven investment professional. She develops comprehensive strategies and constructs diversified portfolios with goal oriented, risk appropriate asset classes. Proficient in Retirement and Social Security planning.

Grace has a B.A. from Duquesne University and has completed a Graduate Certificate in Ayurvedic Medicine. She has passed the FINRA Series 6, 7, 24, 63 and 65 exams and is a Registered Investment Advisor Representative in the State of Connecticut.

Lori joined the YHB team in 2019 after working in Academia for 12 years. Prior to that, she worked at Dolphin Multimedia and APM HealthCare Consulting in the Bay Area.

Lori is a graduate of Brigham Young University and earned her Master’s degree from Georgia State University. Lori has passed the FINRA Series 65 exam and is a Registered Investment Advisor Representative in the State of Connecticut.

Lori has served actively with Foodshare, the BSA and her church community. Currently, she is the president of the greater Hartford area Relief Society, which is a Christian philanthropic and educational women’s organization with over 800 members. Lori resides in Canton, CT with her husband Gary and they have 4 adult children.

Hilary joined YHB in 2021. She graduated with honors from Tufts University with a BS in International Relations and German Studies. She also earned an MBA from Northeastern University. Hilary began her investment career at Wellington Management in Boston in their Global Relationship Group where she was an Assistant Vice President. More recently she worked at a small investment advisory firm in the area.

She lives with her husband and their two sons in West Hartford, CT.

Byron Nilsson recently joined YHB as an Assistant Portfolio Manager. Byron will be responsible for portfolio management support, analysis, and client service.
Byron most recently worked as a Vice President for Société Générale in New York, where he managed risk in the corporate and investment banking division. He previously worked abroad in banking for several years in Paris, France. Byron has a B.S. in business management with a concentration in finance from Babson College.